For the second day in a row, Alejandro Lemus set a new fresh-water freediving world record, descending 94 meters into cenote Ucil.
Lemus broke his own record, set the day before, by 12 meters.
Lemus announced that he will now attempt a new free diving record, this time without the use of flippers.
Freediving is considered an extreme sport, given tremendous pressure on the lungs as divers descend. It is not uncommon for freedivers to lose consciousness as they approach the surface of the water. This dangerous phenomenon is known as “shallow-water blackout.”
Despite the risk, the sport has been gaining popularity in the Yucatán peninsula as local and international divers flock to the region’s cenotes to attempt their own personal records. To address this growing demand, freediving schools have begun popping up in Mérida, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen.