Sistema Sac Actun
Gran Cenote
Map showing the location of Sistema Sac Actun
Map showing the location of Sistema Sac Actun
Sistema Sac Actun
Location in Mexico
LocationTulum Municipality, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Coordinates20°14′47.6″N 87°27′50.8″W / 20.246556°N 87.464111°W / 20.246556; -87.464111
Depth119.2 meters (391 ft)[1]
LengthUnderwater: 378.56 km (235.23 mi)[1]
Total: 386.122 km (239.925 mi)[2]
DiscoveryNovember 26, 1987
GeologyLimestone
Entrances228 Cenotes[1]
DifficultyAdvanced cave diving

Sistema Sac Actun (Yucatec Maya: sak aktun, lit. 'white cave', Spanish: sistema, lit. 'system') is an underwater cave system situated along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula with passages to the north and west of the city of Tulum. Discovery of a connection to Sistema Dos Ojos in 2018 made it the longest known underwater cave system. As of January 2023, it is the second longest underwater cave system in the world, only surpassed by Sistema Ox Bel Ha.

The remains of a mastodon and a human female that might be the oldest evidence of human habitation in the Americas have been found in the cave.

History of exploration

Exploration started from Gran Cenote 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) west of Tulum. The whole of the explored cave system lies within the Municipality of Tulum, in the state of Quintana Roo.

In early 2007, the underwater cave Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich was connected into and subsumed into Sac Actun making it the longest surveyed underwater cave system in the world.[3] Sac Actun measured 230.8 km (143.4 mi) (after connecting with Sistema Aktun Hu (34 km (21 mi)(in January 2011) and is, as of January 2023 with an explored length of 259.5 kilometers (161.2 mi), only surpassed by the Sistema Ox Bel Ha at 435.8 kilometers (270.8 mi).[4][1] Since early 2007, these two caves have frequently exchanged the title of world's longest underwater cave.[5] Including connected dry caves makes Sistema Sac Actun 386.122 km (239.925 mi) long, the second longest cave in Mexico[2] and third longest worldwide.[6]

In 2018, the discovery of a link between the Sac Actun system (reported to be 263 km (163 mi) long) and the Dos Ojos system in Tulum, Quintana Roo (84 km (52 mi) long) was reported.[7] The connection was found by the Gran Maya Aquifer Project (GAM), led by the cave diver and explorer Robbie Schmittner.[8] The combined system is reported to be the world's second longest underwater cave system known.

Upper Paleolithic remains

In March 2008, three members of the Proyecto Espeleológico de Tulum and Global Underwater Explorers dive team, Alex Alvarez, Franco Attolini, and Alberto Nava, explored a section of Sistema Aktun Hu known as the Hoyo Negro pit.[9][10] At a depth of 60 meters (200 ft) the divers located the remains of a mastodon, as well as a human skull at 43 meters (141 ft) that might be the oldest evidence of human habitation in the Americas.[10] Additional bones were located and the skeleton was later identified as that of a teenage female now referred to as Naia.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "List of Long Underwater Caves in Quintana Roo Mexico". Quintana Roo Speleological Survey. National Speleological Society (NSS). January 10, 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Dry Caves and Sumps of Quintana Roo Mexico". Quintana Roo Speleological Survey. National Speleological Society. January 10, 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  3. ^ John Roach (March 5, 2007). "World's Longest Underground River Discovered in Mexico". National Geographic News. National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  4. ^ "CINDAQ 2022 Annual report". CINDAQ. El Centro Investigador del Sistema Acuífero de Quintana Roo A.C.(CINDAQ). January 26, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Michael Poucher, Bob Gulden (March 21, 2017). "World longest underwater caves". Geo2 Committee on Long and Deep Caves. NSS. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  6. ^ Bob Gulden (January 22, 2020). "Worlds longest caves". Geo2 Committee on Long and Deep Caves. NSS. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  7. ^ "Underwater cave is the world’s biggest", Mexico Daily News, January 15, 2018, https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/underwater-cave-is-worlds-biggest/ (accessed 2018-01-17).
  8. ^ "World's Largest Underwater Cave Discovered". National Geographic News. 2018-01-17. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  9. ^ "Cave Archeology of Early Americans" (PDF). News from the Field. El Centro Investigador del Sistema Aquífero de Quintana Roo: 6. Winter 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-06. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Fabio Esteban Amador (February 18, 2011). "Skull in Underwater Cave May Be Earliest Trace of First Americans". National Geographic. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Hodges, Glen (2014-05-14). "Most Complete Ice Age Skeleton Helps Solve Mystery of First Americans". National Geographic. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014.
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