Cenote Aerolito now a NPA

[lionfish-eater]

Four new National Protected Areas in Q.R.

Quintana Roo has four newly recognized Natural Protected Areas - Riviera Maya News

Riviera Maya, Q.R. -- The state of Quintana Roo officially has four federally recognized new Natural Protected Areas.

riviera-maya-news.com

 

[macado]

This is great news and I welcome it. I really hope this doesn't ultimately impact the ability to dive it. Unfortunately with the way things are going I could easily see this become a permit-only site like Quebrada main entrance in Chankanaab.

Aerolito is one of my favorite caves and I really glad it is being protected under Áreas Naturales Protegidas (ANP) de México.

 

[gopbroek]

Nice article. I have been to the Caleta Cenote a number of times but did not know it's official name of Cenote 'Aerolito'. Prior to this I had always heard it referred to as the 'Caleta' Cenote or the 'Crocodile' Cenote. The reference to a new 'protected natural area of 10 hectares' (about 25 Acres) is a pretty good chunk of land area and it would interesting to see a map with the boundaries of the 'protected' area.
This raises some interesting questions.
1) The existing Caleta, as I understand it, is a collapsed portion of this Centote. Will it become part of the protected area.
2) The Fonatur marina and development project mock up in their office has the Cenote being developed as a tourist attraction.
3) I sat next to an architect for the International Hotels Group (El Presidente's parent) a few years back and he showed me the plans to build a half circle of multi story condos from El Presidente around to the Fonatur marina, once they kick out the pirate fleet. The back (island) side of that project would encroach to Fonatur centote park.

I wonder how this may change these commercial development projects or if this is a land grap to enable them.

 

[macado]

Here is a Google Earth overlay for those that are unaware. The area of Aerolito actually encompasses much more than Fonatur and Caleta. There is a sea connection from Caleta to Cenote Aerolito. You could literally feel the jack hammering and vibrations when they were building Fonatur. You can also hear vehicles in some areas underwater.

The full name of the system is Sistema Aerolito de Paraiso (aka Aerolito). It's still going on the map in directions heading towards Fonatur and towards Chankanaab.

Full Size:

 

[k4kafka]

Interesting development and the many questions it presents. As this site becomes more well-known to non cave-certified divers, I believe some government regulation,like permits is needed and inevitable.But who would oversee and enforce this ?