Among Stalactites

The underground world of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where this photo was taken, is one of the most beautiful and mysterious places in the world. Over the course of geological evolution, nature has created the most extensive cave system here, stretching hundreds of kilometers and completely filled with water, much of which is decorated with stalactites. The ancient Maya considered these caves to be the entrance to the mysterious underworld. As a visitor to this world, a diver can hardly avoid feeling this sense of mystery and mystique. The flooded caves are in absolute darkness; to capture their majesty in the photograph, I used a lighting system consisting of a total of five powerful underwater strobes—two attached to the camera housing and three strategically placed within the cave.