Have you ever seen a shark stay still? Sharks have a unique method of breathing wherein the only way for them to breathe is to swim with their mouth open. In doing so , water rushes into their gills and they are able to breathe. If they stop moving , they simply die on the spot due to lack of Oxygen.  Hence sharks are almost always on the move.

However in the 1970s , a single fisherman made a huge discovery. His name was Carlos Castilla “valvula” and often dived off the coast of isla Mujeres to hunt for lobsters. While diving for lobsters he often saw sharks enter a relatively small cave and stay there without leaving for hours. This piqued his curiosity and after a few months he mustered the courage to dive down to the cave to see for himself what was happening. The sight shocked him , it was a cave full of sharks , not moving but still.

He assumed them to be dead but they were all alive. How? Well the cave was over an underwater spring and the spring let out little bubbles which the sharks could simply rest over and stay still but yet get the oxygen they needed. This was a natural phenomenon and sharks often came there to rest.A variety of sharks from bull sharks to nurse sharks ,  native to the region reside here.

This cave is around 60 feet below sea level.

This cave is a must see in your lifetime and is open to divers. So if you ever happen to travel to isla mujeres , mexico do remember this article and visit the cave!