15,000 years ago, before these caves filled with water, the earliest hominoids in North America used them for shelter. They contended with giant sloths and cave bears, both massive and now extinct megafauna that also prowled these places. Sometimes, we see charcoal from the ancient fire rings these pioneers used to cook, and maybe even to light the big ballrooms the caves naturally provided for a prehistoric party. Here, @henryfrawleyfulcher, a modern cave person with a lithium-ion torch and perhaps fewer things to worry about. Special thanks to the talented @ashinn for post production. Seeing our dark images, he thought people might want to see more detail. So I handed him a bunch of underexposed shots, and was shocked at what he was able to skillfully bring out. #caveexploration, #cenotes, #rivieramaya, #tulum, #playadelcarmen, #innerspace, #wetpixel, #uwphotography, #earth, #cavediving, #cavedivingphotography