SISTEMA AKTUN HU – THE IGUANA CAVE
During the past month I have made a few dives in the Riviera Maya’s latest big discovery – Sistema Aktun Hu. Sergio Granucci, Pep Lenares, Richard Hicks and a few other people through the exploration projects of LABNA HA first explored this cave. During the spring of 2007 Alex Alvarez – owner of the Aquatic Tulum Dive Center paid money to one of three land owners – Alejandro at Rancho Tamakis to have the rights to dive Cenote Aktun Ha thus beginning new explorations by cave divers Franco Attolini, Beto Navo, Devin MacKenzie, Susan Bird, Luca Maghelli and Giamario Roca. (Let’s just say there are some bitter feelings from the Labna Ha camp).
This cave is a huge power plus cave passages with gorgeous decorations! I have never seen an underwater cave stay so big for such long distances. This is the ultimate cave for DPVs. So far, my favorite passage is Tunnel C as it is a winding canyon passage with the ceiling at 31 feet and the floor at 49 feet. The decorations are quite dramatic! This cave is a huge winner folks. A MUST dive for all cave divers.
Recently, Alex, Beto Navo and Franco Attolini connected Aktun Hu into the Sistema Outland cave system first explored by Denny Aktinson, Mike Madden and myself during 1989 and 1990. Sistema Aktun Ha is now at 57,623feet/17,563 meters with one section reaching depths to 197 feet/60 meters. There is plenty more cave to explore.
Rancho Tamakis is located approximately two kilometers past the Labna Ha Eco park or four kilometers past CENOTE NOHOCH NAH CHICH. The CENOTE AKTUN HU is a brisk eight-minute walk from where you can park your vehicle. The ranch is being set up to be another of many eco parks for tourists in the Riviera Maya. Sascab (crushed limestone) has been laid on the path (one of several) to allow four wheels all terrain vehicles to drive on them. And that is the key folk – four-wheel all terrain vehicles are available to transport you and your cave diving to the CENOTE AKTUN HU. At the cenote there are superbly built bathrooms, dining area for eating and a deck area for relaxation. My last dive was on Wednesday, February 20th where Cameron Warner and I were charged 250 pesos each that included use of an ATV machine. An hour later Martine of the Aquanauts Dive Store in Puerto Aventuuras showed up with my guys Ryan DeSpain, Jay Dryden and Martin Pollizotto of Houston, Texas and they negotiated 200 pesos that included the ATV machines. I guess you make your own deal! Anyway, this cave has moved into my top three caves to dive; it’s that good! I intend to do many more dives in the near future.
For a map produced during November, 2007 go to the following:
http://www.baue.org/org/projects/PET/ah.png
JOE TWOMEY and GINA COELHO
During January 29th – January 31st I had the great pleasure to dive with Joe and Gina teaching the Introduction to Cave Diving course. Joe recently retired after twenty years with the United States Navy as a test pilot and was hired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Gina is an Environmental Toxicologist and owner of Ecosystem Management & Associates. They have moved to Jupiter, Florida from the Norfolk, Virginia area. They took their NACD Cavern diving course from Michael O’Leary in North Florida. In addition, they are certified PADI Dive Masters and completed the TDI Advanced and Decompression courses. Joe has logged over 130 dives and Gina has logged over 480 dives.
We completed eight cave dives with dives at CENOTE DOS PALMAS, CENOTE CHAC MOOL, CENOTE TAJ MAHAL, SISTEMA CAMILO entering at CENOTE MUCHACHOS and SISTEMA CALAVERA entering at CENOTE MUD.
We were supposed to begin the training on Monday morning, January 28th, however a canceled flight on Sunday made way for a late arrival to the Mayan Palace Resort located north of Playa Del Carmen. We tried to meet Monday afternoon at the resort but a fire broke out from sparks of a welding operation and several huge palapas caught on fire causing a major disruption. Therefore we started on Tuesday morning meeting at the AQUANAUTS DIVE STORE in Puerto Aventuras. It was a great three days of diving and Gina and Joe learned much from their diving in the beautiful cave systems. I look forward to diving with them again!
Steve,
We had already signed the guest book prior to our e-mail. We hope that you like our entry and that it accurately reflects our experience with you. Really, it was our honor and pleasure to dive with you. We both feel very fortunate to have dived with someone who is truly an explorer and legend in both the diving and cave diving communities. Thank you for allowing us that opportunity. We look forward to diving with you again. I am sincere when I say that your approach was a turn-around event for both of us in the technical diving world. Our experiences up until this point were not altogether pleasant, to be perfectly blunt. Perhaps this is a bit arrogant to say, but I don’t feel that our experiences were due to our diving, our performance, or our preparation. I honestly think that your approach to diving and instruction was perfectly congruent with our expectations and was the cornerstone of the most positive instructional experience we have had to date. Had our other instructors taken your approach, I think that not only would we have enjoyed the courses to a much greater degree, but we would have learned more as a result. From the beginning, you established a level of credibility that was unmatched and that became the basis for everything that followed. Simply stated, the diving that followed only reinforced that basis. For us, it is not a matter of gathering cards, but of gathering knowledge and experience, and I can say that we both overwhelmingly feel that with you, we have gained both. Thanks again for everything. We mean this seriously: if you are ever in south Florida, please look us up. You have a place to stay and buddies with which to dive. Our address is 250 Coconut Pt, Jupiter, FL 33458. We have two dogs and after a proper introduction, I am sure JOE T. COCKER would be perfectly welcome.
Sincerely,
Joe Twomey and Gina Coelho
APARTMENT FOR RENT-SECURE BUILDING
My friend ANDREA LUDWIG is offering her apartment for rent for cave divers.
LARGE STUDIO APARTMENT
W/KITCHEN/LARGE BATHROOM/BALCONY/A.C./PARKING SPACE
VIEW OF THE MARINA/BEAUTIFUL SWIMMING POOL
AVAILABLE-MAY-JANUARY
PRICES; $70.00 per night
$450.00 per week
$1,200 per month
$1,000 per month-2 month min.
Price is negociable depending on how long you want to stay and the time of the year.
Please email me at artbyandrea@gmail.com or in mexico cell 984-130-6722