Articles by Esmé Maritz

Oct 23 2017

Belize Aggressor III Liveaboard

Author: Esmé Maritz

On an overcast and gray Saturday afternoon we board our home for the next week. Captain Jerome and Engineer Fermin welcome us aboard and explain the ins and outs of the boat and diving. During the safety briefing we are introduced to the rest of the crew and our fellow divers from the US and Canada. Dinner prepared by Chef Yanis and steward Randy, is amazing. We are ready to EAT, SLEEP and DIVE!

Belize Aggressor III

The boat left early the next morning to arrive at our first dive site, Sandy Slope on Turneffe Atoll . Two very relaxing dives followed – one to the one side of the boat and the next to the opposite side. While a scrumptious lunch was served, the boat headed for the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Julie’s Jungle was the setting for our late afternoon and night dive adventure. We were not disappointed. Lobsters, Blue striped grunts, banded coral shrimps and even a common octopus, displayed their true colours.

Lobster

We were 18 divers in total. Monique, our abled dive master, divided us into two groups. Captain Chris, Captain Jerome and Fermin assisted Monique. They were all extremely familiar with the dive sites. Needless to say they pointed out many a thing to our untrained and lazy eyes.

After our first day we were all eager to explore. Randy ensured coffee was ready bright and early and after a great breakfast, we jumped in to explore Long Caye Ridge. The visibility was not as clear due to the overcast skies but the water temperature was a great 29 degrees Celsius. The afternoon and night dive was at Long Caye Wall. We spotted a Reef shark, some magnificent spotted eagle rays, reef squids, very active Tarpons, some slugs and nudibranchs. One always listens to the safety briefing with half an ear because ….. we won’t need it! Only this time it was necessary. Ten minutes in our night dive, we heard frantic banging on …… We all stopped, listened and immediately turned around rushing back to the boat. The anchor rope snatched and the boat was drifting away from the dive site. It was already dark outside. We all made it to the boat in time.

Tuesday was a beautiful sunny day. It was to be a big day. It was BLUEHOLE day – THE dive to do when in Belize. We paid a visit to Half Moon Caye Natural Monument where we explored the sandy beaches and paid a visit to the observation deck that gives a superb view of the Frigate birds and the Red-footed Boobies. Iguanas and some hermit crabs were enjoying the sun in the sandy pathways. On returning the boat positioned itself at the entrance to the Bluehole. The different hues of blue were amazing. They told us to expect quite a drop in water temperature at 40 meters. BRRRRRR! We only had 0.5mm skinsuits. Fortunately our computers read 27 degrees Celsius. Cathedral, our afternoon dive site, delivered schools of silvers sides, a shark or two and some good sized lobster. The night dive happened at Julie’s Jungle where we had fun with octopus, squids and off course the tarpons

Half Moon Caye Natural Monument

Bluehole

The next day started grey but soon changed to a beautiful day. Winds dropped and we headed to Half Moon Caye wall. A curious Nassau grouper followed us and we saw some reef sharks posing for photos. The afternoon dive choice was Silver Caves. The night dive at the same spot offered a shoal of squid and an octopus.

Octopus

In between we still had 100 dive and 600 dive achievements to be celebrated. Chocolate cakes with flour, chocolate sauce, egg and honey were baked on shiny hair heads much to the enjoyment of the old dogs!

Thursday started with a perfect, beautiful, flat sea. Lighthouse Wall presented reef sharks, a curious grouper once again and some garden eels peaking at us. At Chain wall a reef shark swam around, between and everywhere. Cameras and videos clicked constantly. Some of us was lucky to spot Eagle Rays while others saw southern stingrays.

It was almost time to say goodbye to Lighthouse Reef. We did one last dive at Nurse Shark Ridge. We certainly were not disappointed with sightings of horse eyed jacks and reef sharks being all over again. Next stop was Black Beauty at Turneffe Atoll. A friendly Hawkesbill turtle escorted us. We spotted a toadfish, some jaw fish and mutton snappers.

Hawkesbill Turtle

All to soon it was time to say goodbye to our efficient, extremely helpful and very friendly Aggressor III crew. We intend to take you up on that invitation to visit again. Goodbye to our dive compatriots. It was an awesome week of EAT, SLEEP and DIVE.

Aug 18 2017

The Crocodiles of Chinchorro Bank – Mexico

Author: Esmé Maritz

“The Crocodiles of Chinchorro Bank.” The sound of the words play with my vivid imagination. Caribbean Dragons? Prehistoric Dinosaurs?

Imagine being face to face with one of the most dangerous creatures and the most successful predator in the world. They are kings. They lay waiting for dinner with massive jaws, eighty perfect or scattered white teeth and swift movements. On top of this they can see in the dark, smell and hear their prey. This could make for a terrifying experience!

Banco Chinchorro is home to the densest congregation of American Crocodiles in the world. XTC Dive Center in Xcalak is the only dive operator with a private permit for Chinchorro. They were the first to organise Crocodile Encounters. It is intentionally kept small and conservation orientated.

We left bright and early on a slightly overcast morning with a light sea breeze. The sea had a slight rocky movement but became calm and intensely clear and blue. We not only stopped to scuba but also to spear some lionfish which have become a plague in the Caribbean. The prepared lionfish will be used to lure the crocodiles from amongst the mangroves. When we arrived at the fisherman’s hut-on stilts in the 1,5 m deep Chinchorro lagoon, our first crocodile, Gambit, spotted us and came cruising along. After a simple but delicious lunch, prepared by the XTC staff, we climbed into the water. At all times there was a crocodile handler or safety diver with us in the water. Aitor and Mathias were our crocodile guides and “protectors”

The experience felt incredible. I never felt afraid. I felt exited. It is as if you want to will the crocodile to come closer. You want to look into his or her eye. The crocodile looks back and you can really see curiosity in the eyes.

It feels as if the crocodile wants to playfully challenge you and vice versa. The crocodiles each has its own distinct character. They even appear to be “intelligent”. Off course we all were vigilant and approached them with respect, as it should be.

After this exhilarating experience we had dinner and enjoyed just being in nature in the middle of a lagoon, surrounded by crocodiles and millions of stars. The moon was a bit skittish, but sunrise sure surprised us. We, as someone suggested, camped here for 2 nights, hunted for lionfish in superb dive locations in the morning and experienced the crocodiles in the afternoon.

“The Crocodiles of Cinchorro” became real. It was an amazing, once-in-a lifetime experience and I will always cherish this experience. It was really really special.

Aug 11 2017

Cenotes – Mexico

Author: Esmé Maritz

Diving the Cenotes became a bucket list item for us a couple of years back when one of our daughters, during a “boring university session”, discovered an article on the Cenotes. We became so inspired, it became a must do. checkout the Photo Album http://divingworld.biz/?page_id=1897

Amazing, awesome, stunning – what else can I say. Looking at the stalagmites and stalactites you think – I could easily have walked through here. Everything is so clear. You cannot see water. You don’t experience water except when you get used to the water temperature. Diving in a cenote is an exclusive adventure.

A Cenote is essentially a sinkhole or a natural pit. This is the result from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. Cenotes were often used by the ancient Maya for sacrificial offerings. In the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico there are more than 6000 cenotes.

Arriving from Cancún, we checked in to Villas Picalu Hotel Boutique in Puerto Aventuras. Javier and Marco from Yucatan Dive Trek will introduce us to the best Cenotes in the state of Quintana Roo during the next four and a half days.

Dos Ojos meaning two eyes in Spanish, will be our introduction to Cenotes diving. It is one of the largest underwater cave systems. It is named Dos Ojos because of the two sinkholes, approximately 70 m in diameter connected by a 400 m long passageway. There are lots of natural light and the visibility through the water is just amazing. The water temperature is 25 degrees Celsius and a favourite with snorkelers and divers. The one side is named the Barbie line. Following the Barbie Line you will see beautiful columns and enormous stalagmites and stalactites.

The light show is awesome. Bat Cave is reached from the same platform as for the Barbie Line but only to the other side. True to the name there is a bat cave with an air-filled void above the water level and stunning decorations. Worth your while to surface here. (checkout the Photo Album) http://divingworld.biz/?page_id=1897

Casa Cenote was the first cenote of the next day. Situated close to the beach, the water was absolutely crystal clear. In some parts you could see small fish amongst the mangrove roots that reached down in the water. A school of good-sized tarpon was around too. It is a popular snorkel place and you can rent kayaks. The water was a good 26 degrees Celsius.

From here we arrived at El Pit. The entrance is steep. Equipment is lowered down by pulleys.You descend through a shallow halocline and arrive at the hydrogen sulphide cloud at 27 m where a few tree branches take shape in the cloud. The cave overhang is worth exploring. You can see the entrance and its surrounding trees and a sheer wall of light tinted a slight blue colour. Divers near the surface look like flies. At 10 m the ceiling starts sloping up. Not only will you experience beautiful decorated formations but the laser beams of sunlight penetrating the clear water are a glorious sight. The Halocline layer at 12 m is where the salt and freshwater layers come together.

El Pit is awe-inspiring and spectacular! (checkout the Photo Album) http://divingworld.biz/?page_id=1897

Casa Cenote

El Pit

El Pit

Ponderosa, also known as Garden of Eden, is a large open cenote with crystal clear water and large blocks of collapsed, algae covered limestone. The entrance is huge. When you reach the start of the permanent cavern line you will be able to clearly see light ahead.

This is Cenote Corral, 90 m away. When you reach Cenote Corral, you have an incredible view of the jungle above and the cavern below. The light show once again is brilliant. At the far end of the cavern zone, you will encounter a strong halocline as well as a wispy layer of hydrogen sulphide. TajMa Ha is one of the most beautiful cenotes. It is decorated with stalactites, stalagmites and plenty of hidden fossils. The dive will lead you past three caverns with impressive light effects. No matter what time of the year you visit, the “Points of Light Room” have to be seen to be believed. TajMa Ha really reminds one of the beauty and splendour of the Taj Mahal in India.

This cenote was once called Taj Mahal but the name became Mayan. Ha means water in Maya. (checkout the Photo Album) http://divingworld.biz/?page_id=1897

Tajma Ha

Cenote Kukulkan and Chac Mool are the flavours of this sunny fourth day. Access to Kukulkan is through a beautiful pond. A huge cavern surrounds the cenote. The light effects are amazing. Unfortunately NO cameras allowed. A concession was given to a company to take a photo of you in the cenote. Looking towards the ceiling at the entrance you can see colours of the rainbow. No light memories. How sad! Chac Mool has two water entries leading into the same large room with much light entering. In the second room a part of the ceiling collapsed. Divers can surface here to admire two levels of beautiful stalactites. Along the main entrance opening, trunks and branches reach into the water setting the scene for a stunning laser light show. A halocline, that is where salt and fresh water come together, creates fascinating visual displays. Once again NO cameras – a real pity.

Kukul can

Chac-Mool

No cameras

Today is our last day of cenote diving. Cenote Angelita, Little Angel, is our first stop. It is not only the furthest visited site from Tulum with a picturesque circular shape but also an once in a lifetime dive in all aspects. We descend through clear fresh water stopping just above the mystical hydrogen sulphate layer at 30 m. It looks like a huge cloud with trunks and branches reaching through it. It is alleged that entering this layer with your camera might have a bad effect on the housing. We gave the cameras to one of our guides and slipped into the “darkness of the forest” out of sight. Beautiful and eerie.

Cenote Aktun Ha, better known as “Car Wash” is our last dive. The story goes that taxis were once washed here. The water level is only centimetres below ground level. You enter the water as if in a fairy tale – through roots and fallen trees, a different world. Looking at the entrance we feel as if we are under the clouds. A layer of algae pervades at different levels depending on when you visit. Light falling through the algae layer above creates an amazing show of varying hues. At other times lots of tannic acid water creates an amazing band of orange water at the surface, tinting the sunlight shining through the fragile lilies in glorious shades of red, gold and brown. Watch out for the population of Tetras that like to play in divers bubbles. Also see if you can spot the turtles and the small crocodile that call Car Wash home. (checkout the Photo Album) http://divingworld.biz/?page_id=1897

Angelita

Aktun Ha Javier, Marco, Esme

Casa Cenote

(checkout the Photo Album) http://divingworld.biz/?page_id=1897

How amazing was the four and a half days. Each and every day was absolutely satisfying, surreal and awesome. Thank you Yucatan Dive Trek for an experience of a lifetime.