To understand what happened to the cave after Naia died, and why the circumstances of her preservation were so specific, requires understanding what the end of the Ice Age looked like in the Yucatán.

When Naia was alive — approximately 12,000 to 13,000 years ago — the sea level in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico was substantially lower than it is today.

The estimates vary by time period and location, but during the height of the Last Glacial Maximum, global sea levels were roughly 120 to 130 meters lower than their current position.

By the time Naia was alive, the glaciers were in retreat and sea levels were rising, but they had not yet reached their modern level.