"Beneath the idyllic resort towns of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, daring explorers have uncovered a hidden world of grand chambers and twisting tunnels. The Ox Bel Ha, Mayan for 'Three Paths of Water', is a sprawling water 'web' that makes up the world's longest underwater cave system. In this vast network, researchers have found giant sink holes, huge crystal chambers known as ice palaces, and 38 unique species of cave-dwelling animals."
"Cave divers have mapped out 325.6 miles (524 kilometres) of subterranean tunnels, but believe there could be even more yet to explore. Since 2018 alone, divers have squeezed their way through 108 more miles (175 kilometres) of unexplored cave. Research group, El Centro Investigador del Sistema Acuífero de Quintana Roo (CINDAQ), believes it may find more than 373 miles (600 kilometres) of cave before its investigations are done."
"The big difference is that every metre of Mexico's cavernous network is submerged in a mixture of salt and freshwater. Scientists believe that the incredible complexity of Ox Bel Ha is due to the unusual way in which it formed. Millions of years ago, rainwater and dissolved carbon dioxide filtered through a thick layer of limestone on the Yucatan Peninsula. As this acidic solution filtered through the rock, it reacted with the limestone and carved out vast channels and tunnels."
Ox Bel Ha is a vast submerged cave network beneath Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula whose name means 'Three Paths of Water.' Divers have mapped 325.6 miles of tunnels and have added 108 miles since 2018, with researchers projecting more than 373 miles may be discovered. The system contains giant sink holes, crystal 'ice palace' chambers, and 38 unique cave-dwelling species. The cave formed as acidic rainwater and dissolved carbon dioxide dissolved limestone over millions of years, then flooded around 18,000 years ago when sea levels rose. Direct sea connection produces a halocline with fresh water overlying saltwater.
Read at Mail Online
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