description El Zacatón Overview
El Zacatón is a water-filled sinkhole in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and part of the Zacatón karst system. Its warm, mineral-rich water descends roughly 339 meters below the surface, making it one of the deepest known flooded sinkholes. In 2007, the NASA-funded DEPTHX autonomous robot explored and mapped its submerged interior while testing navigation technology relevant to planetary exploration.
help El Zacatón FAQ
How deep is El Zacatón sinkhole?
El Zacatón is the deepest known fully water-filled sinkhole in the world, with a measured depth of approximately 339 meters, or roughly 1,112 feet. Its full depth was mapped in 2007 by DEPTHX, a NASA-funded autonomous underwater robot designed to explore and map submerged cavities.
Where exactly is El Zacatón located?
El Zacatón is located in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, within a region known for its system of water-filled sinkholes and cenotes. The area's limestone karst geology has produced multiple deep submerged pits, but El Zacatón is by far the deepest of them.
Has any human diver reached the bottom of El Zacatón?
No human diver has reached the bottom of El Zacatón; the full depth was first mapped by the DEPTHX autonomous underwater robot in 2007. Tragically, pioneering cave diver Sheck Exley died during an attempted deep dive at El Zacatón in 1994, underscoring the extreme danger of descending to such depths on scuba equipment.
What are the floating grass islands on El Zacatón?
El Zacatón is named after the zacate, a type of tall grass, which forms distinctive floating islands that drift across the sinkhole's surface. These mats of vegetation are buoyant enough to support a person's weight and are one of the sinkhole's most visually distinctive features.
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