Diving In Today, these caves are still fl ooded. T e only way into them is through a cenote. T ese sinkholes form when cave roofs collapse. Some cenotes look like shallow
pools. Others look like deep pits. Still others look like muddy puddles.
Cave Creatures Kunz looks for living creatures as he explores. He sees a white fish slipping between the rocks. T is fish has no eyes. Many caves tell very old stories.
T e water in the caves keeps them looking the same over time. Kunz sees the bones of a giant ground sloth. It lived thousands of years ago. He spots broken clay pots and even some human bones. Finding the bones is a spooky
discovery. Ancient people lived here before the caves fl ooded. T ey used the caves as a source for fresh water.
Key to the Future People today still use the caves for fresh water. T ey want to keep these caves clean and free from pollution. Yet it’s hard to protect something you don’t know much about. T at’s why cave divers are helping out. Sam Meacham is a National
Geographic Explorer. He is a cave diver. He and his team are making maps of the caves.
Cave Mapping Meacham’s maps are important. T ey show where pollution can enter the caves. People can use these maps to block garbage and sewage from polluting the water. T is will protect the water. Meacham’s mapping project has
just begun. Many caves have never been explored. Others wait to be discovered. For explorers like Kunz and Meacham, that means there’s more adventure to come.
WORDWISE
cenote: a deep natural pit, or sinkhole
dissolve: to reduce a solid to a liquid form
14 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
erosion: the process in which rocks are moved from one place to another
weathering: the process in which rocks are broken into smaller pieces
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