# Swim with Jack Dempseys



## dstuer (Mar 27, 2013)

Just south of Cancun only a short distance off he main highway are cenotes








These cenotes are easy to find, and home to sailfin mollys, catfish, JDs, uros (Mayan cichlids) and more.








Some small, some large, they are set up (although a bit rustic by American standards) for snorkeling, diving, and swimming.








The water is clear, warm and easy to snorkel.
Some have caves and are natural amphitheaters where he sounds of jungle birds echo above as you snorkel below, a fabulous experience for fishkeepers that would like to see their fish in a natural habitat. Below I swam with 8" mollys, 10" JDs and plenty of other fish we keep in our tanks








Although the JDs would try to eat small live bearers, it seems they'd miss 9 out of 10 strikes, and spent more time grazing on algae








Live bearers outnumbered JDs 100 to 1. And catfish hung around the outskirts of JD territory trying to the JD fry








The JDs would watch the mood of the live bearers to determine danger, and fled into crevices at the least sense of it.


----------



## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

I'm frigging jealous if such a opportunity to do this. Very cool. Thank you for sharing


----------



## simon m (Feb 19, 2013)

Would be very cool :thumb:


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Very nice! I will be down there in a month but sadly I won't be able to visit the cenotes. Hopefully, in the future I will be able too! This is my first time down there!


----------



## dstuer (Mar 27, 2013)

Cenote Cristal just outside Tulum is small. filled with Astyanax tetras, live bearers and some large turtles
















Esconido had the same tetras, live bearers and xcichlasoma uropthalmus.
Cristillino is bit larger, and close to Puerto Aventuras with large algae covered boulders, easy access from cement patios lots of JDs, live bearers, and a few large sleeper gobys.


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Wow! Very nice!


----------



## FTChemist (May 5, 2012)

My wife and I went swimming in some cenote this past summer. I'm going to admit I was more into the rock-jumping and swimming than the fish. Best I could see were what appeared to be something like a catfish in the water. Very unscientific, but it seemed they had whiskers. Nice pics!


----------



## dstuer (Mar 27, 2013)

I entered cenote Cristalino in a cave area, and found the catfish seemed to congregate there, where they could easily dash into the darkness.
















There were a few old, large, tattered Jack Dempseys that hung in the entrance to the cave in the semi darkness, but as soon as I broke into sunlight is where is where the dominant vibrant JDs took over. And this brightly lit area appeared to be the most desired.
Constant battles for large females and territory were obvious, and a large pair might have an area the size if a small car all to themselves. 
Many of the battling males, had scarred, and slightly fungus covered mouths from the constant jousting.
















The mollys also stayed in the sun grazing constantly on algae, the smallest near the surface, and largest(nearly the size of adult JDs) most beautiful blue mollys at depths of 15 ft or more.


----------

