Ponderosa/Eden and Tajma Ha or Dos Ojos x2?

[Jake]

Hi all-

I think we'll be using Cenote Experience for a cenote trip when we're in Cozumel. They have given us pricing on doing Ponderosa and Tajma Ha (or Chikin Ha) or doing two dives at Dos Ojos. I don't really know which trip to pick.

Can anyone here help me understand why one might choose between them? I've read about each of them online but don't really know which way to go. About us in case it helps:

• Of the people in my group, I'm the only one with any overhead training. I'm not sure how claustrophobic others are in the group, but let's assume that overly narrow passageways might not be ideal
• All of the divers are good open water divers with at least 50 dives each
• I'd love to try and get some good photos of light rays
• I'd like at least one of the dives to be somewhat of a cave/cavern experience (as opposed to just a large open basin)
• Fossils would be cool

Thanks in advance!

 

[guruboy]

Those would all be cavern dives and overhead environments. A cavern is the beginning part of the cave where you can still "see" the natural light from outside such that if you swim towards light you will find an exit.

At some cenotes, the water entry will start in an open sinkhole (perhaps with swimmers) from where you will swim to the cavern entrance. At others, the water entry will be right at the cavern with more of a "cave" feel.

None of the places you'll be taken to will have narrow passages. Some cenotes might have pockets where you can surface.

IIRC, Ponderosa is what you called an "open basin" entry while Tajma Ha and Chikin Ha are the "cave/cavern" entry.

 

[guruboy]

Do you mean light rays as in light shining into a cave (above water) or light rays shining into the water (below water)?

 

[Jake]

Do you mean light rays as in light shining into a cave (above water) or light rays shining into the water (below water)?

First one, then the other.

Kidding aside, I'd prefer light rays in the water for the photos, but if the top-side scenery is nice that's ok too I suppose.

 

[nodakdive]

Dos Ojos is kinda nice because you go to one place and do 2 dives there. With the other two, you'd dive one, then pack up and go to the other. Eden is big and open. Taj is sorta big and open. Dos Ojos feels more like a "cave" dive, with stalactites and stalagmites, etc. Taj, if you hit it at the right time, has a "lite shining in" feature. I was told we were there at the right time so the beam of light was pretty intense.

Personally, for a first trip with newish divers, I'd do Dos Ojos. They're all easy, non-death defying dives, but Ojos feels more like a movie and is a little less plain with more to see.

 

[Dogbowl]

I did my first cenote dive in Dos Ojos. So did a lot of other divers. So we experienced a traffic jam inside the cenote. I was able to see ahead with what seemed to be an unending line of divers with their lights. At some points, we had to hover motionless as the line of divers was not moving. It was an interesting phenomenon, one that I was not expecting.

Just thought I’d mention it. Not a reason not to do this particular cenote, as it’s probably one of the most popular ones to do.

I’d like to add...speak with Nico at Cenotexperience and ask his opinion. I’d trust his input.

 

[Midge907]

I have done all those dives with Cenote Xperience and all were enjoyable. Tajmahal has some really cool parts that I liked, but if I were given the choice of what your looking at I would go to Dos Ojos for the day. When I did it I did the Pit first and then Dos Ojos x2, the pit is awesome and I highly recommend it also if you have time for a 3-tank day. Take a little cash with you, as their is a jewelry vendor a Dos Ojos when I was there of hand crafted bead work. Very nice stuff for the price and you have to pick up any souvenirs.

 

[CamC]

At the risk of giving away spoliers, Tajma Ha has a bit where you surface into a bat cave! That was cool. It's also the only one I've dived, so I can't compare it with the others you mention, but it did also have a few spots with nice light rays which came out just about OK on my basic point-and-shoot, as pictured below.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

The bat cave is in Dos Ojos cenote not Tajma Ha. Nice pic of Tajma Ha though.
I take would look at you tube to see which cenotes you would prefer to dive.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Diving in a cenote should be a very interesting experience for a first timer in an overhead environment. It will either be a fantastic experience or make someone uneasy in that environment. Dos Ojos is were many divers go first. It is all an overhead experience but with shafts of light shining down. With many divers on site and in the cavern it may also give a new diver some added sense of ease. Taj Mahal is also great. The Pit is a much different experience again. A large open cavern. Beautiful dive. Most tours begin with descending to about 120 feet and around the back of a rock outcrop and up to a fantastic viewpoint of the entire cavern. Cenote Angelita is similar to the Pit. But different. Look on Google for some pictures. There are certainly other choices also. One word of caution... Whoever you choose to cenote dive with should be explaining how you stay on the guide line. Don't accept an offer to take you off line for a "special experience". Would be great to see your review of the cenote dives after your trip is done. Enjoy!!