Cenotes, Mexico

Country: Mexico
Region: Yucatan Peninsula (Quintana Roo and Yucatan states)
Type: cave / cavern / freshwater cenote
Best known for: Crystal-clear freshwater, dramatic light rays, stalactite/stalagmite formations, haloclines
Wetpixel expeditions: Yes — 2010 (Cenotes and Whale Sharks trip), 2021—2023 (annual Cenote Photography Workshops with Under the Jungle)

Overview

The cenotes of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula are natural sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock, exposing the groundwater beneath and serving as entrances to an extensive network of underground cave systems. In Mayan mythology, cenotes are the entrances to Xibalba, the underworld where gods and ancient spirits reside (^[1]). The Riviera Maya hosts the world’s largest underground river systems, filled with crystal-clear water and formations that rival gothic cathedrals (^[2]).

Over a dozen cenotes are commonly visited for guided cavern diving, most found along the highway between Playa del Carmen and approximately 15 minutes south of Tulum (^[3]). Even operating within cavern diving restrictions, there is access to roughly 25 different cenotes, offering an amazing variety of scenery. Venturing into cave diving opens access to a never-ending tunnel system with truly amazing intact formations (^[4]).

Each cenote has its own character. Their relatively shallow depths, small openings, and Mexico’s bright sunshine combine to produce extraordinary light effects — shafts and beams that change throughout the day (^[5]). Underwater, divers swim among stalactites, stalagmites, and intricate limestone formations ranging from tiny soda straws to enormous columns. The water clarity is virtually unlimited — visibility routinely exceeds 60 meters — making cenotes exceptional for wide-angle photography regardless of weather or season (^[6], ^[7], ^[8]).

Notable Cenotes

Each cenote on the Yucatan has a distinct personality, offering different photographic opportunities:

• Chikin Ha — A popular introductory cenote, frequently used as a first-day shakedown site during workshops. Beautiful light shining through openings in the rock; the cavern line passes through a halocline before opening to the main cenote area (^[9], ^[10]).
• Dos Ojos — One of the most famous cenote systems, with twin entrances (“two eyes”) and exceptional formations. Visited during the 2010 Wetpixel trip, where photographers were captivated by the entrance light before they could even penetrate further (^[11], ^[12]).
• Ponderosa — Known for its light rays, tropical fish, and underwater garden setting (^[13], ^[14]).
• Tajma Ha — Features the celebrated “Dome of Lights” with laser-like light rays, and connects to cenotes Esmeralda and Sugar Bowl (^[15], ^[16]).
• Cenote El Pit (Jacinto Pat) — Majestic sunbeams descending into deep water; used for photogrammetry research by Adam Hanlon and Natalie Gibb in collaboration with Under the Jungle’s Cave Science week and UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute (^[17], ^[18]).
• Cenote Angelita — Famous for its hydrogen sulfide “river” at depth, where a layer of toxic gas creates the visual illusion of an underwater river with a debris mound resembling an island. Used in both Tom St. George’s gallery and Benjamin Von Wong’s viral cenote shoot (^[19], ^[20]).
• Cenote Carwash — After heavy rains, tannic water turns the entire cenote a fiery red. Features an underwater water lily garden (^[21]).
• Cenote Calavera — Displays the visual effects of the halocline, where saltwater and freshwater stain cavern walls different colors (^[22]).
• Nohoch Nah Chich — One of the longer cave systems, photographed extensively by both Natalie Gibb and the pioneering team of Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock (who used “painting with light” techniques on film in the mid-1980s) (^[23], ^[24]).
• Cenote Mayan Blue — A popular training site for cave divers (^[25]).
• Cenote Kukulkan and Chac-Mool — Visited during the 2010 Wetpixel trip (^[26], ^[27]).
• Cenote Xkail — A sinkhole in Yucatan State featuring 70-meter-tall light beams (^[28]).
• Cenote Zapote — Known for its rare speleothem formations called “Hell’s Bells” (^[29]).
• Cenote Nai Tucha — Features massive columns and intricate formations (^[30]).
• Cenote Lunas y Sombras — Displays a striking halocline that looks like an underwater lake, with calcite crusts on the surface (^[31]).

Photography and Technique

Challenges

The cenote environment presents unique photographic and diving challenges. Precision buoyancy control is critical both to preserve the fragile formations and to prevent stirring up silt, which directly impacts image quality. Many cenotes feature haloclines where freshwater and saltwater meet, staining cavern walls different colors and creating visual distortion effects (^[32], ^[33]). The halocline effect can be disorienting — one diver on the 2010 Wetpixel trip mistook it for a fogged mask and removed his mask underwater before realizing what had happened (^[34]).

Cave photography is considered one of the hardest underwater shooting scenarios. Handling a camera rig through restrictions is difficult, and coordinating with models while maintaining buoyancy, line reference, and safety protocols adds complexity. There is almost no marine life to photograph in the caves themselves, so the subject matter is entirely about light, formations, and the human figure in the landscape (^[35], ^[36]).

Lighting Approaches

Two distinct lighting philosophies have emerged in cenote photography:

Natural and ambient light — Near cenote openings, natural sunlight creates dramatic beams that change throughout the day. Available-light shooting works well with high ISO, relatively small aperture, and moderate shutter speed. Jennifer Penner captured her acclaimed “Ripples and Rays” image at Tajma Ha using only natural light: Canon 5D Mark III, Sigma 15mm fisheye, ISO 3200, f/10, 1/80 (^[37]). Timing is critical — light beams appear only when the sun is at the right angle, making early arrivals sometimes too early for the desired effect (^[38]).

Video light techniques — Natalie Gibb pioneered a distinctive style using video lights rather than strobes for cave photography. A cave diver and explorer first, she prefers the softness and subtlety of continuous lighting, using “just enough light to show the cave.” Her approach involves positioning multiple video lights (Keldan 8X and Big Blue Black Molly lights) around the scene over 30-minute setups, with no on-board lights. She shoots with a Sony A7S for its exceptional low-light capability, calling the camera’s ability to “see the cave the way I saw it, with subtle shadows and defined darkness” a revelation (^[39]).

Multi-strobe placement — For deeper cave sections, photographers use remote strobes triggered optically. Forum contributors recommended having dive buddies carry slave strobes (such as Inon S-2000 units) to provide depth and backlight. The key principle is avoiding flat front-lighting: formations and walls look far better with harsh side-lighting that creates shadows and depth. One effective technique is placing a strobe behind the model, hidden from the camera but illuminating the background (^[40], ^[41]).

Painting with light — The earliest documented cenote photography technique on Wetpixel, used by Burt Jones in the mid-1980s: leaving the shutter open on film and firing strobes in multiple locations to illuminate large cave chambers in a single frame (^[42]).

Gear Considerations

Wide-angle lenses are essential — the wider the better. Commonly used lenses include the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, Sigma 15mm fisheye, and Sony 28mm with Nauticam WWL-1 or WACP-1 wet lenses (^[43], ^[44], ^[45]). Wetpixel Live dedicated a full episode to lens and port choices for cenote photography, discussing how very low light affects wide-angle options and covering water contact optics (^[46]).

The use of diver models is an important compositional technique, providing scale and reference in the vast cave spaces. Communicating with models about position and pose is a skill unto itself, complicated by the dark environment (^[47], ^[48]).

Berkley White of Backscatter used the cenotes to test the Canon 5D Mark III’s high-ISO video performance in 2012, finding its noise characteristics far superior to the 5D Mark II in the low-light cave environment (^[49]). Martin Broen shot panorama stitching combined with HDR at El Pit using a Sony A7R III with a Nauticam WWL-1 (^[50]).

Wetpixel Coverage

2010 Cenotes and Whale Sharks Trip

Cenote diving first appeared prominently in the Wetpixel archive through the 2010 “Wetpixel Cenotes and Whale Sharks” expedition, led by Eric Cheng from Playa del Carmen. The trip combined cenote exploration in the Riviera Maya with whale shark encounters at Isla Mujeres. Cheng brought a custom BS Kinetics DuoDive housing with twin Sony CX550V camcorders to test stereoscopic 3D underwater video — his first day in the cenotes was his first day with the 3D rig (^[51], ^[52]).

The trip team included Sterling Zumbrunn, Wolcott Henry, Alexis Tabah, and Nathalie Ssi-Yan-Kai. They were hosted by Wetpixel member Karen Doody (NCmermaid) of Dive Aventuras in Puerto Aventuras, who guided them through Chac-Mool, Kukulkan, Dos Ojos, and Tajma Ha. The trip generated a 71-reply forum thread with live reports and images from the field (^[53]).

Wetpixel / Under the Jungle Cenote Photography Workshops (2020—2023)

The cenotes became a major Wetpixel workshop destination starting around 2020, when Adam Hanlon partnered with Natalie Gibb of Under the Jungle (UTJ), Mexico’s premier cave and cenote diving operation, and photographer Tom St. George. The partnership produced annual cenote photography workshops based in Puerto Aventuras.

• 2020: Under the Jungle ran a cenote photography workshop prior to the formal Wetpixel partnership; Marc Steurer’s image from this workshop was later used to promote the 2022 workshops (^[54]).
• 2021: The first official Wetpixel/UTJ workshop ran with the Wetpixel contribution delivered via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions. Natalie Gibb and Tom St. George led participants Max Schadegg and Marc and Martina Steurer through a week of photographic opportunities and technique coaching (^[55]).
• 2022: Two in-person workshops (April 16—24 and April 30—May 8) with full Wetpixel participation. These were the first with all three leaders — Natalie, Tom, and Adam — present together. The format was structured: Natalie provided cave diving safety briefings and guided the groups, Tom served as cenote photography guru advising on shooting positions and technique, and Adam co-led photographic instruction and evening image reviews. Operations ran at a 1:1 guide ratio, with guides (including Arya, Lilia, and Beto) doubling as models. Each workshop visited multiple cenotes over a week, with daily formal learning sessions and participant image critiques (^[56], ^[57]).
• 2023: Two workshops announced for May 7—14 and May 21—28, continuing the annual format in luxury accommodation near Puerto Aventuras (^[58]).

Wetpixel Live Episodes

Wetpixel Live produced dedicated cenote photography content:

• 2021-03: Interview with Natalie Gibb about video and still imagery technique in cenotes, covering shoot planning, lighting, camera movements, and general technique (^[59]).
• 2022-01: Lens and port choices for cenote photography, discussing wide-angle options for very low light environments and water contact optics (^[60]).

Full Frame Galleries

Three major Full Frame features showcased cenote photography:

• Tom St. George (2018): The definitive cenote photography gallery on Wetpixel, featuring images from Angelita, Carwash, El Pit, Ponderosa, Mayan Blue, Tajma Ha, Calavera, and Kukulkan (^[61]).
• Martin Broen (2020): “Light in the Underworld” — images shot with a Sony A7R III and Nauticam housing from cenotes including Zapote (Hell’s Bells), El Pit, Nohoch Nah Chich, Angelita, Calavera, Carwash, Dream Gate, Orquidea, Ponderosa, and Sushi (^[62]).
• Natalie Gibb (2020): “Shadows and Stalactites” — a distinctive portfolio shot entirely with a Sony A7S using video lights, featuring cenotes including Nai Tucha, String of Pearls, Xkail, Nohoch Nah Chich, Lunas y Sombras, Caterpillar, Minotauro, and Coop One (^[63]).

Scientific and Artistic Projects

• Photogrammetry (2019-2020): Adam Hanlon and Natalie Gibb conducted a photogrammetry survey of rock strata at El Pit during UTJ’s inaugural Cave Science week, with the 42 GB of images processed by UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute to generate a 3D model documenting cenote wall formations and enabling scientific analysis of how the cenote formed (^[64]).
• Cave mapping documentary (2021): Natalie Gibb shot Sony A7S III test footage documenting Rory of Survey Down mapping Dos Palmas Cave, lit with Keldan 8X and Big Blue Black Molly lights, shot at ISO 16000 (^[65]).
• Benjamin Von Wong’s “Underwater River” (2015): Viral photographic project placing a cormorant fisherman model 30 meters deep in a cenote above the hydrogen sulfide layer at Angelita. Shot with a Nikon D800 and 14-24mm lens in a Nauticam housing, lit by 8 Orca Lights. The production involved over 20 people including safety divers from Xibalba Dive Center, with Rob Franklin filming behind-the-scenes footage using a RED Dragon camera (^[66], ^[67]).
• Christian Vizl’s “Finding Yourself” (2013): Video of a photo shoot with freediver Maca Benitez in a Mexican cenote, part of Vizl’s project to create a cenote image collection for a book (^[68]).
• Chris Parsons / PhaseOne 645DF (2011): Fashion shoot in a private cenote outside Playa del Carmen using a PhaseOne 645DF medium-format camera in a Nauticam NA-645DF housing — one of the first medium-format camera tests in the cenote environment (^[69]).

Competition Recognition

Cenote imagery has received top honors in major underwater photography competitions:

• DPG/Wetpixel Masters 2022: Martin Broen won Best in Show and the Black and White category with his cenote image “Big Cave Chamber” from Mexico’s Yucatan. Herbert Meyrl received an Honorable Mention for “Cenote Xulu” (^[70]).
• 2022 PADI/Scuba Diving Through Your Lens: Prize-winning images included a diver exploring the shallows of a Mexican cenote on a sunny day (^[71]).

Dive Operators

Forum discussions consistently recommended several cenote dive operators for photographers:

• Dive Aventuras (Puerto Aventuras) — Run by Wetpixel member Karen Doody (NCmermaid), who hosted the 2010 Wetpixel trip. Repeatedly endorsed across forum threads spanning 2009—2018 (^[72], ^[73]).
• Under the Jungle (UTJ) — Natalie Gibb’s cave and cenote diving operation, Wetpixel’s official partner for cenote workshops from 2020 onward (^[74]).
• Xibalba Dive Center — Recommended for cave-certified divers, also provided safety support for Benjamin Von Wong’s production (^[75], ^[76]).
• CenoteXperience — Used by Martin Broen for his Full Frame gallery work (^[77]).

Community Discussion

The Wetpixel forum featured extensive cenote discussion across multiple threads. Early cenote imagery appeared in the Photo/Video Showcase forum as early as January 2007, with user “ripli” posting images from Dos Ojos that drew comments about the “ethereal experience” and “impossible to describe grandiosity” of the environment (^[78]). Cave photography technique threads in the Shooting Technique and Lights/Strobes forums drew detailed discussions of strobe placement, slave triggering, and the challenges of coordinating models in darkness (^[79], ^[80]). Trip planning threads regularly asked for cenote dive operator recommendations, with Dive Aventuras emerging as the most frequently endorsed option (^[81], ^[82]).

Key Photographers

• Tom St. George — Cenote photography specialist and co-leader of all Wetpixel cenote workshops (2021—2023). His 2018 Full Frame gallery remains the definitive cenote photography showcase on Wetpixel. Also served as a judge for the DPG/Wetpixel Masters 2022 competition (articles)
• Natalie Gibb — Owner of Under the Jungle, cave diver, explorer, filmmaker, and videographer. Pioneered a video-light-only approach to cave photography. Co-led workshops, featured in two Wetpixel Live episodes, and produced two Full Frame galleries. Conducted photogrammetry research with Adam Hanlon at El Pit (articles)
• Adam Hanlon — Wetpixel editor who forged the UTJ partnership, co-led cenote workshops, produced Wetpixel Live episodes on cenote technique, and conducted photogrammetry research at El Pit (articles)
• Martin Broen — Won Best in Show at DPG/Wetpixel Masters 2022 with a cenote image. His Full Frame gallery “Light in the Underworld” covered 12+ cenotes. Began underwater photography after being inspired by his first cenote dive (articles)
• Eric Cheng — Led the 2010 Cenotes and Whale Sharks expedition, testing stereoscopic 3D underwater video in cenotes (articles)
• Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock — Pioneered cenote photography on film in the mid-1980s using painting-with-light techniques at Nohoch Nah Chich (articles)
• Benjamin Von Wong — Created the viral “Underwater River” cenote image in 2015 at Cenote Angelita (articles)
• Jennifer Penner — Captured the acclaimed “Ripples and Rays” image at Tajma Ha’s Sugar Bowl using available light (articles)
• Christian Vizl — Mexican photographer who shot cenote imagery with freediver models as part of a book project (articles)
• Karen Doody (NCmermaid) — Wetpixel member, owner of Dive Aventuras in Puerto Aventuras, hosted the 2010 Wetpixel cenote trip, and published the book The Colors in Mexico’s Waters featuring cenote imagery (articles, forum)
• Konrad Malek — His dramatic shot from The Pit cenote was shared widely on Wetpixel’s Facebook page (articles)
• Marc and Martina Steurer — Workshop participants whose cenote images from the 2020 and 2021 workshops were featured in Full Frame galleries (articles)

Timeline

• Mid-1980s: Burt Jones photographs the Nohoch Nah Chich cenote system on film using painting-with-light technique (^[83])
• 2007-01: Early cenote imagery appears on Wetpixel forum; user “ripli” posts Dos Ojos images (^[84])
• 2007-06: Forum discussion on underwater cave photography technique begins, with advice on fisheye lenses, strobe placement, and model use (^[85])
• 2009-11: Karen Doody publishes The Colors in Mexico’s Waters, including cenote imagery (^[86])
• 2010-03: Forum thread on cave lighting gear generates detailed discussion of multi-strobe techniques for cenotes (^[87])
• 2010-07: Eric Cheng leads Wetpixel Cenotes and Whale Sharks trip from Playa del Carmen with 3D camcorder setup; team visits Chac-Mool, Kukulkan, Dos Ojos, and Tajma Ha (^[88], ^[89])
• 2011-02: Chris Parsons shoots PhaseOne 645DF medium-format fashion shoot in a private cenote near Playa del Carmen (^[90])
• 2012-05: Berkley White tests Canon 5D Mark III high-ISO video in the cenotes, finding superior noise performance over its predecessor (^[91])
• 2013-05: Christian Vizl’s video “Finding Yourself” documents a cenote photo shoot with freediver Maca Benitez (^[92])
• 2014-09: Jennifer Penner’s “Ripples and Rays” from Tajma Ha featured on Wetpixel (^[93])
• 2015-07: Benjamin Von Wong produces viral “Underwater River” cenote image at Angelita with 20+ crew; Wetpixel publishes exclusive interview (^[94], ^[95])
• 2016-01: Konrad Malek’s dramatic shot from The Pit cenote shared widely on Wetpixel Facebook (^[96])
• 2018-01: Tom St. George Full Frame gallery showcases cenote photography across 8+ sites (^[97])
• 2019-2020: Adam Hanlon and Natalie Gibb conduct photogrammetry survey at El Pit for Cave Science week (^[98])
• 2020-04: Martin Broen’s Full Frame gallery “Light in the Underworld” published (^[99])
• 2020-06: Natalie Gibb’s Full Frame gallery “Shadows and Stalactites” published, showcasing video-light technique (^[100])
• 2021-02: Natalie Gibb tests Sony A7S III in cenotes for Wetpixel, shooting cave mapping documentary footage at ISO 16000 (^[101])
• 2021-03: Wetpixel Live: Natalie Gibb discusses cenote image making (^[102])
• 2021-07: First official Wetpixel/Under the Jungle Cenote Photography Workshop (Wetpixel contribution via Zoom due to COVID-19) (^[103])
• 2021-11: 2022 Wetpixel Cenote Photography Workshops announced — two sessions in April and May (^[104])
• 2022-01: Wetpixel Live: Lens and port choices for cenote photography (^[105])
• 2022-04: First in-person 2022 workshop visits Chikin Ha, Ponderosa, and Tajma Ha with live daily reports (^[106])
• 2022-05: Second 2022 workshop underway in Yucatan (^[107])
• 2022-06: 2023 workshops announced for May, two sessions (^[108])
• 2023-01: Martin Broen wins Best in Show at DPG/Wetpixel Masters 2022 with cenote image (^[109])

References

Wetpixel Live