Descending into the darkness of Cenote Zapote, an eerie sensation of timelessness and weightlessness takes hold of you. In this ancient place, which has hidden its secrets for millennia, the visual spectacle of other worldly geological formations grips you with a relentless allure. To experience the depths of Cenote Zapote is to descend into another world that is truly unlike any other.
Both Cenote Zapote and the Hell's Bells structures contain a diverse ecosystem of microorganisms, including archea and bacteria and with chemolithotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic species. The microbes metabolize hydrogen, various nitrogen compounds, oxygen, and various sulfur compounds. The metabolism of these microorganisms may influence the growth of the Hells Bells formations by consuming carbon dioxide and facilitating the deposition of calcite by metabolizing nitrogen from alkaline to acidic to neutral compounds under the influence of sulfur and nitrogen redox processes - ultimately forming biofilms on the surface of the Bells and by producing organic polymers that can concentrate calcium.
There are only three places on earth where this distinctively intricate and complex geological, biological, and chemical process takes place - all of which are located in the Yucatan peninsula. And if that's not captivating enough, Cenote Zapote holds another secret - the remains of a giant sloth which fell to its watery depth over 12,000 years ago. Concealed beneath a massively toxic cloud of caustic gas, are the remains of Xibalbaonyx oviceps - a unique sloth species which has long been extinct.
Diving Cenote Zapote is an experience that instills a profound appreciation for the seemingly perpetual wonders hidden within the subterranean realm of the Yucatan Peninsula. If you'd like to learn more about Cenote Zapote, and the experience of diving "Hell's Bells", be sure to check out the links below:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_B...)
www.ibtimes.com/fossil-12000-...
www.kooxdiving.com/en/activit...