Sistema Actun Koh
By Fred Devos

Sistema Actun Koh (Cave of the Puma) was initially explored in 1996 by German Mendoza and a group of French divers including Christian Thomas, Claude Touloumdjian and Edsel Rios.

House Cleaning

The cave lay dormant until, in the spring of 1997, Christophe Le Maillot, Bernie Birnbach, Kate Lewis, Yair Azubel and myself began diving the system.  Eight thousand feet of un-knotted line was replaced and surveyed with many jumps and 'T's being eliminated.  Dental floss used for mapping purposes littered the floor of the cave and many frustrating hours were spent in its removal.  Our goal was to allow other divers safe access to this new site.  We learned a great deal about exploration as we spent the following 8 months doubling the size of the system to over 16,000 feet.

Best cave dive north of Akumal

Averaging 35 feet in depth, large passages connect 4 distinct cenotes- Actun Koh, Bear's Den, Overpass and Fox Hole.  Air domes and limestone daggers adorn the ceilings while a shimmering halocline hovers at 38 feet. Many conclude it's the best cave dive north of Akumal.  Both the upstream and downstream lines form circuits and offer numerous jumps along the way.  An area upstream, known as The Attic, tests a divers buoyancy control as depths rise to less than 5 feet, pinching you between the floor and ceiling.  Wonderland, off the downstream loop, meanders through grand arrays of colorful pillars, flowstone and ancient waterfalls.