Mexican "ecocide" of its cenotes with the train line is finally mainstream news to the non-diving world

[Cenotes]

Thousands. But, that does not mitigate the problem at hand.

 

[34109411]

Thousands. But, that does not mitigate the problem at hand.

Most are deep in the jungle with no road, now it will be much more easier to reach them by train.

 

[halocline]

I dive down there all the time. It is an incredible ecosystem, unique in the world, and it is being threatened by this project. There are other threats too; population explosion, bad infrastructure, political/economic corruption.

But the train is an awful, awful idea. It started out ok, with a plan to go down next to the highway. But that was scrapped by corruption; enough powerful people with business interests along the current highway torpedoed it. Now it’s going so far back in the jungle that is useless in terms of relieving traffic along the Cancun-Tulum corridor. Instead the train will likely be used more for commercial freight than for tourism, regardless of how it’s being portrayed.

Anyone interested in how this project will likely affect the cave diving down there ought to talk with the professional divers that live and work in the region. You’ll get an earful.

 

[34109411]

Hi i understand your point. i live in playa del carmen from 2005 from 2008 cenotes where my playground.

Professional diver are a tiny portion of the population this is not what drive the economy down there.

Resort. Golf, Real estate, Corruption...These factors could not care less of dark cold and deep cave that we enjoy or we try to preserve. You wish they will care of the opinion will change but it s not gonna happen.

I am sorry to tell you but it's over better move.

 

[rddvet]

Yeah, I'm not following how the most green form of transportation is a threat.

It is an unnecessary project that's main goal is to bring more vacationers even if they claim its for locals. Its being built directly over a vast network of cave systems that are not far from the surface. They are drilling and completely damaging the cave system. Places like Nahoch which have been clear for decades and rarely have bad viz are now having regular horrible vis. That's just from the construction. Once the train is in effect, the rumbling will continue to damage the caves. More pollution is going to occur locally near the train. The cave system is a vast ecosystem of microflora and microfauna. Their numbers will be affected by this project and those bacteria, algae, and small animals are what helps keep the cenotes healthy. They're loss will lead to worsened conditions. That is just the tip of the iceberg. The long term damage will be exceptionally multifactorial and we will eventually see browned out cenotes like we see in so many springs in florida.
My wife works in water management and springs in particular. Her job has been to help find ways to restore dead springs. The lack of forethought or care for the environment that occurred in florida many many years ago killed a huge number of springs. This project in Mexico is no different. Its a group of politicians looking to do something under the guise of it helping the area, but while lacking forethought into the long term complications and environmental impact.
Do you think they did a proper environmental impact study? Nope they didn't

 

[34109411]

It is an unnecessary project that's main goal is to bring more vacationers even if they claim its for locals. Its being built directly over a vast network of cave systems that are not far from the surface. They are drilling and completely damaging the cave system. Places like Nahoch which have been clear for decades and rarely have bad viz are now having regular horrible vis. That's just from the construction. Once the train is in effect, the rumbling will continue to damage the caves. More pollution is going to occur locally near the train. The cave system is a vast ecosystem of microflora and microfauna. Their numbers will be affected by this project and those bacteria, algae, and small animals are what helps keep the cenotes healthy. They're loss will lead to worsened conditions. That is just the tip of the iceberg. The long term damage will be exceptionally multifactorial and we will eventually see browned out cenotes like we see in so many springs in florida.
My wife works in water management and springs in particular. Her job has been to help find ways to restore dead springs. The lack of forethought or care for the environment that occurred in florida many many years ago killed a huge number of springs. This project in Mexico is no different. Its a group of politicians looking to do something under the guise of it helping the area, but while lacking forethought into the long term complications and environmental impact.
Do you think they did a proper environmental impact study? Nope they didn't

You are absolutely right, no didn't do a proper environmental impact study it was never intended. They just really don't care this is the way it is. The project will go on and continue to spread. Regarding the cenotes i give them a life spawn of 5-10 years before they close it to public due to safety hazard.




They should have protected all those area a long time ago like 25-30 years ago with UNESCO world heritage site. Now it s way too late desctruction will go on.

Be safe

 

[Knockneed Man]

I’m looking forward to using the new trains.

You won’t use it. And neither will many other gringos. I too was excited, yet conflicted, because I thought I’d use it too. However, after having just gone down for myself, the reality is that, even though the train is now open to go from the Cancun airport “area” down to Playa, it doesn’t go to/from the airport. As a cave diver, and to everyone else who didn’t want the train going near cenotes, it sounded at least like a logical idea, despite the eco damage…. But it’s far from it. To get to the train you have to take a taxi from the CUN airport for about 10 minutes, then jump on the train, take it down to “playa”, where you need to get in another taxi to go almost 20 minutes to Playa. So what in theory was “jump on the train from the CUN airport and take it straight to PDC, now takes two taxis and a train, and way longer time wise than the standard cab ride, and roughly the same money if not more in total. It didn’t do a damn thing to help that situation. It “may” help going inland to ruins and way out of the way towns when the full circle is complete, but it really doesn’t help divers or tourists in the least. The main users are locals who are traveling to visit family in other towns - and yes… there is a cheap locals rate, and a higher priced tourists rate.

 

[Edward3c]

You won’t use it. And neither will many other gringos. I too was excited, yet conflicted, because I thought I’d use it too. However, after having just gone down for myself, the reality is that, even though the train is now open to go from the Cancun airport “area” down to Playa, it doesn’t go to/from the airport. As a cave diver, and to everyone else who didn’t want the train going near cenotes, it sounded at least like a logical idea, despite the eco damage…. But it’s far from it. To get to the train you have to take a taxi from the CUN airport for about 10 minutes, then jump on the train, take it down to “playa”, where you need to get in another taxi to go almost 20 minutes to Playa. So what in theory was “jump on the train from the CUN airport and take it straight to PDC, now takes two taxis and a train, and way longer time wise than the standard cab ride, and roughly the same money if not more in total. It didn’t do a damn thing to help that situation. It “may” help going inland to ruins and way out of the way towns when the full circle is complete, but it really doesn’t help divers or tourists in the least. The main users are locals who are traveling to visit family in other towns - and yes… there is a cheap locals rate, and a higher priced tourists rate.

Thanks, their website gives the impression there is (or should be) a station at the airport.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have read there are hundreds of cenotes waiting to be discovered in Mexico. What's your opinion?

Are you suggesting that losing a few cenotes is not a big deal because there are many others?

If so, perhaps you do not realize that these cenotes are the openings to vast labyrinths of interconnected caves. The Yucatan has no rivers above ground; all the water flows through this maze of underground water. What you do to one cenote affects many others. The Sac Actun system in the Riviera Maya area is the largest cave system in the world, with many cenotes in that web.

 

[Fat old english bloke]

I hope the progress you're speaking about does not run over you.

I’d probably disagree with you there.