Car Wash ( Aktun Ha System) is famous for its delicate, soda straw like formations, especially in the Room of Tears. Before the discovery of Sac Actun and Nohoch, it was considered the area's most beautifully decorated cave.
The Room of Tears can be accessed from either cenote Car Wash or Zazil Ha in Tulum, off the Coba road. This room is considered to be one of the gems of the underwater cave world although you have to locate a secret jump leading to it.
The Mayan name "Aktun Ha" means "Cave Water". The cenote Car Wash was used by taxi drivers to wash their cars by its water in the past. Fortunately, that practice has stopped and divers can enjoy crystal clear waters of the system.
Most of the cave system is fresh water. Salt water can be seen at greater depths. There is a section in the video where halocline - the mixture of fresh and salt water - can be clearly visible.
The video was filmed over two separate dives. We have visited Room of Tears on the first one and ventured further into the cave on the second one. At some point I could hear tanks making a very loud metal dragging sound against the cave walls trying to squeeze into narrow passages where we reached the end of the line and turned around.
Some of the rooms are very dark. The formations are covered with tannic acid which gives them rich brown color.
Filmed by Marina Kaufman at Cave Gravity www.cavegravity.com
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