Original subtitles

I'm just trying to see the road!

[Josh] My team heads to the Yucatan Peninsula

to invesitgate fresh reports 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 the Maya underworld.

I mean this looks like something from Indiana Jones.

[Josh] And when Jess and Phil uncover 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 most intense investigations ever.

[both exclaiming] [bleep]

What? Jesus, Jess.

There's something in the well!

[Josh reading]

My name is Josh Gates.

In my travels, I've experienced strange things that defy logic

and made me question everything.

Oh, my God!

Now, I've put together a team 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 into 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 settlements around these flooded caverns

or cenotes, that provide fresh water for drinking

and growing crops.

But there's also a supernatural connection.

The Maya believe the cenotes are sacred portals

to the underworld.

To gain favour with their gods they cast precious offerings

into the caverns.

Things like jade, gold, and ceramics.

And when the Maya really need 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 the region in the 1500s.

The Maya, already in decline, are relegated to the fringes

of society.

For the Maya living in the Yucatan today

the cenotes and the artifacts 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 activity

is somehow disrupting the Maya spirit world,

triggering an escalation in paranormal activity.

In the northern part of the Peninsula

stand the crumbling ruins of a former farming plantation

or Hacienda.

Surrounded by several cenotes that are believed

to be haunted.

Vistors to this swath of jungle report strange shadows

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 source 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 here

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 Empire

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're 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 mile 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 paranormal 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 of things I can't explain.

I have seen strange lights moving inside and outside

the cenotes, especially at the 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 at me on a trail near the cenotes

and when I was out inspecting 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't believe in ghosts as spirits

of their deceased ancestors.

What they do believe is that spirits from nature

and the underworld can take physical form to protect

the people and their land.

And if you don't pay a cenote 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 have visions where they communicate

with a God in the form of a giant serpent.

Snakes are also considered to be one of the spirit guardians

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 to investigate spirit activity

in the sacred caverns, Luiz says we must first take part

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 words

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, Edgar gives us a sacred Maya drink

called Bulce. It's prepared in 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 of off-roading

following Luiz's map, we come 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, but 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 still see evidence of their

paintings and carvings on many cenote walls,

including this one.

Scholars speculate these hand prints, given their small size,

were made by children during a coming of age ritual.

Look at all of those, they go all the way up there.

[Jessica] Inside this deeply sacred cenote, I'm deploying my

audio recorder, which can detect sounds on frequencies

our ears can't hear.

I obviously don't speak Mayan but some believe that

spirits connect to the intent 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 responses 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 emission of light by a living organism.

Some of the phytoplankton-rich beaches here in the Yucatan

are famous for this phenomenon.

Bioluminescent organisms like fireflies and fungi

can be found in the forests of Mexico as well.

I wonder if a combination of glowing life forms

and environmental factors like reflection of water

can create the unusual lights 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 cenote where unusual activity

has been reported, is a half mile from here.

The sun is setting, so we need 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 mutation called Mellanism.

Jaguars are stealthy nocturnal hunters

and seeing a rare Mellanistic 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 investigate

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 taskforce that explores newly discovered

cenotes in the Yucatan.

10 years ago, he and his team were the first ever

to dive here, but only mapped a fraction of this

massive cavern.

We'll be the first to return

and the very first TV camera 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 unauthorised 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 swallows 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.

[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 here 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 bones

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 are 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 was something dropped by a looter.

[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 show 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 center of a major business boom growing and harvesting

a fibrous native plant called 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 have 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 mistreatment 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 property manager, told us that he too

has experienced stones thrown at him while walking along trials in this vicinity.

[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 well suggest that this hacienda

might have been built on top of a cenote.

That kind of reckless desecration of the sacred soil 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 out 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 about 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 see around the property.

I break out the audio recorder, as well as

our structured light sensor or SLS camera.

This unique piece of tech uses special software and an infrared light projector

to detect paranormal entities by recognizing a body's joint movements.

If a spirit appears in front 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 said

to harbor super natural forces.

My team set out to investigate 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 cam Phil left out were in a word 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 turned 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.