Originally Posted by
abshipp
I do suppose that the crater was discovered only in the 1970s, with it's role in the Cretaceous extinction event only really defined about 10 years ago. Maybe not recent enough for the significance to sink in. Or maybe people just don't care. NTTAWWT.
To be fair, it's huge, and very old. So not much evidence remains if you're looking visually.
People are very poor. Survival day to day is their utmost concern. Also, whatever Maya culture that was on the coast is long gone. Traditional villages remain in the interior though.
Also, to be fair, the bulk of it is out in the gulf. The surface of the earth inside the crater is effectively sea floor, without the water. Fossil filled limestone bedrock on the surface in lieu of soil. And, 20 miles inland, as we are, is barely 20 meters above sea level. Not much crater to be seen if you're not a geologist.