SISTEMA DOS PISOS
“THE TWO FLOORS CAVE”
by STEVE GERRARD
Several years ago I met Don Roberto Canche Camara who owns the Rancho El Campesino as I was seeking permission to dive a cave system located on his land. I was given the consent, however diving the cave system was very challenging as there was no road to the main cenote. This required a 50 minute hike on a narrow path three kilometers into the dense jungle from the ranch house. However, there was a closer cenote half the distance named Cenote Pig. It got this name as diving it necessitated entering into a shallow and muddy pool of water and swimming a very low and silty passage for the first 250 feet/75 meters.
I was first told about this cave by Gunnar Wagner who explored and surveyed the cave during 1999 – 2002. At that time Gunnar owned and operated the Aktun Dive Center in Tulum, Mexico. He was trying to establish a few cave systems that were too far away for easy access, but offer an expedition adventure style set-up where equipment had to be moved to the cenote site by sharpas and everyone had to hike into the jungle to the main cenote.
This worked for some cave divers seeking an exciting activity. However for most cave divers they preferred easy access that required little time and short distances and there were far too many other cenotes and cave systems for them to dive that gave them an easy access. This proved not to be the lucrative business for Gunnar’s dive store had hoped for. The exploration was fantastic and a huge feather and an amazing accomplishment for him. Attracting cave divers on a consistent basis to dive this cave was not to be.
This cave system is very shallow and highly decorated. The majority of the cave passages are twenty feet or less. There is one passage that drops down to eighty feet/24.4 meters, thus the name Two Floors – Dos Pisos. Gunnar encouraged me to dive this cave several times. My opportunity to dive it during those first few years was not available as my schedule was quite busy with teaching and guiding plus I took up a new job working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico in the oil industry.
During the past two years dramatic changes have taken place at Rancho El Campesino. The ranch forman (guia) is Carlos Sandres who is from the Maya town of Carrillo Jose Puerto. The once dormant ranch is being transformed into a productive diversity of produce beginning with a commercial fish farm. The fish being grown for market is called the “mojarra tilapia” or a species of fresh water bass. Grown from hatchlings, the fish are moved from tank to tank during the early stages of growth as the fish mature each month in an amazing rate of development. The fish are ready for market after five months. The amount of fish produced vary from 1000 – 1500 each month. The water is changed every five days to maintain healthy conditions and a daily source of viable food is fed on a daily basis. In addition, a stable supply of turkey, chickens, geese are being grown with plans to add rabbit and squirrel for market. A small drove of brahma (cesus) cattle and horses are included into the mix. That is not all as preparations are focused on growing lemon, papaya, orange and coconut trees for an annual fruit harvest.
Because of the huge tourism business from the Riviera Maya the ranch is in the expansion stages of building a unique waterway system of spring fed water from the underground cave for swimming and fishing. Also included is the intent to offer bird watching and horseback riding along with the cave diving for the Sistema Dos Pisos.
There is no doubt this is one of the prettiest cave systems in the Riviera Maya! To find it drive south of Tulum on Highway 307 about six kilometers in distance. You are looking for a small sign on the right side that says Rancho El Campe at kilometer marker 220. This will be opposite of a giant land quarry on the left side. Drive in on the sascab road until you reach the ranch house. The road veers to the right (watch out for little dogs tied to trees) and stop past the corral and stalls for cattle. Pay the dive site fee of 150 pesos per diver. Proceed further past one gate, the road turns to the right and past several fish farm circular tanks. You will negotiate another crude barb wire gate (to hold cattle back) as the young workers will help you with the gates. Proceed onward past a third gate then you will encounter an intersection. Turn left and continue on into the jungle on the newly laid sascab road. Another intersection will appear and veer to the left. Finally you will reach the end of the road at a clearing in the jungle called a milpa. Park your vehicle and find the sascab path to the right. Follow it for 30 meters/100 feet as it splits in two and turn right. Follow the path down into the dry cenote. You will see where cave divers are entering the water at the edge of a limestone rock overhang. Walk into the water and make your way to the left. Look for the permanent guideline that begins at the surface in four feet of water.
As of June, 2009 the total amount of cave passages explored and surveyed stands at 27,524 feet/ 8,404 meters. A total of five cenotes are part of the cave system with a maximum depth of 80 feet/24.4 meters. The first 250 feet/75 meters of the cave passage is low and silty. In two places you will probably have to belly rub along the cave floor. There are parts of the cave bottom that is clay silt so expect bad visibility for the #3 or more team members. Do not worry as there is a flow of water and it clears up in a few minutes. The further you swim upstream the bigger the cave becomes. Be gentle as this is a fragile cave, very white and 22 feet/7 meters maximum depth in this area of the cave system. Be assured as you swim further into this cave you will pea your wetsuit/dry suit from the sheer beauty. For those with good air consumption, you can traverse all the way to Cenote Dos Pisos located nearly 3,700 feet/1,121 meters upstream on a set of double 80 cubic feet tanks. Really! You will thoroughly enjoy this dive and there are several offshoot lines to explore. It is a magical experience.