Mexico 2012

[davidefc]

This will be a ongoing thread updated when I get chance to write up my most recent trip to Mexico.

To start of, Xel Ha which is a nature park with many aquatic animals like manatee, sharks, dolphins and sting rays.
On the reserve they also have 2 Cenote, Paradise and Adventure, both Cenote contain only exCichlasoma urophthalmus, in Cenote Paradise I spotted a adult breeding pair close with large fry, you were not aloud to swim in this Cenote, so I managed an ok video of the pair:
[video=youtube;xUgb83-Zn90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUgb83-Zn90&feature=youtu.be[/video]

In Cenote Adventure you could snorkel, I have some poor underwater pictures I will upload later.

Regards
Dave

 

[TMSB805]

exciting. looking forward to more details of the trip

 

[BellycrawlerJaws]

Love videos and pictures like this, will be watching for updates

 

[davidefc]

There are many Cenotes called Cenote Azul, which translates basically to Cenote Blue/Blue water. This was my first time visiting Cenote Azul, its a very beautiful Cenote, the only cichlid species present where exCichlasoma urophthalmus, these were in large numbers, unpaired fish usually swam the water in shoals, while paired off fish where usually against something, for example a tree stump, a large rock etc, this is because it is one less direction the parents need to watch over and protect from predators, although I saw some pairs out in the open with fry. I found quite a few breeding pairs, even was a pair defending eggs which where laid on a leaf. In the small island photographed to where I am snorkeling there were 3 breeding pairs in the area, these where large pairs 12"+ in size and very thick fish, you could watch them flare against each other. Another species of fish which shared the same habitat was a livebearer species, probably Poecilia orri or velifera.

[video=youtube;6m6U3tp7A1I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m6U3tp7A1I&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Pictures:

Regards
Dave

 

[newworld]

Wow great pics I Fish/collected in a cenote azul which was in the Mexican Rivera just off the main highway bunch of big Uros and dempseys, rhamdia cats and the biggest velifera I ever saw, maybe the same one? Either way keep up with the great pics....

 

[Redbellypiranha]

Awesome


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[lix.ma14]

cool

 

[Dan F]

Very nice! I've been to the Yucatan five times, it is an incredible place. I've been to Xel Ha, but it has been around 13 or 14 years. I was lucky enough to see a pair of uropthalmus with their brood as well, in a small coastal cenote called Cenote Manati. I went mostly for the cave diving - unfortunately you don't see a lot of fish in the dark zone.

Looks like a great trip, where did you stay?

 

[chelo]

woow bro!! so cool..

 

[davidefc]

Wow great pics I Fish/collected in a cenote azul which was in the Mexican Rivera just off the main highway bunch of big Uros and dempseys, rhamdia cats and the biggest velifera I ever saw, maybe the same one? Either way keep up with the great pics....

Thank, was the Cenote Azul you visited across the road basically from the Barcelo Hotel? If if was, I saw no Rocio octofasciata and the velifera in there wasn't very nice or big, are you sure you are not getting mixed up with Cenote El Jardin de Eden? Which is literally a stones throw away where I saw both exC.uropthalmuhs and R.octofasciata as well as stunningly beautiful P.velifera, nicest I have ever seen! As well as the Rhamdia, which I am pretty sure inhabited Cenote Azul, I just didn't see them, more likely they were lurking in the dark.

Very nice! I've been to the Yucatan five times, it is an incredible place. I've been to Xel Ha, but it has been around 13 or 14 years. I was lucky enough to see a pair of uropthalmus with their brood as well, in a small coastal cenote called Cenote Manati. I went mostly for the cave diving - unfortunately you don't see a lot of fish in the dark zone.

Looks like a great trip, where did you stay?

Very jealous of your 5 trips there! I have only been the twice, but I will defiantly be visiting back! Yes I went and dove Cenote Manati, which is also known as Casa Cenote, not many urophthalmus, the dive leader said this was because of previous hurricanes. It was a good dive Cenote Manati, we saw empty turtle eggs, the remains of a big old turtle which had died there in the cavern, and the flounders there were really cool, they would swim in your hands. But Cenote Dos Ojos was the best for cavern diving, absolutely spectacular when you enter the cavern! I also cavern dived in Cenote El Jardin de Eden.

I stayed in the Grand Sirenis hotel, perfect location to visit cenotes and nature parks etc.

Thanks for all your comments!

Dave