Discovery of world's largest underwater cave network in Mexico

A diving team in Mexico has discovered what is believed to be the world’s biggest flooded cave  - a find that promises to throw new light on the ancient Mayan civilisation.

The Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) project pinpointed the 347kms cave after years of exploring a labyrinth of underwater channels.

The project studied the subterranean waters of the Yucatan peninsula, in south-eastern Mexico, reports The Independent.

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The discovery centred around the 263kms-long Sac Actun cave system, near the popular tourist town of Tulum. Explorers found that it is linked by a previously unsurveyed channel to the 83kms-long Dos Ojos system.

Their combined size sets a new record for underwater networks, previously held by the 270kms-long the 263kms-long Sac Actun cave system, also in Mexico.

"This is an effort of more than 20 years, to travel hundreds of kilometres of caves submerged in Quintana Roo mainly, of which I dedicated 14 years to explore this monstrous Sac Actun system; now everyone's job is to keep it," Robert Schmittner, the exploration team leader, said in a statement.

Guillermo de Anda, GAM director, said the stunning discovery would help archaeologists and historians better understand the region’s culture.

Up to the Spanish conquest in the 16^th century, the region was a thriving centre of the Mayan civilisation.

The divers have uncovered the remains of early humans, Mayan archaeology, ceramics, religious objects and ancient graves.

The Mayans’ demise has long confounded historians, with a variety of theories including foreign invasion, epidemics and even climate change.