Shining a light in the Underworld (Xibalba, as the Mayans call the center of their culture and mythology), these stunning images from diver and award-winning photographer Martin Broen transport us into a place that few cave divers can reach a world accessed from cenotes, water- filled gateways to labyrinths of tunnels that create the longest underwater cave systems on the planet. Over several years and multiple diving expeditions, Broen has captured over 250 different cenotes and caves, diving through mazes of pitch-dark tunnels and bringing photographs from his explorations back to the surface. Paired with images of startling otherworldly beauty, Broen s engaging text guides readers through the depths of the mysterious Yucatan cenotes that have taken millennia to form: from dramatic sinkhole entrances to caverns filled with rainbow-colored stalactites and stalagmites; from the caves formation and spectacular features to the time capsules of ancient fossils; from how cenotes were a source of life for ancient peoples to their critical environmental role today as a life sustaining component for the region. With contributions based on their own experiences in cenotes by National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen, as well as leading underworld photographer and marine ecologist Alex Mustard, this volume beckons divers, cavers, and armchair explorers to explore a uniquely dangerous yet beautiful and essential underwater world.

“Photographer and cave diver extraordinaire Martin Broen’s dramatic photographs whisk the viewer away into a secret underwater world...These works are not just for casual readers—they are for those who seek to expand their horizons, enrich their lives, and connect with the world on a deeper level.” — SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

"A visual masterpiece...Light in the Underworld is a powerful tribute to human curiosity and the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world, hidden in plain sight... more than just a coffee table book, it is a call to action, urging readers to appreciate and protect these fragile ecosystems..." — SEVEN SEAS MEDIA

"…invites readers on an extraordinary journey into the underwater caves and cenotes of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a rarely explored diving destination." — X-RAY MAGAZINE

Martin Broen is an award-winning photographer, technical diver, and cave explorer. Alex Mustard has been one of the world s leading underwater photographers for the last 20 years. He has a PhD in marine ecology and dives and photographs around the world. Paul Nicklen combines a career as an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine and founder of his own conservation society, SeaLegacy. He has garnered more than 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his ?eld, including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year.