Where the water is born

Located on the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula is an inlet the Mayas called Xel-Há, which roughly translates to origin/spring and water. In pre-Columbian times this area was an important port and trading centre for Mayan communities. But today it is a sustainable conservation paradise, as well being a tourist attraction. On land the jungle is home to everything from the tiny Rodriguez’s Anole to the White-nosed Coatimundi. But below the water is an entirely different world. Hundreds of tropical fish call the inlet home like the Atlantic Blue Tang, French Angel Fish, Banded Butterfly Fish, Slippery Dick, French Grunt and the Bermuda Chub, all featured in this painting. As we swam down the inlet towards the Caribbean Sea we also saw countless Parrotfish, huge schools of Sea Mullet, and a massive Great Barracuda. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀