[josh gates] on this episode of expedition x...
I'm just trying to see the road!
[josh] my team heads to the yucatan peninsula
To invesitgate fresh report of paranormal activity.
Oh my gosh, look at this!
[josh] strange voices and shadows..
[whispering]
[josh] a nd bizarre swarms of animals and insects.
-Ants get you too? -Yep.
-Oh [bleep] they got me. -They're all over.
[josh] inside mexico's cenotes.
The legendary portals to th maya underworld.
I mean this looks like something from indiana jones
[josh] and when jess and phil uncov a dark secret
In the decaying ruins of a nearby plantation...
Things take a strange turn.
Somebody just walked by here.
Brian, I thought it was you again.
The brain will put patterns where it wants to put patterns.
Why would I pattern brian?
[josh] leading to one of their mos intense investigations ever
[both exclaiming] [bleep]
What? Jesus, jess.
There's something in the wel
[josh reading]
My name is josh gates.
In my travels, I've experienced strange things that defy log
And made me question everything.
Oh, my god!
Now, I've put together a tea to investigate
The stranger side of the unknown.
Let's go!
[josh] phil torres is a scientist
Who hunts for rational explanations.
Jessica chobot's paranormal research
Has made her a true believer
If you're here with us, knock again.
[josh] together, we're searching for answers.
What is happening here, jess?
[josh] to the world's most extraordinary mysteries.
This is expedition x.
All right contestants, quiz time.
What is 66 million years old, more than 6 miles wide,
And travels 150 times faster than a jet?
-[buzzer sounds] -phil torres.
What is an asteroid?
That is corrrect and bonus points for answering
In the form of a question.
Specificially today, we are talking about the asteroid
That wiped out three quarters of all plants and animal life
On earth, including the dinosaurs.
But as devastating as that event was,
It also created the foundation for something remarkable.
-Mexico's... -...Cenotes!
Cenotes, yes!
That wasn't in the form of a question, though, so.
It's a point deduction there, phil.
I've always wanted to go see these caverns.
I mean, the fact that there are these legendary portals
To the maya underworld, where they would make offerings
And human sacrifices. I am intrigued.
As you should be. They are geologic wonders
And they do have this kind of bloody history in some cases.
They are truly unique, and some say, truly haunted.
Earth, 66 million years ago
The asteroid that slams int what is now
Mexico's yucatan peninsula
Leaves behind a crater 12 miles deep
And 93 miles across.
The impact produces geological conditions
That will eventually scar the landscape
With thousands of deep limestone sinkholes
That filled with water.
Fast forward to 2000 bce,
And the rise of the maya civilization.
They build their settlement around these flooded cavern
Or cenotes, that provide fresh water for drinking
And growing crops.
But there's also a supernatural connection.
The maya believe the cenote are sacred portals
To the underworld.
To gain favour with their go they cast precious offering
Into the caverns.
Things like jade, gold, and ceramics.
And when the maya really nee their gods to come through
For them, let there be blood
Of the animal and human variety.
Speaking of blood, the spanish spilled plenty
During their conquest of th region in the 1500s.
The maya, already in decline are relegated to the fringe
Of society.
For the maya living in the yucatan today
The cenotes and the artifact they hide are still sacred.
But looting in the area has become a major problem.
It's estimated that the illegal smuggling of
Ancient maya artifacts generates revenues
In the millions of dollars.
And some believe this increase in criminal activit
Is somehow disrupting the maya spirit world,
Triggering an escalation in paranormal activity.
In the northern part of the peninsula
Stand the crumbling ruins o a former farming plantation
Or hacienda.
Surrounded by several cenote that are believed
To be haunted.
Vistors to this swath of jungle report strange shadow
And lights, apparitions,
And even aggressive animal behaviour
In and around the cenotes.
And the spike in activity is terrifying the locals.
So what could be causing these bizarre reports?
And why are they happening at these specific cenotes?
All right, who's ready to dive in?
Listen, you had me at giant asteroid impact.
I mean, for me this case has it all. Ghosts, spirits,
Ritual sacrifices.
Josh, you've actually explored some of these cenotes before?
I have. I've dived in many cenotes, I've even seen
Human remains.
It really is another world down there.
They can be really creepy places.
Now, I've not been to these cenotes where these
Paranormal reports are coming from.
Jess, you buy into this, what do you make of it?
Seems to me that looting secret artifacts
Is a great way to make spirits angry.
Phil?
I don't know about angry spirits but the yucatan
Is home to a lot of unique wildlife.
There are monkeys, there's big cats like jaguars,
Any of which could be behind these strange noises
And shadows that people are reporting.
And also, you don't wanna make them angry either.
So, I want you to get yourselves down to mexico.
Go meet these locals, find out what it is that they're seeing
And maybe more importantly why they think this supposed
Paranormal activity is happening around these cenotes
Jess, see if you can make the case for stirred up spirits.
And phil, if there is some natural explanation
Like you say, what is it?
-Okay, we're on it. -Sounds good.
All right, adios.
I'm sending my team nearly 3200 miles
To yucatan's capital city, of merida.
Then, they'll need to sourc a set of off-road wheels
To transport them to the cenotes in the jungle.
You know how to drive these things?
I'm gonna figure it out!
All right.
All right, you ready?
Okay!
[honking]
[laughs] horn works!
Though it's been roughly 500 years since the spanish arrived he
To reshape the region, maya influence
Is everywhere you look.
Today, some 800,000 people in mexico still speak mayan
And another thing that hasn't changed
Since the fall of the empir
Is the region's unpredictable weather.
[thunderclap]
Feel like we're literally outrunning a storm right now.
I'd like to say I think we'r outrunning the rain
But I don't think we are.
[thunderclap]
I'm just trying to see the road!
I've got so much rain in my face.
Oh, my gosh.
[thunder rumbling]
Rain or shine, our investigation is taking us
South-east to a 20 square mi area riddled with cenotes,
Many of which are mapped,
And who knows how many more that could still be undiscovered
In the dense forest.
This is where the paranorma reports are coming from.
And half a mile off the dirt road, we're connecting
With the most recent of the many witnesses.
-Is that him right there? -Yeah.
Josh has arranged for us to meet luis vazquez.
A civil engineer, and the manager of the property.
[speaking spanish]
So he said that we can talk in english
And he can understand it, and then I can translate
What he says to you.
-Sound good? -Okay.
Well thank you for having us here.
As I understand, you've had a lot of strange experiences?
So what are some of these experiences that you have had?
[speaking spanish]
I have seen and heard a lot things I can't explain.
I have seen strange lights moving inside and outside
The cenotes, especially at t ceremonial cenote
Called kixne.
But, it isn't just me.
Many people claim to see lights there at dusk
And at night.
Do they stay and hover, or do they disappear?
Oh, disappear.
Also, I've had rocks thrown me on a trail near the cenot
And when I was out inspectin one of the sinkholes
Where it's not safe for people to go,
I heard my name called.
But I was alone!
Not too far from there, one of the workers had seen
Strange moving shadows creeping up on him
But no one was there.
[josh] luiz tells us that according to maya legend,
The jungles and cenotes are guarded by spirits
That can take the form of things like trees,
Some animals like bats, and even insects.
Traditionally, the maya don' believe in ghosts as spirit
Of their deceased ancestors
What they do believe is tha spirits from nature
And the underworld can take physical form to protect
The people and their land.
And if you don't pay a cenot the proper respect
Those spirits can go on the offensive.
Have you had any issues with looting or trespassing
On the property?
Yes, people have taken things that do not belong to them
From the cenotes.
And recently, I went to one of the flooded cenotes,
There were some people swimming who did not have
Permission to be there.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, snakes started to appear.
They were everywhere. On the water, on the walls.
There were more than 30 snakes.
-30 snakes. -Oh, my god.
[josh] for the ancient maya snakes held profound
Spiritual significance.
During sacrifice and bloodletting rituals,
Maya priests would often hav visions where they communica
With a god in the form of a giant serpent.
Snakes are also considered t be one of the spirit guardia
Of the cenotes.
There are things you won't believe.
Things I can't explain.
-The snake spirit's not happy. -Not happy.
[jessica] luiz shows us how to get to three cenotes
Where unusual activity has been reported.
Including cenote kixne, where he and others
Have witnessed the mysterious lights.
We plan to start our investigation there.
But before we're permitted t investigate spirit activity
In the sacred caverns, luiz says we must first take par
In a protection ritual.
Not just for our own safety inside the cenotes
But also to prevent us from bringing
Any negative energy out.
Remember that we're in the maya jungle
And we need a lot of respect to enter this place
Luiz introduces us to edgar peraza,
A high-level maya priest.
[speaking foreign language]
[jessica] as edgar asks the gods on our behalf
For permission to enter the sacred cenotes,
The ceremonial smoke serves as a conduit to lift his wor
And latch them on to the surrounding environment.
[speaking spanish]
This is the sacred drink for the gods.
[jessica] to maintain the sanctity of the cenote
And the contents inside, edg gives us a sacred maya drin
Called bulce. It's prepared a bowl full of cenote water
And bark from bulce trees,
With a splash of mellapona honey mixed in.
That's good.
[speaking spanish]
So he said now we can go any direction
Because we offered our humility.
An offering.
Edgar tells us we've been granted permission
From the spirits to enter the cenotes.
Now, we just gotta find them
[josh] after about a mile o off-roading
Following luiz's map, we com upon the entrance
To cenote kixne,
Where we'll look for the source of the strange lights
This particular cenote is considered a sacred site
That is still used for maya ceremonies.
Jess, look above.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, bats.
Wow, dozens of bats up here.
Oh my gosh, look at them all.
I know bats live in caves, b based on what we learned
From luiz, I'm wondering if maya spirits are flying
Among these bats.
There's a pathway over here.
Woah. Careful.
There is a big drop-off right here
Into nothing but rocks.
Oh yeah, that is crazy.
Oh, my gosh.
-What? -Look at this!
Oh, my god.
Look at those handprints.
Those have got to be mayan.
Absolutely.
-Amazing. -That's unreal.
The maya were prolific cave artists.
And even today, you can stil see evidence of their
Paintings and carvings on ma cenote walls,
Including this one.
Scholars speculate these han prints, given their small siz e,
Were made by children durin a coming of age ritual.
Look at all of those, they g all the way up there.
[jessica] inside this deeply sacred cenote, I'm deploying my
Audio recorder, which can detect sounds on frequencie
Our ears can't hear.
I obviously don't speak maya but some believe that
Spirits connect to the inten behind the message
Rather than the language spoken.
Is anyone in here with us?
[eerie sound]
We've heard people see strange lights in here.
Is that you?
I know this is a sacred place.
Does it anger you when people come here without permission?
I'll need to analyze my recordings later to see if
I got any paranormal respons to my questions.
So like, luiz. He mentioned seeing lights in the area.
Where do you think that comes from?
Well, caves around the world have species that have evolved
To have bioluminescence, basically as a lure to attract
Things to eat.
Okay.
Bioluminscence is the emissi of light by a living organis
Some of the phytoplankton-ri beaches here in the yucatan
Are famous for this phenomenon.
Bioluminescent organisms lik fireflies and fungi
Can be found in the forests mexico as well.
I wonder if a combination o glowing life forms
And environmental factors li reflection of water
Can create the unusual light people have witnessed.
Wow, the water goes all the way around here.
I don't see any fish.
I don't see any either.
And nothing glowing with bioluminscence.
[jessica] before moving on, we set up a motion activated trail cam
At the entrance to this cenote,
Hoping we get a shot of the mystery lights
People have seen here.
Luiz told us the second ceno where unusual activity
Has been reported, is a hal mile from here.
The sun is setting, so we ne to find this hidden cenote
Before its too dark and too dangerous to investigate.
Wow.
Look at this.
Let's go see what's down there.
[josh] this is the area where a worker says he saw
Strange shadows.
In yucatan peninsula, there are roughly 1800 jaguars,
About 10% of which appear black
Thanks to a genetic mutatio called mellanism.
Jaguars are stealthy nocturn hunters
And seeing a rare mellanisti specimen could easily be
Misinterpreted as a shadow.
-Ooh. -Phew.
-You all right? -Yeah.
It's kind of spongy.
Ooh!
Wow. Jess, it goes back here.
Yeah, is it safe to walk over there?
Let's find out.
Oh, man.
I'm not seeing any evidence of a jaguar den.
Check this out, jess.
What you got?
Look at that!
You just stepped on it.
It looks like metal.
Yeah, yeah it does.
Like, part of a tool.
Kind of.
Looks like there's a few pieces here.
Don't, you know. Like. You just dust it off
But take a picture of it.
Remember, we don't wanna disturb anything down here.
Yeah.
How wild is that? Completely dry.
Yeah.
Ooh. A lot of things stinging me right now.
Ow. Yeah, I'm getting bit too.
[bleep] of wasp's nests.
[josh] oh...
-Woah. -Ow.
Oh, I'm getting so bit. [bleep]
-Ants get you too? -Yep. [bleep]
-Yeah they got me. -They're all over.
-Let's go. -Let's get out of here.
Yep.
We head out at first light to look for more clues.
Making our way to the third cenote.
The one where luiz reported hearing phantom voices.
We're told the sinkhole is so deep and dangerous
It's completely off-limits to visitors.
But we've been given special access to investigat
What could be behind the unexplained sounds.
Hey, eduardo!
-Good to see you. -Welcome.
[josh] to help us with this mission is eduardo castillo.
A cave dive master and member of the
Mexican government taskforc that explores newly discovered
Cenotes in the yucatan.
10 years ago, he and his tea were the first ever
To dive here, but only mappe a fraction of this
Massive cavern.
We'll be the first to retur
And the very first tv camer crew allowed inside.
Our plan is to explore much more of the site.
[jessica] so, what's the game plan, I guess, how are we gonna land there?
[man 1] we're going down by the rappel
You're going to put on your harness and we're going down lower you along.
[phil] wow these birds... Oh wasp...You know what is great right now
We have this fleet of swallows protecting us from the wasps.
Thank you guys.
And those birds it's possible their sounds could be mistaken
For the human voices people hear in this cenotes.
[jessica] it goes pretty deep. Phew...
-Look at this, there's beams here too. -[josh] and an old ladder.
[jessica] I mean this looks like something from indiana jones.
[phil] oh yeah!
[jessica] I wonder if this makeshift ladder means
That there's been unauthoris access, may be even looters looking for a score
[phil] all right jess, heading down. [jessica] okay.
[phil] don't sound too excited, you gotta do this next.
[phil] wow, it gets deep down here.
Jess is coming down right now.
[jessica] oh, my god, this is crazy.
Okay... I am down. I am alive.
[josh] jess will remain topside recording audio,
Trying to catch the so called phantom voices
That people claim to have heard here.
[man 1] [microphone feedback] okay...Everybody set?
All right! Let's do this.
[phil] I will explore under the water.
Looking for any animals or perhaps the recent remains of an animal.
That could have made the sound's people think
Are disembodied voices.
Maybe it was the cave swallo we saw earlier.
But, I have to investigate all possibilities.
[jessica] hola...
Is there anyone here around the cenote, that would like to talk with us.
[phil] this view is unreal.
The geological formations are incredible.
There's some really big stalactites.
It's like another world down here.
[jessica] have people come in here without getting permission?
Did that anger you?
Has anyone disturbed your sacred artefacts?
[phil] [microphone feedback] jess, think I got something down here.
[jessica] what did you find?
[phil] we got some bones down here.
[jessica] what kind of bones are they?
[phil] possibly human, but, more likely animal.
Looks like they have been he for a very very long time.
Could be ancient the way they're discolored.
[jessica] if it's from sacrifice that could explain
Why luis heard voices of spirits.
[phil] the collagen in minerals and bones
C an keep them relatively intact for hundreds, even thousands of years
In freshwater depending on it's temperature and ph level.
As much as I would like to further study these remains
We are not permitted to remove any thing from the cenote's.
[microphone feedback] all right jess, we are getting low on air. We're coming up
Okay, come on up.
Take off your helmet, tell me what happened?
-There is part of this that just goes deep. -Really?
It just kept on going darker and darker.
But, when the rays of sun was coming through it looked like we were in heaven.
-It was unreal. -[jessica] really? Super cool. All right.
[phil] let's get of here, up into that really hot mexican sun.
[jessica] we've now investigated three very different cenote's
And discovered some curious clue's inside them.
But, I am not sure of the metal pieces and bone
Are in any way linked to the report's of supernatural activity.
So, we've sent our photos to josh see if he can help us find answers.
[josh] hey guys. [both] hey josh.
[josh] how are things in the yucatan?
Seen or hear any angry spirits yet?
[jessica] not yet. But, I feel like we are getting close.
[phil] I still think there are natural explanations of what's going on,
And I will keep pursuing that.
But, in the meantime did you get a chance to look at those images
We sent of the bones and metal.
[josh] I am opening those now...
Okay, little hard to tell what the bone is from.
They look old but well preserved.
Phil, what are you thinking? Human or animal?
Do you think this was a part of maya ritual or sacrifice?
[phil] I'd say the bones ar probably animal.
But, obviously we couldn't remove anything from the cenote for analysis.
[josh] and what about these metal pieces?
They look old. But, I wouldn't say they look ancient.
[phil] this metal looked like it was part of a tool.
Definitely not mayan history. But, what history it is I am not sure.
[jessica] I wonder if it wa something dropped by a loote
[josh] it might be helpful to get an archaeologist's take on all of this.
Not just an expert on the maya,
But someone who really knows the whole history of this region.
I have some really good contacts down there.
I have someone in mind, who might be able to help you connect the dots.
Lemme make a call...
[phil] that would be fantastic.
[josh] all right! See you guys.
[jessica] bye josh. [phil] see you josh.
[josh] I am connecting phil and jess with arturo perez,
A local archaeologist, who has been researching
The cultures of the yucatan peninsula for over a decade
[speaking foreign language]
[phil] the first thing we sh arturo is an image of a bone
I spotted during the cenote dive.
Jess wants to know if this means there were sacrifices in that cenote.
[arturo] we don't know for sure. Since you are the first scientist to explore
Some parts of the cenote we have a lot of work to do to better understand the site.
[phil] next we show arturo photo's of the metal we found
In the dry cenote, and ask if it could be maya.
[arturo] no, it's not maya. These are pieces of metal.
The maya did not use metal like this.
These looks like metal used in equipment for farming
And transport of henequen crops about 120 years ago.
[phil] between the late 1800's and early 1900's,
The yucatan becomes the cent of a major business boom growing and harvesting
A fibrous native plant calle henequen,
That's used to make ropes, bags, and shoes.
To keep up with the demand henequen plantation's or
Haciendas spread across the region.
But this boom also has a dark side.
Wealthy hacienda owners forced the local maya into indentured servitude.
And their sacred cenote's are depleted for irrigation water
And used as dumps, causing some of them to completely dry up.
[arturo] there was very bad exploitation and a lot of suffering
For the maya community. That was forced to work at the henequen haciendas.
[phil] he just said, it was really really bad.
The way that people were exploited here.
[jessica] well! Hearing that now makes me wonder
If we should be looking into the hacienda.
[jessica] the cenotes we hav been investigating surround
One of the former henequen plantations, hacienda kempepen.
Our focus has been on the cenotes, but I wonder
If spirits linger in the hacienda too.
Angered over the mistreatmen of the maya.
The spirit's presence could explain the strange lights, shadows and other unusual
Phenomenon that witnesses have said often occur in this area after dark.
[vehicle approaching]
[crickets chirping]
[jessica] creepy... [phil] yeah you can say that.
This place is falling apart.
[jessica] woah! What is this? Look...
[phil] you know what, I think this is the henequen.
[jessica] oh, they can drag it through here to kind of entangle and leave it.
[phil] this is how they would leave it. Slaves probably used this very tool.
[jessica] mm-hmm, yeah... Shh, shh...
Did you hear that?
Hello?
[thuds] ohh [bleep].
[jessica] something just hit my back. [phil] what? H it you?
Yeah! Something just hit my back.
[phil] this thing just fell.
[jessica] what? [phil] that just fell.
[phil] I heard something fall from here and then
Land to there. I didn't see anything behind you.
[jessica] you didn't see anything? [phil] nothing. It's so weird.
[phil] this whole structure doesn't exactly look up to code.
So, can literally be crumbling around us.
[jessica] luis, the propert manager, told us that he to
Has experienced stones thrown at him while walking along trials in this vicinit
[phil] woah! Look right here. It's a well. [jessica] what?
[jessica] does that lead down to a cenote?
[phil] it's got water.
That's wild...
This is the only source of water for this entire...
..Like building part of the hacienda. This one.
[jessica] so, this is probably part of the cenote then?
[phil] easily, underneath a lot of this.
[jessica screams] [phil] [beep] what... Jeez jess.
[jessica] there's something in the well.
This is the only source of water for this entire...
...Like building part of the hacienda. This one.
[jessica] so, this is probably part of the cenote then?
[phil] easily, underneath a lot of this.
[jessica screams] [phil] [bleep] oh...What? Jeez jess.
[jessica] there's something in the well.
[phil] what do you mean? [jessica] no, there's something in the well.
[phil] like a fish? I just saw a bat. [jessica] no, I...
Yes, a bat that's flew by.
Oh, yeah.
[jessica] listen, boils down to... I did not know this well was here.
-Daniel, was that you? -[phil] no, he's right here.
[jessica screams] [bleep] there's something in the coat.
[phil chuckles] what? What is happening with you?
[jessica] something just touched me again.
[phil] what is happening with you, jess? [jessica] oh my god...
-Are you going insane. -[jessica] no...
[phil] are you okay? [jessica] no, I don't think so is there anything on my back?
[phil] no [jessica] okay...
[phil] jess, check this out, dry pit.
[jessica] holy crap!
I think it's just a matter of time before this sinks, all this sinks in.
[jessica] this place hasn't been in operation for years
But this sunken earth and the water inside the wel suggest that this hacienda
Might have been built on top of a cenote.
That kind of reckless desecration of the sacred so here could explain
All the super natural disturbances people have reported in this area.
[jessica] who's out there? Who is over here? [phil] where?
[jessica] oh my god! Really [phil] jess, what is it with you?
[jessica] somebody just walked by here.
-Brian I thought it was you again. -[brian] I'm right behind you.
-What the [bleep] -[phil] what are you seeing?
[jessica] did you just walk around here?
[brian] no, I've been right there shooting. I can show you.
[jessica] I just saw you walk...Past here.
[phil] jess you just saw something walk this direction?
[jessica] I just saw, brian walk past here.
[phil] jess, you are seeing a lot of things, right now that is...
[jessica] I saw, brian walk by.
[phil] what do you mean by brian, did you literally see...
-Him with the gear or someone wearing black. -[jessica] I saw brian,
I saw him with his hat, wearing black, same size,
Same stride walking past us... Outside.
[phil] jess, that's just your imagination. [jessica] I don't know.
[phil whispering] I just saw something moving right there.
Again, someone in white moving right there.
[jessica] oh! I am sorry phil, yes maybe it's just your imagination.
[phil] it probably is. That's the thing about this place.
I have seen thing's too out of the corner of my eye
That looked like a figure, but I still think the brain
Will put pattern's where it wants to put patterns.
[jessica] why would I pattern brian walking?
[phil] because it's something familiar, if you see something dark standing there,
Or a shadow your brain can fill in the blanks.
[jessica] what hit me in the back then?
[phil] no idea. But I do wanna try check everything of the list.
And one of those things for me, especially in a place like this is gonna be...
What wildlife's living around here.
What other factors in this surrounding grounds could be contributing
To us seeing something. I don't know...
So that's why I wanna just be able to eliminate whatever factors we can.
[phil] I'm gonna venture ou and do a sweep the area.
There are lots of nocturnal animals at here, that can startle at night.
Including both spotted and black jaguars, and abou fifty species of bats.
[phil] right now the biggest thing we are looking for is eye shine.
Pretty much any mammal that's active at night,
Especially in an environment like this can have a really good night vision.
They can have really bright open eyes
And.. If you shine a light right at 'em...
It's gonna bounce right back at you.
[jessica] while phil patrols the perimeter, I stay back with brian.
We'll attempt to draw out and capture evidence
Of whatever was trying to get my attention.
Maybe its somehow connected to the apparitions people se around the property.
I break out the audio recorder, as well as
Our structured light sensor or sls camera.
This unique piece of tech us special software and an infrared light projector
To detect paranormal entitie by recognizing a body's joint movements.
If a spirit appears in fron of the sls, it will show up as a stick figure.
[jessica] hi, my name is jessica, what's your name?
Did you live here at the hacienda?
[josh] jess, might not be the only one who believes,
Stealing artifacts attract bad energy.
In 2015, an anonymous person returned a pair of two thousand year old,
Slingshot stones. Snatched twenty year's prior
From the historic site of gamla. Israel authorities, also found
A note from the remorse robber that read,
[josh reading]
And in 2020, a canadian tourist made headlines after returning artifacts she swiped
While visiting the ruins of pompeii in Italy.
Asking for "forgiveness from the gods."
Claiming that the illicit souvenir's brought about
Health issues and financial problems.
Though relieved, italian officials weren't exactly surprised
To see the items sent back. That's because there is an entire museum at pompeii,
Dedicated to a growing collection of once stolen artifacts.
Note to self, "return that creepy golden idol".
[brian whispering]
[jessica] slightly behind me?
[jessica] yeah...
About the same height?
[jessica] smaller?
Are you a child?
[crickets chirping]
[phil] as I get deeper into the woods,
I break out a thermal camera detecting heat signatures is the best way to see any
Wildlife in the dark.
A lot of bat's are flying around us right now.
Oh... One just flew right over there. Oh yeah look at that.
Yeah.. It just... Oh yeah look at those bat's
Look at all those guys flying. Tons of them.
It's something pretty warm over here. What is it?
Check this out. Right back there, right back there.
This is also the ground that could easily be holes leading into a cenote.
That's really a warm spot
What's crazy is I am also seeing
Lot of bat's flying around it.
Just like bat's are flying around us right now.
So, there's a good chance that there is a bigger mammal back there.
And the bats know that mammal's attract mosquito's they are flying to eat it.
I just can't tell what it is I am looking at the eye shine of.
Have to be careful in case it's a jaguar.
[jessica] was that you following us around the hacienda.
Did you used work at the hacienda?
What's your name?
That's weird.
Did you want to speak to us any more?
[josh] for over three millennia,
The sacred cenote's of southern mexico have been sa
To harbor super natural forces.
My team set out to investiga what's behind increasing
Reports of unexplained activity.
Jess, analyzed more than 25 hours of her audio recordings
Which yielded no voices like the one's reported.
But images from the trail ca phil left out were in a wor enlightening.
While phil didn't find bioluminescent fungus in the cenote's.
He suspects these fireflies combined with the yucatan's heavy humidity could have
Created the ghostly glow people have reported.
So, we'll put that in the plausible column.
Jess, believes the sudden insect attack...
[phil] did ant's get you too? [bleep] they got me... [jessica] yep. All over.
Was a stinging warning from the cenote's spirit's,
When phil picked up an artifact.
[jessica] don't, we don't wanna disturb anything down here.
And when that mystery metal lead them to a historic site
Where the maya were gravely mistreated.
[phil] slaves probably used this tool.
Jess knew to pivot their investigation...
Her resulting research turne up a lesser known part of maya mythology.
Something called the alux.
A race of 3 foot high mischievous being's similar to elves,
Tasked with protecting the yucatan jungle.
The alux's signature move, slinging stones at human's.
[jessica] [bleep] something just hit my back.
So, what does it all mean?
Well, whether you are a skeptic or a believer one big take away
From all our expeditions, should be the importance
Of being respectful of all local customs, land and people.
You never know who or what might be looking out for them.
For more information on expedition x,
Head to discovery.Com/expeditionx.