Would you ever go swimming in a cenote?

What is a cenote❔

A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. The regional term is associated with the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used for water supplies by the ancient Maya, and occasionally for sacrificial offerings. However cenotes are not exclusive to Mexico.^{^Source}

Let me explain my reasons for wanting to ask the question “Would you ever go swimming in a cenote?” There are quite a few things that caused this topic to begin circulating through my mind. I have seen cenotes in movies and photographs previously, but I didn't know they were called cenotes. I just thought of these types of formations as pools in a cave, maybe with some light coming in. Just a few days ago I learned what the word cenote means and did some research on this spectacle of nature.

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Video games have taught me so much

I have been playing a lot of this video game called TemTem recently. In the game, you are encouraged to explore many different islands. One island called Tucma is home to my favorite location in the game so far. The place I am talking about is Kakama Cenote. The reason I am so fond of Kakama is very easy to explain. It is an underground cenote with giant crystals inside, tall red grass, acid-ridden waters, and an ancient tree stump housing an artifact. All of which is surrounded by stunning waterfalls. It sounds like a dream location right? Well the name Kakama Cenote made me do a search online to find out how to define a cenote. Immediately I began going down a rabbit hole of learning about these amazing natural instances. After having obsessed with the idea of one day going to swim in a real cenote, I was excited to write about the idea.

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Mexico is the king of cenotes

Another game that I have explored cenotes before was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which is set in Mexico. This is yet another game which gives you the ability to explore vast expanses of nature. I can't tell you how many different cenotes I visited in Tomb Raider. In real life, Mexico alone has over 6,000 cenotes. You can imagine that a game set in Mexico is filled with opportunities to dive into a cenote. It never really got old standing at the top of some cliff and diving down deep into the crystal clear waters.

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A like minded nature lover

Shortly after I had decided to write about cenotes a few days back, I stumbled upon a new video uploaded by @donald.porter. In the video you can see his wife jumping into The Blue Hole cenote in Jamaica. I was immediately so happy for the both of them to get to experience such a beautiful thing. Part of me is jealous, but I know one day I’ll do the same.

The Blue Hole—alternatively known as the Cool Blue Hole, Secret Falls, or Island Gully—is a natural limestone sinkhole near Ocho Rios. A deep cavern within the tropical mountains of Jamaica, the Blue Hole gets its name from the deep azure hue of the water. ^{^Source}

Check out @donald.porter's video here:

https://twitter.com/donaldporterjm/status/1395156375446167556?s=21
- donaldporterjm

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Would you go swimming in a cenote?

Now we are going to circle back to my original question and title of this blog. I know to many such as myself the answer is a no-brainer. YES! However not everyone thinks like myself. I know many would never consider jumping into an unknown hole for a swim. Some people cannot swim at all. Others are fearful of what may be living in the water. Then of course there is always the possibility that your way out is removed for some odd reason, such as the ladder being removed or sudden flooding. All of these things are no reason for me to be fearful at all to swim in a cenote. I think this type of geographical miracle is an obvious reason to say yes to every single opportunity to swim in one of these amazing swimming holes.

Leave a comment with your thoughts about swimming in a cenote.

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