The Pit (El Pit)
A deep, narrow shaft in the jungle about 2.8 km past Dos Ojos, inside the Dos Ojos park. Divers descend through the middle past a shallow halocline towards a milky hydrogen sulfide cloud at roughly 27–30 m, where tree branches poke through like a ghostly forest. In good morning light, sunbeams cut down the shaft. On the way up, a sloping ceiling at about 10 m is covered with stalactites; beyond the cloud the system continues to 119 m, the deepest known passage in Quintana Roo.
Facts
- Region: Mexico – Riviera Maya Cenotes
- Area: Akumal – Xel-Há (Dos Ojos)
- Depth: 0–40 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: cave
- Coordinates: 20.32318, -87.40978 (approximate)
- Highlights: laser-like sunbeams down the shaft, shallow halocline (~12 m), hydrogen sulfide cloud at ~27–30 m with tree branches poking through, stalactites on a sloping ceiling at ~10 m, system continues to 119 m (deepest known passage in Quintana Roo)
- Tips: Dived with a guide as a deep dive, not a beginner cavern tour: operators require Advanced Open Water or Deep specialty and some ask for 30+ logged dives. Depths of 30–40 m exceed the 21 m cavern-zone limit in Mexico's NOM-09-TUR-2002, so treat it as a deep dive and do not go below the planned depth; the deep passages are technical full-cave territory. The steep entrance has pulleys for gear. Fee listed at 540 MXN per diver (640 MXN with Dos Ojos) by one shop (check current).