Explorers Connect O’Ho Tucha and Sac Aktún Cave Systems in Tulum

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Explorers from Instituto USAH have connected the O’Ho Tucha and Sac Aktún cave systems beneath the jungle of this Quintana Roo resort town, adding two kilometers of flooded passages to the region’s underground map.

The discovery deepens understanding of the Riviera Maya’s cavern network, where large systems remain listed as separate in exploration records even though they lie short distances apart. The link also opens the way for future geological and hydrological studies of the Yucatan Peninsula’s aquifer.

The team entered through the recently located Aktun Kalom Kin cenote, which gave divers access to the subterranean galleries. From there, they joined O’Ho Tucha’s conduits with different sectors of the new system until the final connection with Sac Aktún was made.

Before entering the water, team members hiked about four kilometers through the jungle to reach the access point. Underwater, they faced a network of narrow tunnels that they had to survey systematically to find the passage toward the far side of the system.

The work was completed in two stages: first O’Ho Tucha was joined to the eastern sector of Aktun Kalom Kin, and then to its western side. Combining both routes finally closed the gap with the corresponding section of Sac Aktún.

Instituto USAH published a map showing the explored sectors: O’Ho Tucha in purple, green and red, Aktun Kalom Kin in orange, and the newly incorporated stretch of Sac Aktún in yellow.

The organization said nearby systems remain unlinked in official records, and that exploration will continue to document new connections beneath the jungle of Quintana Roo.