Mexico discovers world’s longest underwater cave in Mayan heartland

A scuba diver measures the length of Sac Actun underwater cave system as part of the Gran Acuifero Maya Project near Tulum, in Quintana Roo state, Mexico on January 24, 2014. Herbert Mayrl/Courtesy Gran Acuifero Maya Project (GAM)/Handout via REUTERS

A group of divers has connected two underwater caverns in eastern Mexico to reveal what is believed to be the biggest flooded cave on the planet, a discovery that could help shed new light on the ancient Maya civilization.

The Gran Acuifero Maya, (GAM) a project dedicated to the study and preservation of the subterranean waters of the Yucatan peninsula, said the 347-kilometer (216-mile) cave was identified after months of exploring a maze of underwater channels.

Near the beach resort of Tulum, the group found that the cave system known as Sac Actun, once measured at 263 km (163 miles), communicated with the 83-km (52-km) Dos Ojos system, the GAM said in a statement. For that reason, Sac Actun now absorbs Dos Ojos.

Scuba divers tour an authorized area of Sac Actun underwater cave system. Herbert Mayrl/Courtesy Gran Acuifero Maya Project (GAM)/Handout via REUTERS

The Yucatan peninsula of Mexico is studded with monumental relics of the Maya people, whose cities drew upon an extensive network of sinkholes linked to subterranean waters known as cenotes.

Some cenotes acquired particular religious significance to the Maya, whose descendants continue to inhabit the region. — Reuters