UNDERWATER RIVERS

In Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, visit Cenote Angelita (or Little Angel) and then get ready to experience a dive unlike any other. A 10 to 15 minute drive south of Tulum, Cenote Angelita is an advanced scuba diving cenote (or water-filled cave) that houses a surreal surprise.

Anatoly beloshchin is a photographer with a passion for diving. He traveled to the yucatan in mexico for a photo shoot.

Angelita is a cenote. A cenote is a deep sinkhole formed from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. Cenotes are connected to subterranean bodies of water, and often have vast underwater cave systems.

Overtime, the deep sinkholes of the cenotes have become filled with fresh rain water. The underwater river is formed when the fresh top water meets the exposed salty groundwater.

The point where the two waters meet and causes a milky sort of effect is called halocline. The different density levels in the two waters causes them to layer. The result is a breathtaking convergence of two habitats. It's due to a thin layer of hydrogen sulfate, which separates the freshwater at the top from the saltwater below. Divers can actually swim right through the false floor or mystical cloud that resembles a flowing river. With fallen leaves and branches lining the "river," you can't help but think you're in a mystical forest!

 

photo by: Anatoly Beloshchin

source:

https://youtu.be/iHBvKDOfWiI