Mexico's Cenotes
Dive into the new cenote exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Overview
Spectacular Cenotes
A cenote is a water-filled sinkhole in a limestone platform that forms with the collapse of an underground cave’s roof. Filled with ground water from underground rivers, these cenotes form special habitats for animals and plants. The spectacular cenotes in Central America’s Yucatán Peninsula are home to fascinating aquatic life. The exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium showcases some of the incredible fishes and aquatic plants living in these cenotes.
Exhibit Inhabitants
Threats
Under Threat
The Yucatán's spectacular cenotes are home to well-adapted species popular in home aquariums. These ecosystems are under threat, can they be saved?
01
Climate Change
The increasing CO2 in our atmosphere affects the speed that the cenotes’ limestone walls form and dissolve, impacting the aquatic life living in them. A warming climate also melts glaciers and raises the sea level, causing sea water to seep into cenotes making it inhabitable to many species, including some fishes. Reduce your carbon footprint: buy, fly and drive a car less to help preserve cenotes.
02
Groundwater Pollution
Pollution from human activities seeps into the groundwater and harms the aquatic life living in underwater caves and cenotes. Visit the Yucatan Peninsula’s cenotes responsibly and minimize your footprint. Don’t use sunscreen and cosmetic products when swimming and cooling off in cenotes — the chemicals in them hurts cenote animals.
03
Invasive Species
Non-native fishes, such as tilapias introduced into cenotes for aquaculture, out-compete the natives for food, habitat and spawning sites. Tilapias not only displace them, but also eat their eggs and fry, causing some native species to disappear. This problem is not isolated to cenotes in Mexico. Help protect all aquatic environments — never release a non-native into an ocean, lake, river or stream.
What's in a name?
U yumil tzono'ot
Many cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula are identified by names derived from their physical attributes, or some notable event.
We decided to name our built cenote habitat to honour the late Bil Phillips, a local man from North Vancouver who spent over 30 years exploring and mapping Yucatan’s underground caves. A passionate protector of cenotes, he spearheaded the removal of invasive tilapias from Aktun Ha (AKA Carwash cenote). Bil's full name "William" includes the roots words willeo (for determination) and helm (for protection) — we named our cenote U yumil tzono'ot, Mayan for "the cenote protector."