The Stromatolites are ancient microcosmic gardens. They are incredibly biodiverse communities of photosynthetic microorganisms. The Stromatolites are a living memory of the evolutionary history of plant life. These living fossils can be found growing along the coastlines of Laguna Bacalar. The primary life form constructing the Stromatolites are the Cyanobacteria. These filamentous organisms navigate through the Stromatolite's matrix, collecting sediment in their mucus and forming the stationary structure of the Stromatolite. The Cyanobacteria are the most primitive of photosynthetic life forms. Through microscopic observation, we have witnessed incredibly high levels of biodiversity among the cyanobacteria, algae and diatoms living within the Stromatolites, as well as many other species of microscopic life. This incredibly biodiverse community represents all the microscopic organisms which have evolved in the Laguna since there is a Laguna.

The Stromatolites are essential to the health and unique beauty of Laguna Bacalar. Their home is within some of the most pure and crystalline waters in the world. All artificial chemicals affect the biochemistry of the water. This includes many of the products we use on our bodies. Please avoid using all Sunscreen and Gasoline within the Laguna. To protect the purity of the water is to protect the Stromatolites. To love the earth is to love her waters.

Curious to dive deep into the microbiology of the Stromatolites?

In the beginning, when the first cells formed within the primordial soup of the earth, the Cyanobacteria invented photosynthesis. They were the first organisms to evolve Chlorophyll, the molecular solar panel which initiates photosynthesis, and is found in all plant life. Eventually, the cyanobacteria entered into the membrane of a larger cell, creating the first algae. (Through genetic and biochemical analysis, scientists have discovered that Chloroplast, the photosynthetic organelle of plants, is an absorbed cyanobacteria) The algae then evolved in conjunction with the quartz crystals to create the Diatoms. Diatoms are a form of photosynthetic algae which has a silicone dioxide shell. Silicone Dioxide is the same molecule as quartz or glass, making the diatoms a form of living, mobile, and photosynthetic crystal. The diatoms form in many patterns of sacred and fundamental geometry and they inhabit all waters which are touched by the sun. The biodiversity of cyanobacteria, algae, and diatoms creates a fascinating microscopic landscape within the Stromatolites.

Cenote Azul is home to a form of Stromatolites which does not exist anywhere else in the world, (and they are BLUE!). The Stromatolites of Cenote Azul grow in fascinatingly diverse formations. While they appear to be rock, they are indeed an organic tissue lining the walls for 50 meters or more. Their growth patterns resemble the organic formations of a living creature. Of the cenotes which feed Laguna Bacalar, Cenote Azul is the only which is separated superficially from the Laguna. For this reason, Cenote Azul has experienced an isolated lifespan of evolution. Due to her isolation, Cenote Azul's waters have a higher concentration of deep earth minerals. In this environment, the trees which have fallen into the cenote have fossilized.

When Diving in Cenote Azul please avoid touching the trees and walls. The ROCKS are ALIVE and the TREES are ANCIENT FOSSILS!!! <3