1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 On this episode of Expedition X... 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,500 I'm just trying to see the road! 3 00:00:05,500 --> 00:00:08,500 My team heads to the Yucatan Peninsula 4 00:00:08,500 --> 00:00:12,500 to investigate fresh reports of paranormal activity. 5 00:00:12,500 --> 00:00:14,000 Oh, my gosh. Look at this. 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000 Strange voices and shadows... 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,000 and bizarre swarms of animals and insects. 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:22,000 Ants catch you too? 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,500 Yeah, oh, f***, yeah. 10 00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:24,500 They're falling over. 11 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:27,000 Inside, Mexico's cenotes... 12 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Incredible. 13 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000 The legendary portals to the Maya underworld. 14 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,000 I mean, this looks like something from Indiana Jones. 15 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,000 And when Jess and Phil uncover a dark secret 16 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000 in the decaying ruins of a nearby plantation... 17 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,500 These slaves probably used this very time. 18 00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:46,000 Things take a strange turn. 19 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000 Somebody just walked by here. 20 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,500 Brian, I thought it was you again. 21 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:51,500 The brain will put patterns where it wants to put patterns. 22 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:53,000 Why would I pattern Brian? 23 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000 Leading to one of their most intense investigations ever. 24 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Oh, f***, what? 25 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,000 F***, jeez, Jess. 26 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,000 There's something in the well! 27 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Mexico's Haunted Cenotes. 28 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,000 My name is Josh Gates. 29 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,000 In my travels, I've experienced strange things 30 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 that defy logic and made me question everything. 31 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,500 Oh, my God. 32 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:24,000 Now, I've put together a team to investigate 33 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,000 the stranger side of the unknown. 34 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Let's go! 35 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,000 Phil Torres is a scientist who hunts for rational explanations. 36 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 This is the calling for actually found cenotes. 37 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:41,000 Jessica Chobot's paranormal research has made her a true believer. 38 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,000 If you're here with us, knock again. 39 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Together, we're searching for answers... 40 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,000 What is happening here, Jess? 41 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,000 ...to the world's most extraordinary mysteries. 42 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000 This is Expedition X. 43 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:58,000 All right, contestants. 44 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Quiz time. 45 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,000 What is 66 million years old, 46 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,000 more than six miles wide, 47 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,000 and travels 150 times faster than a jet? 48 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,000 Pizz. 49 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,000 Phil Torres. 50 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:10,000 What is an asteroid? 51 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,000 That is correct and bonus points for answering 52 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,000 in the form of a question. 53 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Specifically today, we are talking about the asteroid 54 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000 that wiped out three quarters of all plants and animal life on Earth, 55 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,000 including the dinosaurs. 56 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,000 But as devastating as that event was, 57 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,000 it also created the foundation for something remarkable. 58 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:27,000 Mexico's... 59 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,000 Cenotes. 60 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Cenotes. 61 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,000 Yes. 62 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,000 That wasn't in the form of a question, though, so... 63 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,000 It's a point deduction there, Phil. 64 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,000 I've always wanted to go see these caverns. 65 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,000 I mean, the fact that there are these legendary portals 66 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,000 to the Maya underworld, 67 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,000 where they would make offerings and human sacrifices. 68 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,000 I am intrigued. 69 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,000 As you should be, they are geologic wonders, 70 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,000 and they do have this kind of bloody history in some cases. 71 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,000 They are truly unique, and some say truly haunted. 72 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,000 Earth. 73 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,000 66 million years ago. 74 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,000 The asteroid that slams into what is now Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 75 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:12,000 leaves behind a crater 12 miles deep and 93 miles across. 76 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,000 The impact produces geological conditions 77 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,000 that will eventually scar the landscape 78 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,000 with thousands of deep limestone sinkholes 79 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,000 that fill with water. 80 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Fast forward to 2000 BCE, 81 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,000 and the rise of the Maya civilization. 82 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 They build their settlements around these flooded caverns, 83 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,000 or cenotes, 84 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,000 that provide fresh water for drinking and growing crops. 85 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,000 But there's also a supernatural connection. 86 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,000 The Maya believe the cenotes are sacred portals to the underworld. 87 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,000 To gain favor with their gods, 88 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,000 they cast precious offerings into the caverns. 89 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,000 Things like jade, gold, and ceramics. 90 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,000 And when the Maya really need their gods to come through for them, 91 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,000 let there be blood. 92 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,000 Of the animal and human variety. 93 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaking of blood, 94 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 the Spanish spill plenty during their conquest of the region in the 1500s. 95 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,000 The Maya, already in decline, 96 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,000 are relegated to the fringes of society. 97 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,000 For the Maya living in the Yucatan today, 98 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,000 the cenotes and the artifacts they hide are still sacred. 99 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,000 But looting in the area has become a major problem. 100 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 It's estimated that the illegal smuggling of ancient Maya artifacts 101 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,000 generates revenues in the millions of dollars. 102 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,000 And some believe this increase in criminal activity 103 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,000 is somehow disrupting the Maya spirit world, 104 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,000 triggering an escalation in paranormal activity. 105 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,000 In the northern part of the peninsula 106 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 stand the crumbling ruins of a former farming plantation, or Hacienda, 107 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 surrounded by several cenotes that are believed to be haunted. 108 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,000 Visitors to this swath of jungle report strange shadows and lights, 109 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:04,000 apparitions, and even aggressive animal behavior in and around the cenotes. 110 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,000 And the spike in activity is terrifying the locals. 111 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,000 So what could be causing these bizarre reports? 112 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,000 And why are they happening at these specific cenotes? 113 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:25,000 Alright, who's ready to dive in? 114 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,000 Listen, you had me at Giant Asteroid Impact. 115 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,000 I mean, for me this case has it all. 116 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,000 Ghosts, spirits, ritual sacrifices. 117 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Josh, you've actually explored some of these cenotes before. 118 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,000 I have. I've dived in many cenotes. 119 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,000 I've even seen human remains. 120 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,000 It really is another world down there. 121 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,000 They can be really creepy places. 122 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,000 Now, I've not been to these cenotes where these paranormal reports are coming from. 123 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Jess, you buy into this? What do you make of this? 124 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,000 Seems to me that looting sacred artifacts is a great way to make spirits angry. 125 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,000 Bill? 126 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:57,000 I don't know about angry spirits, 127 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,000 but the Yucatan is home to a lot of unique wildlife. 128 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,000 There are monkeys there, there's big cats like jaguars, 129 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,000 any of which could be behind these strange noises and shadows that people are reporting. 130 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,000 And also, you don't want to make them angry either. 131 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,000 So, I want you to get yourselves down to Mexico. 132 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,000 Go meet these locals. 133 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,000 Find out what it is that they're seeing, 134 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,000 and maybe more importantly why they think this supposed paranormal activity 135 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,000 is happening around these cenotes. 136 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Jess, see if you can make the case for stirred-up spirits. 137 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:29,000 And Phil, if there is some natural explanation, like you say, what is it? 138 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,000 Okay, we're on it. 139 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Sounds good. 140 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,000 All right, adios. 141 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,000 I'm sending my team nearly 3,200 miles to Yucatan's capital city of Merida. 142 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:51,000 Then, they'll need to source a set of off-road wheels to transport them to the cenotes in the jungle. 143 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,000 You know how to drive these things? 144 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:55,000 I'm going to figure it out. 145 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:56,000 All right. 146 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:58,000 All right, ready? 147 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,000 Okay. 148 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:06,000 Hard works. 149 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:14,000 Though it's been roughly 500 years since the Spanish arrived here to reshape the region, 150 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Maya influence is everywhere you look. 151 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,000 Today, some 800,000 people in Mexico still speak Mayan. 152 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:27,000 And another thing that hasn't changed since the fall of the empire is the region's unpredictable weather. 153 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:32,000 It feels like we're literally out running a storm right now. 154 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,000 I'd like to say I think we're out running the rain, but I don't think we are. 155 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,000 I'm just trying to see the road! 156 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,000 I get so much rain in my face! 157 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:46,000 Oh my gosh. 158 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:55,000 Rain or shine, our investigation is taking us southeast to a 20-square-mile area riddled with cenotes, 159 00:07:55,000 --> 00:08:01,000 many of which are mapped and who knows how many more that could still be undiscovered in the dense forest. 160 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,000 This is where the paranormal reports are coming from. 161 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:10,000 And a half mile off the dirt road, we're connecting with the most recent of the many witnesses. 162 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:11,000 Is that him right there? 163 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,000 Yeah. 164 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:18,000 Josh has arranged for us to meet Luis Vazquez, a civil engineer and the manager of the property. 165 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,000 Yes, it's better. 166 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,000 Yes, yes. 167 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000 Well, thank you for having us here. 168 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,000 I understand you've had a lot of strange experiences. 169 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,000 So what are some of these experiences that you have had? 170 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,000 I have seen and heard a lot of things I can't explain. 171 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:54,000 I've seen strange lights moving inside and outside the cenotes, especially at the ceremonial cenote called Quichne. 172 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,000 But it isn't just me. 173 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Many people claim to see lights there at dusk and at night. 174 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Do they stay and hover or do they disappear? 175 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,000 Oh, disappear. 176 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,000 Also, I've had rocks thrown at me on a trail near the cenotes. 177 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:17,000 And when I was out inspecting one of the sinkholes where it's not safe for people to go, I heard my name called... 178 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:20,000 But I was alone. 179 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:28,000 Not too far from there, one of the workers has seen strange moving shadows creeping up on him, but no one was there. 180 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:39,000 Luis tells us that, according to Maya legend, the jungles and cenotes are guarded by spirits that can take the form of things like trees, some animals like bats and even insects. 181 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:46,000 Traditionally, the Maya don't believe in ghosts as spirits of their deceased ancestors. 182 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:54,000 What they do believe is that spirits from nature and the underworld can take physical form to protect the people and their land. 183 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:00,000 And if you don't pay a cenote the proper respect, those spirits can go on the offensive. 184 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Have you had any issues with looting or trespassing on the property? 185 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,000 Yes, people have taken things that do not belong to them from the cenotes. 186 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,000 And recently, I went to one of the flooded cenotes. 187 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:20,000 There were some people swimming who did not have permission to be there. Suddenly, out of nowhere, snakes started to appear. 188 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,000 They were everywhere, on the water, on the walls. 189 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,000 There were more than 30 snakes. 190 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:30,000 Oh my God. 191 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,000 For the ancient Maya, snakes held profound spiritual significance. 192 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:44,000 During sacrifice and blood-letting rituals, Maya priests would often have visions where they communicate with a god in the form of a giant serpent. 193 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,000 Snakes are also considered to be one of the spirit guardians of the cenotes. 194 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,000 There are things you won't believe, things I can't explain. 195 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,000 The snake spirits. 196 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:57,000 Not happy. 197 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Not happy. 198 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:08,000 Luis shows us how to get to three cenotes where unusual activity has been reported, including Cenote Quichne, where he and others have witnessed the mysterious lights. 199 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,000 We plan to start our investigation there. 200 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:26,000 But before we're permitted to investigate spirit activity in the sacred caverns, Luis says we must first take part in a protection ritual, not just for our own safety inside the cenotes, but also to prevent us from bringing any negative energy out. 201 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Remember that we are in the Maya jungle and we need a lot of respect to enter this place. 202 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000 Luis introduces us to Edgar Paraza, a high-level Maya priest. 203 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,000 He's a priest. 204 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:57,000 As Edgar asked the gods on our behalf for permission to enter the sacred cenotes, the ceremonial smoke serves as a conduit to lift his words and latch them onto the surrounding environment. 205 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:03,000 To maintain the sanctity of the cenote and the contents inside, Edgar gives us a sacred Maya drink called Balche. 206 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:10,000 It's prepared in a bowl full of cenote water and bark from Balche trees with a splash of melapona honey mixed in. 207 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,000 That's good. 208 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,000 Now, on any side, you can go to the cenotes and see the sacred Maya drink. 209 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:23,000 Once we enter the cenote well, people go in and see what they're making and who is providing blossoming fruit for all people. 210 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:45,660 Before we begin our patrol, we savvy the Celestials telling them where the pearls were from theWingam or the 211 00:12:45,660 --> 00:12:48,660 After about a mile of off-roading following Louise's map, 212 00:12:48,660 --> 00:12:51,660 we come upon the entrance to Cenote Kishne, 213 00:12:51,660 --> 00:12:54,660 where we'll look for the source of the strange lights. 214 00:12:54,660 --> 00:12:57,660 This particular cenote is considered a sacred site 215 00:12:57,660 --> 00:13:00,660 that is still used for Maya ceremonies. 216 00:13:09,660 --> 00:13:10,660 Your chest, look above. 217 00:13:10,660 --> 00:13:12,660 Oh, my gosh. 218 00:13:12,660 --> 00:13:14,660 Oh, bats. 219 00:13:14,660 --> 00:13:16,660 Wow, tons of bats up here. 220 00:13:16,660 --> 00:13:18,660 Oh, my gosh, look at them all. 221 00:13:18,660 --> 00:13:20,660 I know bats live in caves, 222 00:13:20,660 --> 00:13:22,660 but based on what we learned from Louise, 223 00:13:22,660 --> 00:13:25,660 I'm wondering if Maya spirits are flying among these bats. 224 00:13:29,660 --> 00:13:31,660 There's a pathway over here. 225 00:13:31,660 --> 00:13:33,660 Whoa, careful. 226 00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:35,660 Oh, my gosh. 227 00:13:35,660 --> 00:13:37,660 Oh, my gosh. 228 00:13:37,660 --> 00:13:39,660 Oh, my gosh. 229 00:13:39,660 --> 00:13:41,660 Over here. 230 00:13:41,660 --> 00:13:43,660 Whoa, careful. 231 00:13:43,660 --> 00:13:46,660 There is a big drop off right here into nothing but rocks. 232 00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:49,660 Oh, yeah, that is crazy. 233 00:13:49,660 --> 00:13:51,660 Oh, my gosh. 234 00:13:51,660 --> 00:13:52,660 What? 235 00:13:52,660 --> 00:13:53,660 Look at this. 236 00:13:53,660 --> 00:13:55,660 Oh, my God. 237 00:14:03,660 --> 00:14:05,660 Look at those hand prints. 238 00:14:05,660 --> 00:14:07,660 Those have got to be Maya and... 239 00:14:07,660 --> 00:14:08,660 Absolutely. 240 00:14:09,660 --> 00:14:12,660 They're all hands on real. 241 00:14:12,660 --> 00:14:14,660 The Maya were prolific cave artists, 242 00:14:14,660 --> 00:14:17,660 and even today, you can still see evidence of their paintings 243 00:14:17,660 --> 00:14:22,660 and carvings on many cenote walls, including this one. 244 00:14:22,660 --> 00:14:24,660 Scholars speculate these hand prints, 245 00:14:24,660 --> 00:14:27,660 given their small size, were made by children 246 00:14:27,660 --> 00:14:30,660 during a coming-of-age ritual. 247 00:14:30,660 --> 00:14:34,660 Look at all those little all the way up there. 248 00:14:34,660 --> 00:14:36,660 Inside this deeply sacred cenote, 249 00:14:36,660 --> 00:14:38,660 I'm deploying my audio recorder, 250 00:14:38,660 --> 00:14:42,660 which can detect sounds on frequencies our ears can't hear. 251 00:14:42,660 --> 00:14:44,660 Obviously, don't speak Mayan, 252 00:14:44,660 --> 00:14:47,660 but some believe that spirits connect to the intent behind the message 253 00:14:47,660 --> 00:14:49,660 rather than the language spoken. 254 00:14:49,660 --> 00:14:52,660 Is anyone in here with us? 255 00:14:57,660 --> 00:15:00,660 We've heard people see strange lights in here. 256 00:15:00,660 --> 00:15:02,660 Is that you? 257 00:15:06,660 --> 00:15:09,660 I know this is a sacred place. 258 00:15:09,660 --> 00:15:12,660 Does it anger you when people come here without permission? 259 00:15:18,660 --> 00:15:20,660 I'll need to analyze my recordings later 260 00:15:20,660 --> 00:15:24,660 to see if I got any paranormal responses to my questions. 261 00:15:25,660 --> 00:15:30,660 So, like, Luis, he mentioned seeing lights in the area. 262 00:15:30,660 --> 00:15:33,660 I mean, where do you think that comes from? 263 00:15:34,660 --> 00:15:37,660 Well, caves around the world have species that have evolved 264 00:15:37,660 --> 00:15:40,660 to have bioluminescence, basically, as a lure 265 00:15:40,660 --> 00:15:43,660 to attract things to eat. 266 00:15:43,660 --> 00:15:44,660 Okay. 267 00:15:44,660 --> 00:15:48,660 Bioluminescence is the emission of light by a living organism. 268 00:15:48,660 --> 00:15:51,660 Some of the phytoplankton-rich beaches here in the Yucatan 269 00:15:51,660 --> 00:15:53,660 are famous for this phenomenon. 270 00:15:53,660 --> 00:15:56,660 Bioluminescent organisms like fireflies and fungi 271 00:15:56,660 --> 00:15:59,660 can be found in the forests of Mexico as well. 272 00:15:59,660 --> 00:16:02,660 I wonder if a combination of glowing life forms 273 00:16:02,660 --> 00:16:05,660 and environmental factors, like reflection off of water, 274 00:16:05,660 --> 00:16:09,660 can create the unusual lights people have witnessed. 275 00:16:10,660 --> 00:16:13,660 Wow, the water goes all the way around here. 276 00:16:13,660 --> 00:16:15,660 I don't see any fish. 277 00:16:15,660 --> 00:16:17,660 I don't see any either. 278 00:16:17,660 --> 00:16:20,660 And nothing glowing with bioluminescence. 279 00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:24,660 Before moving on, we set up a motion-activated trail camp 280 00:16:24,660 --> 00:16:26,660 at the entrance to this cenote, 281 00:16:26,660 --> 00:16:29,660 hoping we get a shot of the mystery lights people have seen here. 282 00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:35,660 Luis told us the second cenote 283 00:16:35,660 --> 00:16:39,660 where unusual activity has been reported is a half-mile from here. 284 00:16:39,660 --> 00:16:42,660 The sun is setting, so we need to find this hidden cenote 285 00:16:42,660 --> 00:16:45,660 before it's too dark and too dangerous to investigate. 286 00:16:47,660 --> 00:16:48,660 Wow. 287 00:16:49,660 --> 00:16:51,660 Look at that thing. 288 00:16:53,660 --> 00:16:55,660 Let's go see what's down there. 289 00:16:55,660 --> 00:16:57,660 Let's get in that thing. 290 00:16:57,660 --> 00:16:58,660 Yeah. 291 00:16:58,660 --> 00:17:01,660 This is the area where a worker says he saw strange creatures 292 00:17:01,660 --> 00:17:03,660 and he saw strange shadows. 293 00:17:03,660 --> 00:17:07,660 In the Yucatan Peninsula, there are roughly 1,800 jaguars, 294 00:17:07,660 --> 00:17:09,660 about 10% of which appear black, 295 00:17:09,660 --> 00:17:12,660 thanks to a genetic mutation called melanism. 296 00:17:12,660 --> 00:17:15,660 Jaguars are stealthy nocturnal hunters, 297 00:17:15,660 --> 00:17:17,660 and seeing a rare melanistic specimen 298 00:17:17,660 --> 00:17:20,660 could easily be misinterpreted as a shadow. 299 00:17:20,660 --> 00:17:21,660 Ooh. 300 00:17:21,660 --> 00:17:22,660 You all right? 301 00:17:22,660 --> 00:17:23,660 Yeah. 302 00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:25,660 It's kind of spongy. 303 00:17:26,660 --> 00:17:27,660 Ooh. 304 00:17:31,660 --> 00:17:32,660 Wow. 305 00:17:32,660 --> 00:17:33,660 Jessica goes back here. 306 00:17:33,660 --> 00:17:35,660 Yeah, is it safe to walk over there? 307 00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:37,660 Not to find out. 308 00:17:37,660 --> 00:17:39,660 Oh, man. 309 00:17:39,660 --> 00:17:42,660 I'm not seeing any evidence of a jaguar dead. 310 00:17:44,660 --> 00:17:45,660 Whoa. 311 00:17:45,660 --> 00:17:46,660 Check this out, Jess. 312 00:17:46,660 --> 00:17:47,660 Huh, what'd you got? 313 00:17:47,660 --> 00:17:48,660 So... 314 00:17:48,660 --> 00:17:49,660 Oh! 315 00:17:49,660 --> 00:17:50,660 Look at that. 316 00:17:50,660 --> 00:17:51,660 It's just stepped on it. 317 00:17:51,660 --> 00:17:52,660 It looks like metal. 318 00:17:52,660 --> 00:17:53,660 Yeah, yeah, it does. 319 00:17:53,660 --> 00:17:55,660 Like part of a tool. 320 00:17:55,660 --> 00:17:56,660 Kind of. 321 00:17:56,660 --> 00:17:58,660 Looks like there's a few pieces here. 322 00:17:58,660 --> 00:17:59,660 Don't tell it, you know. 323 00:17:59,660 --> 00:18:01,660 Like, you just dust it off, but take a picture of it. 324 00:18:01,660 --> 00:18:03,660 Remember, we don't want to disturb anything down here. 325 00:18:03,660 --> 00:18:04,660 Yeah. 326 00:18:04,660 --> 00:18:05,660 Yeah. 327 00:18:05,660 --> 00:18:07,660 How long does that completely dry? 328 00:18:07,660 --> 00:18:08,660 Yeah. 329 00:18:10,660 --> 00:18:11,660 Oh. 330 00:18:11,660 --> 00:18:13,660 A lot of things stinging me right now. 331 00:18:13,660 --> 00:18:14,660 Ow. 332 00:18:14,660 --> 00:18:15,660 Yeah. 333 00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:16,660 I'm getting bit, too. 334 00:18:17,660 --> 00:18:19,660 A ton of wasp nests. 335 00:18:19,660 --> 00:18:20,660 Oh. 336 00:18:23,660 --> 00:18:24,660 Oh, f***. 337 00:18:24,660 --> 00:18:25,660 F***. 338 00:18:25,660 --> 00:18:26,660 Whoa. 339 00:18:26,660 --> 00:18:27,660 Ow. 340 00:18:27,660 --> 00:18:28,660 I'm getting so bit. 341 00:18:28,660 --> 00:18:29,660 F***. 342 00:18:29,660 --> 00:18:30,660 Ants catch you, too? 343 00:18:30,660 --> 00:18:31,660 Yeah. 344 00:18:31,660 --> 00:18:32,660 Oh, f***. 345 00:18:32,660 --> 00:18:33,660 They're all over. 346 00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:35,660 I see what... 347 00:18:35,660 --> 00:18:36,660 Yeah, let's go. 348 00:18:36,660 --> 00:18:37,660 Let's go. 349 00:18:37,660 --> 00:18:38,660 Let's get out of here. 350 00:18:38,660 --> 00:18:39,660 Yep. 351 00:18:41,660 --> 00:18:43,660 We head out at first light to look for more clues, 352 00:18:43,660 --> 00:18:45,660 making our way to the third cenote, 353 00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:48,660 the one where Louise reported hearing phantom voices. 354 00:18:49,660 --> 00:18:52,660 We're told the sinkhole is so deep and dangerous, 355 00:18:52,660 --> 00:18:54,660 it's completely off limits to visitors. 356 00:18:54,660 --> 00:18:57,660 But we've been given special access to investigate 357 00:18:57,660 --> 00:19:00,660 what could be behind the unexplained sounds. 358 00:19:02,660 --> 00:19:03,660 Hey, Eduardo. 359 00:19:03,660 --> 00:19:04,660 Good to see you. 360 00:19:04,660 --> 00:19:05,660 You're welcome. 361 00:19:05,660 --> 00:19:07,660 To help us with this mission is Eduardo Castillo, 362 00:19:07,660 --> 00:19:11,660 a cave dive master and member of the Mexican Government Task Force 363 00:19:11,660 --> 00:19:14,660 that explores newly discovered cenotes in the Yucatan. 364 00:19:14,660 --> 00:19:17,660 Ten years ago, he and his team were the first ever to dive here, 365 00:19:17,660 --> 00:19:20,660 but only mapped a fraction of this massive cavern. 366 00:19:20,660 --> 00:19:25,660 We'll be the first to return and the very first TV camera crew allowed inside. 367 00:19:25,660 --> 00:19:28,660 Our plan is to explore much more of the site. 368 00:19:28,660 --> 00:19:29,660 So what's the game plan, I guess? 369 00:19:29,660 --> 00:19:30,660 How are we getting in there? 370 00:19:30,660 --> 00:19:32,660 We're gonna down by the rappel. 371 00:19:32,660 --> 00:19:36,660 We're gonna put the harness, and we're gonna down low and low. 372 00:19:38,660 --> 00:19:39,660 Wow, these birds are a lot... 373 00:19:39,660 --> 00:19:40,660 Oh, wasp. 374 00:19:40,660 --> 00:19:42,660 You know what is great right now? 375 00:19:42,660 --> 00:19:46,660 We have this fleet of swallows protecting us from all the wasps. 376 00:19:46,660 --> 00:19:48,660 Thank you, guys. 377 00:19:48,660 --> 00:19:51,660 And those birds, it's possible their sounds could be mistaken 378 00:19:51,660 --> 00:19:54,660 for the human voices people here in the cenotes. 379 00:19:54,660 --> 00:19:55,660 That goes pretty deep. 380 00:19:55,660 --> 00:19:58,660 Look at this, there's beams here, too. 381 00:19:58,660 --> 00:19:59,660 And an old ladder. 382 00:20:01,660 --> 00:20:05,660 I mean, this looks like something from Indiana Jones. 383 00:20:05,660 --> 00:20:06,660 Oh, yeah. 384 00:20:06,660 --> 00:20:10,660 I wonder if this makeshift ladder means that there's been unauthorized access. 385 00:20:10,660 --> 00:20:13,660 Maybe even looters looking for a score. 386 00:20:13,660 --> 00:20:16,660 All right, Jess, head down. 387 00:20:16,660 --> 00:20:17,660 Okay. 388 00:20:17,660 --> 00:20:18,660 Don't sound too excited. 389 00:20:18,660 --> 00:20:20,660 You gotta do this next. 390 00:20:24,660 --> 00:20:26,660 Wow, look at Steve down here. 391 00:20:31,660 --> 00:20:33,660 Jess is coming down right now. 392 00:20:35,660 --> 00:20:36,660 Oh, my God. 393 00:20:36,660 --> 00:20:37,660 This is great. 394 00:20:37,660 --> 00:20:38,660 I'm gonna go down. 395 00:20:38,660 --> 00:20:39,660 I'm gonna go down. 396 00:20:39,660 --> 00:20:40,660 I'm gonna go down. 397 00:20:40,660 --> 00:20:41,660 I'm gonna go down. 398 00:20:41,660 --> 00:20:42,660 Oh, my God. 399 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:43,660 This is crazy. 400 00:20:50,660 --> 00:20:51,660 Okay, I'm down. 401 00:20:51,660 --> 00:20:52,660 I'm alive. 402 00:20:54,660 --> 00:20:59,660 Jess will remain topside, recording audio trying to catch the so-called phantom voices 403 00:20:59,660 --> 00:21:01,660 that people claim they've heard here. 404 00:21:01,660 --> 00:21:03,660 Okay, everybody's set? 405 00:21:03,660 --> 00:21:05,660 All right, let's do this. 406 00:21:06,660 --> 00:21:12,660 I'll explore under the water, looking for any animals or perhaps the recent remains of an animal 407 00:21:12,660 --> 00:21:15,660 that could have made the sounds people think are disembodied voices. 408 00:21:15,660 --> 00:21:20,660 Maybe it was the cave swallows we saw earlier, but I have to investigate all possibilities. 409 00:21:22,660 --> 00:21:23,660 Hola. 410 00:21:28,660 --> 00:21:32,660 Is there anyone here or around the cenote that would like to talk with us? 411 00:21:35,660 --> 00:21:42,660 This view is unreal. 412 00:21:46,660 --> 00:21:49,660 The geological formations are incredible. 413 00:21:51,660 --> 00:21:54,660 There are some really big stalactites. 414 00:21:56,660 --> 00:21:59,660 It's like another world down here. 415 00:21:59,660 --> 00:22:01,660 It's like another world down here. 416 00:22:09,660 --> 00:22:12,660 Have people come in here without getting permission? 417 00:22:14,660 --> 00:22:15,660 Did that anger you? 418 00:22:18,660 --> 00:22:21,660 Has anyone disturbed your sacred artifacts? 419 00:22:23,660 --> 00:22:25,660 Jess, I think I got something down here. 420 00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:31,660 Bill, what'd you find? 421 00:22:32,660 --> 00:22:34,660 We got some boons down here. 422 00:22:43,660 --> 00:22:45,660 We got some boons down here. 423 00:22:46,660 --> 00:22:48,660 What kind of boons are they? 424 00:22:49,660 --> 00:22:52,660 Possibly human, but more likely animal. 425 00:22:53,660 --> 00:22:56,660 Looks like they've been here for a very, very long time. 426 00:22:56,660 --> 00:22:58,660 Could be ancient, the way they're discolored. 427 00:22:59,660 --> 00:23:03,660 If it's from a sacrifice, that could explain why Louise heard voices of spirits. 428 00:23:04,660 --> 00:23:08,660 The collagen and minerals and bones can keep them relatively intact for hundreds, 429 00:23:08,660 --> 00:23:13,660 even thousands of years in fresh water, depending on its temperature and pH level. 430 00:23:14,660 --> 00:23:20,660 As much as I'd like to further study these remains, we are not permitted to remove anything from the cenotes. 431 00:23:21,660 --> 00:23:24,660 Alright Jess, we're getting low on air. We're coming up. 432 00:23:24,660 --> 00:23:26,660 Okay, come on up. 433 00:23:33,660 --> 00:23:35,660 Pop off your helmet, tell me what happens. 434 00:23:35,660 --> 00:23:37,660 There's part of this that just goes deep. 435 00:23:38,660 --> 00:23:44,660 It just kept on going, darker and darker, but when the rays of sun were coming through, it looked like we were in heaven. 436 00:23:45,660 --> 00:23:47,660 Really? Super cool. 437 00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:50,660 Alright. Let's get out of here, up into that really hot Mexican sun. 438 00:23:55,660 --> 00:24:00,660 We've now investigated three very different cenotes and discovered some curious clues inside them. 439 00:24:00,660 --> 00:24:05,660 But I'm not sure if the metal pieces and bones are in any way linked to the reports of supernatural activity. 440 00:24:05,660 --> 00:24:09,660 So we've sent our photos to Josh to see if he can help us find answers. 441 00:24:13,660 --> 00:24:15,660 Hey guys. Hey Josh. 442 00:24:15,660 --> 00:24:18,660 How are things in the Yucatan? See or hear any angry spirits yet? 443 00:24:19,660 --> 00:24:21,660 Not yet, but I feel like we're getting close. 444 00:24:21,660 --> 00:24:30,660 I still think there are natural explanations for what's going on and I'll keep pursuing that, but in the meantime, did you get a chance to look at those images we sent to the bones and metal? 445 00:24:30,660 --> 00:24:39,660 I'm opening those now. Okay, little hard to tell what the bone is from. They look old, but well preserved. 446 00:24:39,660 --> 00:24:44,660 Phil, what are you thinking? Human or animal? Do you think this was part of a Maya ritual or sacrifice? 447 00:24:44,660 --> 00:24:50,660 I'd say the bones are probably animal, but obviously we couldn't remove anything from the cenote for analysis. 448 00:24:50,660 --> 00:24:56,660 And what about these metal pieces? They look old, but I wouldn't say they look ancient. 449 00:24:56,660 --> 00:25:03,660 This metal looked like it was part of a tool. Definitely not Maya history, but what history it is, I'm not sure. 450 00:25:03,660 --> 00:25:05,660 I wonder if it was something dropped by a looter. 451 00:25:05,660 --> 00:25:13,660 It might be helpful to get an archaeologist take on all of this, not just an expert on the Maya, but someone who really knows the whole history of this region. 452 00:25:13,660 --> 00:25:19,660 I have some really good contacts down there. I have someone in mind who might be able to help you connect the dots. 453 00:25:19,660 --> 00:25:24,660 Let me make a call. That would be fantastic. All right, see you guys. Bye, Josh. 454 00:25:27,660 --> 00:25:36,660 I'm connecting Phil and Jess with Arturo Perez, a local archaeologist who's been researching the cultures of the Yucatan Peninsula for over a decade. 455 00:25:36,660 --> 00:25:42,660 Hello, how are you? Arturo. Nice to meet you. I'm Phil. Jessica. Nice to meet you. 456 00:25:42,660 --> 00:25:46,660 Nice to meet you. So we have a photo we'd like to show you. 457 00:25:46,660 --> 00:25:48,660 Sure. 458 00:25:48,660 --> 00:25:57,660 The first thing we show Arturo is an image of a bone I spotted during the cenote dive. Jess wants to know if this means there were sacrifices in that cenote. 459 00:25:57,660 --> 00:25:58,660 I don't think so. 460 00:25:58,660 --> 00:26:07,660 We don't know for sure. Since you were the first scientist to explore some parts of the cenote, we have a lot of work to do to better understand the site. 461 00:26:07,660 --> 00:26:14,660 Next we show Arturo photos of the metal we found in the dry cenote and ask if it could be Maya. 462 00:26:14,660 --> 00:26:21,660 No, it's not Maya. These are pieces of metal. The Maya did not use metal like this. 463 00:26:21,660 --> 00:26:29,660 This looks like metal used in equipment for farming and transport of hennican crops about 120 years ago. 464 00:26:29,660 --> 00:26:43,660 Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Yucatan becomes the center of a major business boom, growing and harvesting a fibrous native plant called hennequin that's used to make ropes, bags and shoes. 465 00:26:43,660 --> 00:26:50,660 To keep up with demand, hennequin plantations or haciendas spread across the region. 466 00:26:50,660 --> 00:27:06,660 But this boom also has a dark side. Wealthy hacienda owners force the local Maya into indentured servitude and their sacred cenotes are depleted for irrigation water and used as dumps, causing some of them to completely dry up. 467 00:27:09,660 --> 00:27:16,660 There was very bad exploitation and a lot of suffering for the Maya community that was forced to work at the hennequin haciendas. 468 00:27:17,660 --> 00:27:23,660 He just said it was really, really bad the way that people were exploited here. 469 00:27:23,660 --> 00:27:28,660 Well, hearing that now makes me wonder if we should be looking into the hacienda. 470 00:27:30,660 --> 00:27:36,660 The cenotes we've been investigating surround one of the former hennequin plantations, hacienda campepin. 471 00:27:37,660 --> 00:27:43,660 Our focus has been on the cenotes, but I wonder if spirits linger in the hacienda too, angered over the mistreatment of the Maya. 472 00:27:43,660 --> 00:27:56,660 The spirits' presence could explain the strange lights, shadows and other unusual phenomena that witnesses have said often occur in this area after dark. 473 00:28:07,660 --> 00:28:11,920 The 474 00:28:14,660 --> 00:28:15,660 All right. 475 00:28:18,660 --> 00:28:19,660 Whew. Very creepy. 476 00:28:20,660 --> 00:28:21,660 Yeah, you can say that. 477 00:28:24,660 --> 00:28:26,660 This place is falling apart. 478 00:28:26,660 --> 00:28:27,660 ... 479 00:28:27,660 --> 00:28:28,660 ... 480 00:28:28,660 --> 00:28:29,660 ... 481 00:28:29,660 --> 00:28:30,660 ... 482 00:28:30,660 --> 00:28:31,660 ... 483 00:28:31,660 --> 00:28:32,660 ... 484 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:33,660 ... 485 00:28:33,660 --> 00:28:34,660 ... 486 00:28:34,660 --> 00:28:35,660 ... 487 00:28:35,660 --> 00:28:36,660 Whoa! 488 00:28:36,660 --> 00:28:37,660 What is this? 489 00:28:37,660 --> 00:28:38,660 Look! 490 00:28:38,660 --> 00:28:39,660 Oh! 491 00:28:39,660 --> 00:28:40,660 You know what? 492 00:28:40,660 --> 00:28:41,660 I'll take this as the etiquette. 493 00:28:41,660 --> 00:28:44,660 Oh, and they would drag it through here to kind of untangle it, weave it? 494 00:28:44,660 --> 00:28:46,660 I wonder if this is how they would weave it. 495 00:28:46,660 --> 00:28:48,660 Slave's probably used this very tool. 496 00:28:48,660 --> 00:28:49,660 Mm-hmm. 497 00:28:49,660 --> 00:28:50,660 Yeah. 498 00:28:50,660 --> 00:28:51,660 ... 499 00:28:51,660 --> 00:28:52,660 ... 500 00:28:52,660 --> 00:28:53,660 ... 501 00:28:53,660 --> 00:28:54,660 ... 502 00:28:54,660 --> 00:28:56,660 Did you hear that? 503 00:29:00,660 --> 00:29:01,660 Hello? 504 00:29:07,660 --> 00:29:09,660 Oh, f***! 505 00:29:10,660 --> 00:29:11,660 Something just hit my back. 506 00:29:11,660 --> 00:29:13,660 What? Hit you? 507 00:29:13,660 --> 00:29:15,660 Yeah, something just hit my back. 508 00:29:15,660 --> 00:29:17,660 This thing just fell. 509 00:29:17,660 --> 00:29:18,660 What? 510 00:29:18,660 --> 00:29:20,660 That just fell. 511 00:29:20,660 --> 00:29:22,660 I heard something rock fall. 512 00:29:22,660 --> 00:29:25,660 Fall from here, and then land to there. 513 00:29:25,660 --> 00:29:27,660 You didn't see anything? 514 00:29:27,660 --> 00:29:28,660 Nothing. 515 00:29:28,660 --> 00:29:30,660 That is so weird. 516 00:29:32,660 --> 00:29:38,660 This old structure doesn't exactly look up to code, so it could literally be crumbling around us. 517 00:29:39,660 --> 00:29:46,660 Louise, the property manager, told us that he too has experienced stones thrown at him while walking along trails in this vicinity. 518 00:29:46,660 --> 00:29:48,660 ... 519 00:29:51,660 --> 00:29:52,660 Ooh, look right here. 520 00:29:52,660 --> 00:29:53,660 What? 521 00:29:53,660 --> 00:29:54,660 There's a well. 522 00:29:54,660 --> 00:29:56,660 Does that lead down to a cenote? 523 00:29:57,660 --> 00:29:59,660 It's got water. 524 00:29:59,660 --> 00:30:01,660 That's wild. 525 00:30:02,660 --> 00:30:07,660 This is the only source of water for this entire, like, building part of the asian village, this well. 526 00:30:07,660 --> 00:30:10,660 So this is probably part of a cenote, then? 527 00:30:10,660 --> 00:30:11,660 Easily. 528 00:30:11,660 --> 00:30:13,660 I bet you underneath a lot of this. 529 00:30:13,660 --> 00:30:14,660 Oh, f***, what? 530 00:30:14,660 --> 00:30:16,660 There's something in the well! 531 00:30:22,660 --> 00:30:27,660 This is the only source of water for this entire, like, building part of the asian village, this well. 532 00:30:27,660 --> 00:30:30,660 So this is probably part of a cenote, then? 533 00:30:30,660 --> 00:30:31,660 Easily. 534 00:30:31,660 --> 00:30:33,660 I bet you underneath a lot of this. 535 00:30:33,660 --> 00:30:35,660 Oh, f***, what? 536 00:30:35,660 --> 00:30:37,660 There's something in the well! 537 00:30:39,660 --> 00:30:40,660 What do you mean? 538 00:30:40,660 --> 00:30:42,660 No, there is something in the well! 539 00:30:42,660 --> 00:30:43,660 Like a fish? 540 00:30:43,660 --> 00:30:44,660 No! 541 00:30:44,660 --> 00:30:45,660 I just saw a bat. 542 00:30:45,660 --> 00:30:47,660 Yes, a bat just flew by. 543 00:30:47,660 --> 00:30:49,660 Oh, yeah, there's the bat. 544 00:30:49,660 --> 00:30:51,660 Alright, let me get in here. 545 00:30:56,660 --> 00:30:59,660 Listen, boils down to, I did not know this well was here. 546 00:31:01,660 --> 00:31:03,660 Do I know who's that you? 547 00:31:03,660 --> 00:31:04,660 Oh, he's right here. 548 00:31:04,660 --> 00:31:05,660 Oh! What? 549 00:31:05,660 --> 00:31:06,660 F***, yes. 550 00:31:06,660 --> 00:31:08,660 There's something in the well! 551 00:31:08,660 --> 00:31:10,660 What is happening here? 552 00:31:10,660 --> 00:31:11,660 Something just touched me again! 553 00:31:11,660 --> 00:31:13,660 What is happening with you guys? 554 00:31:13,660 --> 00:31:14,660 Oh my God! 555 00:31:14,660 --> 00:31:15,660 Are you going insane? 556 00:31:15,660 --> 00:31:16,660 No! 557 00:31:17,660 --> 00:31:18,660 Are you okay? 558 00:31:18,660 --> 00:31:19,660 No, I don't think so. 559 00:31:19,660 --> 00:31:20,660 Is there anything on my back? 560 00:31:21,660 --> 00:31:22,660 No. 561 00:31:23,660 --> 00:31:24,660 Okay. 562 00:31:33,660 --> 00:31:35,660 Jess, check this out. 563 00:31:35,660 --> 00:31:36,660 Dry pit. 564 00:31:36,660 --> 00:31:37,660 Holy crap. 565 00:31:37,660 --> 00:31:40,660 I think it's just a matter of time before this sinks. 566 00:31:40,660 --> 00:31:41,660 All of it sinks in. 567 00:31:41,660 --> 00:31:44,660 This place hasn't been in operation for years. 568 00:31:44,660 --> 00:31:47,660 But the sunken earth and the water inside the well 569 00:31:47,660 --> 00:31:51,660 suggest that this hacienda might have been built on top of a cenote. 570 00:31:51,660 --> 00:31:54,660 That kind of reckless desecration of the sacred soil here 571 00:31:54,660 --> 00:31:59,660 could explain all the supernatural disturbances people have reported in this area. 572 00:32:05,660 --> 00:32:06,660 Who's out there? 573 00:32:07,660 --> 00:32:08,660 Jess. 574 00:32:08,660 --> 00:32:09,660 Oh my God! 575 00:32:09,660 --> 00:32:10,660 Really? 576 00:32:10,660 --> 00:32:11,660 What is with you? 577 00:32:11,660 --> 00:32:12,660 Somebody just walked by here! 578 00:32:12,660 --> 00:32:14,660 Brian, I thought it was you again! 579 00:32:14,660 --> 00:32:15,660 What the f***? 580 00:32:16,660 --> 00:32:17,660 What are you seeing? 581 00:32:18,660 --> 00:32:19,660 Did you just walk around here? 582 00:32:19,660 --> 00:32:21,660 No, I've been right there shooting at him. 583 00:32:22,660 --> 00:32:26,660 I just saw you walk past here. 584 00:32:26,660 --> 00:32:27,660 You saw something walk this way? 585 00:32:27,660 --> 00:32:30,660 I saw Brian walk past here. 586 00:32:30,660 --> 00:32:34,660 So Jess, you're seeing a lot of things right now. 587 00:32:34,660 --> 00:32:36,660 That's a lot of things. 588 00:32:36,660 --> 00:32:37,660 That is a... 589 00:32:37,660 --> 00:32:40,660 I saw Brian walk by. 590 00:32:40,660 --> 00:32:41,660 What do you mean by Brian? 591 00:32:41,660 --> 00:32:44,660 Like, did you literally see him with the gear or someone wearing black? 592 00:32:44,660 --> 00:32:48,660 I saw him with his hat wearing black, same size, same stride, 593 00:32:48,660 --> 00:32:52,660 walking past us outside. 594 00:32:52,660 --> 00:32:54,660 Is that just your imagination? 595 00:32:55,660 --> 00:32:56,660 I don't know. 596 00:32:56,660 --> 00:32:57,660 I don't know. 597 00:32:59,660 --> 00:33:01,660 I just saw something moving back there. 598 00:33:01,660 --> 00:33:03,660 Again, someone in white moving back there. 599 00:33:03,660 --> 00:33:05,660 Oh, I'm sorry Phil. 600 00:33:05,660 --> 00:33:08,660 Yes, maybe it's just your imagination. 601 00:33:08,660 --> 00:33:10,660 It probably is. 602 00:33:10,660 --> 00:33:12,660 That's the thing about this place. 603 00:33:12,660 --> 00:33:16,660 I've seen things too, out of the corner of my eye, that look like a figure. 604 00:33:16,660 --> 00:33:20,660 But I still just think the brain will put patterns where it wants to put patterns. 605 00:33:20,660 --> 00:33:23,660 Why would I pattern Brian walking? 606 00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:25,660 Because it's something familiar. 607 00:33:25,660 --> 00:33:31,660 If you see something dark standing there or a shadow, your brain can fill in the blanks. 608 00:33:31,660 --> 00:33:33,660 What hit me in the back then? 609 00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:34,660 No idea. 610 00:33:34,660 --> 00:33:37,660 But I do want to try to check everything off the list. 611 00:33:37,660 --> 00:33:40,660 And one of those things for me, especially in a place like this, 612 00:33:40,660 --> 00:33:43,660 is going to be, well, wildlife's living around here. 613 00:33:43,660 --> 00:33:47,660 What other factors in the surrounding grounds could be contributing to us seeing something? 614 00:33:47,660 --> 00:33:48,660 I don't know. 615 00:33:48,660 --> 00:33:53,660 So that's why I want to just be able to eliminate whatever factors we can. 616 00:33:53,660 --> 00:33:55,660 I'm going to venture out and do a sweep of the area. 617 00:33:55,660 --> 00:33:59,660 There are a lot of nocturnal animals out here that can startle at night, 618 00:33:59,660 --> 00:34:04,660 including both spotted and black jaguars, and about 50 species of bats. 619 00:34:06,660 --> 00:34:10,660 Right now, the biggest thing I'm looking for is eye shine. 620 00:34:10,660 --> 00:34:15,660 Pretty much any mammal that's active at night, especially in an environment like this, 621 00:34:15,660 --> 00:34:20,660 it's going to have a really good night vision, meaning they're going to have really bright open eyes. 622 00:34:20,660 --> 00:34:25,660 And if you shine a light right at them, it's going to bounce right back at you. 623 00:34:30,660 --> 00:34:33,660 While Phil patrols the perimeter, I stay back with Brian. 624 00:34:33,660 --> 00:34:37,660 We'll attempt to draw out and capture evidence of whatever was trying to get my attention. 625 00:34:37,660 --> 00:34:41,660 Maybe it's somehow connected to the apparitions people see around the property. 626 00:34:41,660 --> 00:34:47,660 I break out the audio recorder, as well as our structured light sensor, or SLS camera. 627 00:34:47,660 --> 00:34:51,660 This unique piece of tech uses special software and an infrared light projector 628 00:34:51,660 --> 00:34:55,660 to detect paranormal entities by recognizing a body's joint movements. 629 00:34:55,660 --> 00:35:00,660 If a spirit appears in front of the SLS, it'll show up as a stick figure. 630 00:35:01,660 --> 00:35:05,660 Hi, my name's Jessica. What's your name? 631 00:35:09,660 --> 00:35:12,660 Did you live here at the Hacienda? 632 00:35:12,660 --> 00:35:25,660 I see a little person back to you. Thank God. 633 00:35:32,660 --> 00:35:37,660 Jess might not be the only one who believes stealing artifacts can attract bad energy. 634 00:35:37,660 --> 00:35:43,660 In 2015, an anonymous person returned a pair of 2,000-year-old slingshot stones, 635 00:35:43,660 --> 00:35:47,660 snatched 20 years prior from the historic site of Gamla. 636 00:35:47,660 --> 00:35:51,660 Israeli authorities also found a note from the remorseful robber that read, 637 00:35:51,660 --> 00:35:56,660 quote, they have caused me nothing but trouble, please do not steal antiquities. 638 00:35:56,660 --> 00:36:02,660 And in 2020, a Canadian tourist made headlines after returning artifacts she swiped 639 00:36:02,660 --> 00:36:05,660 while visiting the ruins of Pompeii in Italy, 640 00:36:05,660 --> 00:36:10,660 asking for, quote, forgiveness from the gods, claiming that the illicit souvenirs 641 00:36:10,660 --> 00:36:13,660 brought about health issues and financial problems. 642 00:36:13,660 --> 00:36:18,660 Though relieved, Italian officials weren't exactly surprised to see the items sent back. 643 00:36:18,660 --> 00:36:23,660 That's because there's an entire museum at Pompeii dedicated to a growing collection 644 00:36:23,660 --> 00:36:25,660 of once-stolen artifacts. 645 00:36:25,660 --> 00:36:28,660 Note to self, return that creepy golden idol. 646 00:36:35,660 --> 00:36:37,660 A little person next to you. 647 00:36:40,660 --> 00:36:42,660 Slightly behind me. 648 00:36:42,660 --> 00:36:44,660 Slightly. Ah, yeah, kneeling. 649 00:36:44,660 --> 00:36:45,660 Yup. 650 00:36:47,660 --> 00:36:49,660 About the same height? 651 00:36:49,660 --> 00:36:51,660 No, but smaller. 652 00:36:51,660 --> 00:36:52,660 Smaller? 653 00:36:52,660 --> 00:36:53,660 Very small. 654 00:36:56,660 --> 00:36:58,660 Are you a child? 655 00:37:05,660 --> 00:37:08,660 As I get deeper into the woods, I break out the thermal camera. 656 00:37:08,660 --> 00:37:13,660 Detecting heat signatures is the best way to see any wildlife in the dark. 657 00:37:14,660 --> 00:37:17,660 A lot of bats are flying around us right now. 658 00:37:18,660 --> 00:37:20,660 Oh, one just flew right over there. 659 00:37:20,660 --> 00:37:22,660 Oh, yeah, look at that. 660 00:37:25,660 --> 00:37:27,660 Yeah, it tries to, oh, yeah, look at those bats. 661 00:37:27,660 --> 00:37:29,660 Look at all those guys flying. 662 00:37:30,660 --> 00:37:32,660 Tons of them. 663 00:37:36,660 --> 00:37:38,660 Getting something pretty warm over here. 664 00:37:39,660 --> 00:37:41,660 What is it? 665 00:37:43,660 --> 00:37:44,660 Check this out. 666 00:37:44,660 --> 00:37:46,660 Right back there, right back there. 667 00:37:52,660 --> 00:37:57,660 And this is also the ground that there could easily be holes leading into a snow day. 668 00:37:58,660 --> 00:38:00,660 But it's a really warm spot. 669 00:38:01,660 --> 00:38:05,660 What's crazy is I've also seen a lot of bats flying around it. 670 00:38:06,660 --> 00:38:09,660 Just like bats are flying around us right now. 671 00:38:09,660 --> 00:38:14,660 So there's a good chance that there's a bigger mammal back there. 672 00:38:14,660 --> 00:38:21,660 And the bats know that that mammal's attracting mosquitoes, so they're flying in to eat it. 673 00:38:21,660 --> 00:38:24,660 I just can't tell what it is. I'm not getting any eyeshine. 674 00:38:26,660 --> 00:38:29,660 Have to be careful in case it's a jaguar. 675 00:38:31,660 --> 00:38:34,660 Is that you following us around the Hacienda? 676 00:38:43,660 --> 00:38:44,660 Did you... 677 00:38:44,660 --> 00:38:46,660 It's reaching up to you. 678 00:38:47,660 --> 00:38:49,660 Did you used to work at the Hacienda? 679 00:38:54,660 --> 00:38:56,660 What's your name? 680 00:39:01,660 --> 00:39:05,660 It just...it like... shrunk up and like went into your chest. 681 00:39:06,660 --> 00:39:07,660 That's weird. 682 00:39:07,660 --> 00:39:09,660 I know. It's gone. 683 00:39:10,660 --> 00:39:12,660 Did you want to speak to us anymore? 684 00:39:12,660 --> 00:39:19,660 For over three millennia, the sacred cenotes of southern Mexico have been said to harbor supernatural forces. 685 00:39:19,660 --> 00:39:25,660 My team set out to investigate what's behind the increasing reports of unexplained activity. 686 00:39:25,660 --> 00:39:32,660 Jess analyzed more than 20,000 of the most recent and most recent events in the world. 687 00:39:32,660 --> 00:39:36,660 And she also analyzed the most recent events in the world. 688 00:39:36,660 --> 00:39:41,660 And she also analyzed the most recent events behind the increasing reports of unexplained activity. 689 00:39:41,660 --> 00:39:48,660 Jess analyzed more than 25 hours of her audio recordings, which yielded no voices like the ones reported. 690 00:39:48,660 --> 00:39:53,660 But images from the trail cam Phil left out were, in a word, enlightening. 691 00:39:53,660 --> 00:39:59,660 While Phil didn't find bioluminescent fungus in the cenotes, he suspects these fireflies, 692 00:39:59,660 --> 00:40:05,660 combined with the Yucatan's heavy humidity, could have created the ghostly glow people have reported. 693 00:40:07,660 --> 00:40:10,660 So we'll put that explanation in the plausible column. 694 00:40:11,660 --> 00:40:14,660 Jess believes the sudden insect attack... 695 00:40:14,660 --> 00:40:15,660 Ants catch you too? 696 00:40:15,660 --> 00:40:16,660 Yep! Oh, f***! 697 00:40:16,660 --> 00:40:17,660 They're all over! 698 00:40:18,660 --> 00:40:22,660 ...was a stinging warning from the cenotes spirits when Phil picked up an artifact. 699 00:40:22,660 --> 00:40:23,660 Don't tell it, you know. 700 00:40:23,660 --> 00:40:25,660 We don't want to disturb anything down here. 701 00:40:26,660 --> 00:40:31,660 And when that mystery metal led them to a historic site where the Maya were gravely mistreated... 702 00:40:31,660 --> 00:40:34,660 Slaves probably used this very tool. 703 00:40:35,660 --> 00:40:37,660 Jess knew to pivot their investigation. 704 00:40:41,660 --> 00:40:45,660 Her resulting research turned up a lesser-known part of Maya mythology. 705 00:40:45,660 --> 00:40:47,660 Something called the Alush. 706 00:40:47,660 --> 00:40:52,660 A race of three-foot-high, mischievous beings similar to elves, 707 00:40:52,660 --> 00:40:55,660 tasked with protecting the Yucatan jungle. 708 00:40:55,660 --> 00:40:57,660 The Alush's signature move? 709 00:40:57,660 --> 00:40:59,660 Slinging stones at humans. 710 00:41:00,660 --> 00:41:01,660 F***! Something just hit my back. 711 00:41:01,660 --> 00:41:03,660 So what does it all mean? 712 00:41:03,660 --> 00:41:08,660 Well, whether you're a skeptic or a believer, one big takeaway from all our expeditions 713 00:41:08,660 --> 00:41:13,660 should be the importance of being respectful of local customs, land, and people. 714 00:41:13,660 --> 00:41:17,660 You never know who or what might be looking out for them. 715 00:41:22,660 --> 00:41:29,660 For more information on Expedition X, head to discovery.com.