Anna von Boetticher: Breathtaking adventures in Mexico's water world!

Anna von Boetticher: Breathtaking adventures in Mexico's water world!

Homún, Mexiko - Anna von Boetticher, the best German free divers, sets new standards with her impressive achievements in the apnea deep diving. With 34 German records and a personal depth of 81 meters, she demonstrated her skills. In addition, she has her breath for a long time: six minutes and more. In the new "Waterwoman" series, she visits water -shaped regions and explores the diverse relationships that people have with nature. The film impressively shows the way of life of the people and the importance of water in different cultures, especially in Mexico.

In Mexico, Anna experiences two adventurous encounters that bring the adrenaline to a boil. First of all, she dives in Banco Chinchorro, a breathtaking part of the country, where large salt water crocodiles live. Located in the south of Mexico on the border to Belize, this place not only has an impressive animal world, but also an incomparable ecosystem. Louis Erenstein, a crocodile expert, leads Anna and other daring to create a direct eye contact with the impressive predators.

cenotes and their threats

Another adventure leads Anna to the cena on the Yucatán peninsula, where she dives with the experienced cave diver Fred Devos. This area contains the world's second largest cave system, which, however, hovers in acute danger. Fred takes Anna with a newly accessible cenote located in a fragile environment. Despite its beauty, nature in Yucatán is strongly endangered by various threats. Construction projects, hotel complexes and the risk of oil and chemical pollution put the sensitive ecosystem in danger.

According to Laura Betancur Alarcón, the situation in the region is "critical". In this context, rethinking in relation to nature could have positive effects. It emphasizes the importance of cultural and political changes at the local level in order to achieve environmental justice. Environmentalists who work for the preservation of these sacred sites are often exposed to violence and threats.

criticism of the overuse of the cenotes

In the vicinity of Homún, critics express concerns about the priorities of the inhabitants who often prefer quickly money to environmental protection. Some tourist facilities are more reminiscent of fun baths, were artificially widened and brightly lit to attract hundreds of guests every day. Anonymous cenotic guids report that visitors often wade with dirty sneakers through the sensitive ecosystem. A critic estimates that the cenotes will be severely damaged in seven years at the latest. In order to reduce the stress, he calls for measures such as the use of dry toilets and stricter legal regulations for operators and tourist leaders.

These challenges underline the urgency of rethinking and protecting nature in Mexico, while Anna von Boetticher makes the beauty and drama of these unique water worlds tangible in her film. It is time to take the environmental protection movement and the people who are committed to taking seriously.

For detailed information about Anna's adventures in Mexico, see rbb-online and read about the current environmental challenges in the region SPIEGEL .