The submerged cave system Ox Bel Haa Quintana Roo, in Mexico, it is the longest in the world: with itsthe 524.108 km of extension, this labyrinth of (mainly fresh) water is even larger than previously thought until last year. Being a system of submerged caves, the Ox Bel Ha – which in the Mayan language means “Three Water Paths” – has not yet been fully explored due to the complexity of the diving: the latest surveys by CINDAQ (Centro Investigador del Sistema Acuifero de Quintana) in 2024 have mapped another 12.5 km, thus expanding the measurements of this network of caves under the Mexican Yucatan peninsula.
Once the explorations are completed, the submerged cave system – made up of over 160 cenotes – it could even exceed 600 km in length. Let’s see together some of the main characteristics of Ox Bel Ha and the results of previous explorations.
The characteristics of the Ox Bel Ha cave system
The Ox Bel Ha system, located near Tulum in Mexico, therefore holds the record as the longest submerged cave system in the world. If, however, we were to also consider the caves outside the water, then the record would go to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky (USA) which reach i 686 kmwhile Ox Bel Ha would drop to second place.
In general, according to the most recent surveys by speleologists – concluded at the end of 2024 – the cave system Ox Bel Ha has the following characteristics:
- 524,108 km long confirmed.
- Beyond 69km2 of surface overall.
- 57.3 meters of maximum depth.
- 12.8 meters of medium depth.
- About 120 meters of maximum width.
- Beyond 160 cenotesi.e. typical geological formations of the Mexican Yucatan peninsula: they are nothing more than natural sinkholes filled with water, from which you can access the system of submerged caves.
According to the estimates highlighted in the CINDAQ 2023 report, the Ox Bel Ha system should be composed of 73% fresh water and the remaining 27% salt water. Incidentally, the actual size of the Ox Bel Ha system could even exceed 600 km in length, as there are still more than 60 km of caves left to be re-examined and mapped.
Ox Bel Ha discoveries and explorations
Ox Bel Ha’s exploration story begins with his own discovery by speleologists in 1996. Over the years, these caves have seen their lead as the world’s longest submerged system fluctuate: in 2018, for example, Ox Bel Ha was briefly overtaken by another Mexican cave system, only to regain the title a few months later following new mapping.
In general, explorations have become increasingly constant starting from 2018: since that year the known dimensions of the cave system have effectively doubled, starting from approximately 245 km of caves in 2018 up to the current 524,108 km.
Over the course of numerous explorations, researchers have also discovered inside the caves a large number of artifacts dating back to the Mayan era, but also the remains of a woman aged between 25 and 30, which could date back to more than 13,000 years ago.
