Volcano Diving, Alchichica - Feb 2003
El Lago de Alchichica is about 3 hours outside of Mexico City. It's the flooded remains of an old volcano crater, is reputed to be bottomless( not true! 67M in reality ) and has been dived by none other than Jacques Cousteau himself!
Following in the French masters footsteps 4 divers and our surface support manager set off for some volcano crater lake exploration.
Alchichica is also known as the home of the virtually extinct fish 'Poblano Alchichica', and amazing Salamanders that can only be seen after dark. Unfortunately due to our jinxed compressor we did not get an opportunity to night dive on this particular trip.
I made a return trip to Alchichica in 2004, the details of which can be seen here.
Cacti are a hazard here, and I really mean it. You cannot imagine how hard it is to get these cacti spines out of your skin!
Relaxing Pre dive and enjoying the daytime heat completely oblivious to just how cold it would get at night.
The lake where you can clearly see the shorter side of the old crater.
The campsite. Alchichica has spawned many stories of strange happenings, from UFO sightings to strange underwater lights to monsters!
Preparing to dive, Notice the huge tarpaulin specially strengthened against invasive cacti spines.
Luis and I make final checks
Luis and I head out through the murk into clearer water.
Vincent and I climbed to the top of the crater and were rewarded with stunning views.
Luis exercises his log. The two were inseparable all weekend
Our compressor was a little temperamental, and only decided to run an hour before we left the site. Spooky!
Locals collecting what we would learn to be fireproof firewood
Entering into the water
Daniel and Juan make a final confirmation of the dive plan.
Juan prepares 'carne' for our lunchtime tacos while Vincent (Surface Support Manager) attends to the 'cebollitas'
Nighttime in the desert is very very cold and cactus does not burn well we learnt.
Alchichica is a beautiful place. The water is cold like the nights and anything mechanical takes on its own personality. A very special place.
