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12 Underwater Speleology

on expeditionin ABACO

byAgnes MilowkaPhotos by Wes Skiles

DeepHOlesUnraveling The Mysteries

Of The Bahamas

As we ew over Abaco I asked the pilot So what does everyone

think o when they think o the Bahamas?Sex on the beach hesaid without any hesitation... I can only assume he meant the

cocktail. Either way it all sounded rather promising.

Ive been getting spoiled rotten over the past year living and

diving in Floridas cave country and one would think that Id be

rather hard to please ater this experience. Yet the Bahamas did

more than just please me; they titillated me, intrigued me and

eventually let me breathless. While everyone is always going

on about the Mexico caves, little did I know that not ar o the

Floridian coast, nothing short o a secret treasure exists some-

how the Bahamas had gone under my radar.

But alas, we werent heading to the Bahamas to drink pina co-

ladas and swing around in a hammock, we were on an expedi-

tion led by PhD Kenny Broad, to unravel some o the mysteries

that lay within the Blue Holes o Abaco. Joining the team were

everyone rom palaeontologists, biologist to microbiologist and

climatologist. Jenn Macalady, PhD Tom Ilie, PhD Richard Franz,PhD Gary Morgan and Tom Morris... the list o scientists reads

rather like the whos who o the cave scientic research world.

Whats more Wes Skiles and the Karst Production crew were

there to document the goings on o the trip and immortalize the

work o the divers and the discoveries o the scientists with lm

and still photography. I was in Ag heaven as Wes kindly allowed

me to play with the big boys toys. The Nikon D- 700 was amaz-

ing and produced incredible images; it is air to say that it kicks

www.nss

ass all over my little point-and-

shoot and that I now desper-

ately want one.

We didnt come to the Baha-

mas just or the sake o blow-

ing bubbles, we came to dive

or a purpose and this ex-

perience more than anything

beore brought home the

message that caves are more

than just a playground or div-

ers. All too oten a cave is seen

as nothing more than a hole in the ground that divers can pen-

etrate and then sit around bragging to their mates about how

ar they got. Cave divers, generally speaking, oat around en-

joying themselves and have little appreciation or what they are

looking at beyond the aesthetically pleasing beauty that sur-

rounds them. Scientists, given the same opportunities as us to

see what is down there, would have kittens o excitement.

Despite the caves being right there below our eet, we know

so little about them. Our understanding o karst development,

hydrology and cave biology is still in its inancy. To this day very

ew scientists are cave divers, amking synergy between cave div-

ers and scientists essential. Thus we got the opportunity to get

wet and check out the caves, and in between going ooohhh

ahhhwe brou ght back valuable data that has huge potential

or the work o the scientists. I ound it incredibly rewarding to

combine doing something I love with a rm scientic purpose.

One o the best dives o the project, and possibly one o the

best dives I have ever done, was a recovery o the now extincttortise shell and crocodile skull. Both were a cool 3000 years old

and were recovered in aultless condition - perectly intact! This

was possible because o the special environment within Saw-

mill Sink and the thick layer o sulphur that blankets the hole

at about 9m.

A number o things happen as you swim into it. First watch-

ing a diver go in is like watching a magic trick. The diver sud-

denly disappears leaving swirls akin to og. As you enter the

layer yoursel all vision comes to a screeching halt, a total wipe

out in visibility. All perception o where you are disappears

a perect conusion o the senses. Suddenly you smell it! Yep

you actually smell it underwater and it is almost as unpleasant

as taking a deep whi o undergarments ater a ew days diving.

What actually happens is that your body absorbs this stu, it

permeates through your skin makes me eel kinda dirty just

thinking about it. Even ater you pop out into clear dark water

beneath the sulphur layer the smell stays with you.

The visuals are spectacular, the experience is uncanny even i

it does smell a little o, but what is really ascinating is the act

that this sulphur layer keeps the water below it in an anaerobic

state. That means no oxygen is getting through that thick layer

o sulphur and into the bowels o the cave. This got our micro-

biologist Jenn Macalady incredibly excited. The environment

simulates that o the Earths surace many millions o years ago,

which means that bacteria that are long extinct elsewhere are

thriving here in Sawmill Sink. By studying them

to grasp what lie on earth used to be like.

The sulphur layer and lack o oxygen have urth

es. Anything that has allen into the sink thro

tence remains perectly preserved, especially a

buried in the muck, commonly reerred to as p

credible to see a tortoise shell that could very w

in only yesterday, were it not or the act that t

extinct on Abaco or hundreds o years. Each ind

the shell was in place and many o the extraneo

still there.

The dive itsel was gnarly as hell, a whole team

to light up the recovery sequence. The silt wa

on us rom the slope, percolation was coming do

the ceiling, not to mention the mess that come

tion. The eeling o accomplishment when the

it saely into the container was great. Then the

thrill when the boxes and the remains made itand into the arms o the eager and ever waiting

eyes lit up the moment they saw the remains -

nothing quite like this specimen. The exciteme

and Gary Morgan was thrilling to watch as the p

the knowledge gained rom this recovery are in

ing this moment on camera meant that many

able to experience the joy they elt.

There is more inside caves then bones o long

however. Working beside a cave animal love

and watching the man do his thing has opened

possibilities. Each o these caves is an intricate,

contained eco system. I enjoy watching crawlie

the caves, but beyond the obvious are a whole

smaller little dudes. The naked eye o your typ

is not trained to spot these little guys, but Tom

doing this or over 30 years and in this time has

new species. Now Im no scientist, but nding ois typically a lietime achievement or a biologist

has been most efcient and his track record is rat

I nothing else this demonstrates rather neatly

ground world really is the nal rontier and we

learn and discover.

The animals that Tom Ilie does nd can be app

water column i you have a good set o eyes.

I dont, I had to wait to see the intricate detail

Highly decorated

(opposite).

Agnes pauses to

caves extraordin

(left).

The Grand Hallw

Cave Cathedral R

top).

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14 Underwater Speleology

the animals until

they were in a vial

and under the

microscope. They

were translucent,

colourul, ragile

and captivating

in their moves

and sheer beauty.

Remipedes and

worms... animals

so wild looking

and yet so cute I

wanted to keep

them as pets. The

wildest human

imagination could

not conceive

these creatures... they must have inspired so many science c-

tion writers. So keep your eyes open and peeled straight into

the water column, you never know, that little white dot might

be an incredible creature rather then just a speck o silt.

While I dont pretend to understand the nuances o the work

the scientist were doing, I can certainly appreciate it. The data

the team collected will help improve knowledge and under-

standing o caves in the Bahamas and around the world. More

knowledge can only increase the importance these cave envi-

ronments and eco systems have. Perhaps this can have a posi-

tive inuence on how olks, cave divers and non-divers alike,

perceive what is just below the surace o the earth.

Yet, at the end o the day I am a cave diver and, as ar as Imconcerned the pursuit o extraordinary beauty is a per ectly le-

gitimate quest. The team, spearheaded by Brian Kakuk, headed

to a couple o beautiul caves called Dans and Ralphs to pho-

tograph and lm them. Dans was my rst opportunity to see

speleothems underwater, and oh boy, did I get spoiled.

I was blown away to put it mildly. The sheer amount o dec-

oration was incredible; there was room ater room o decora-

tions. Yet each room was very dierent and had a wildly distinct

eel. My avourite was called the Alleyway, where I got to swim

though a passageway with tall stalactites and stalagmites on

either side o me, it elt like I was swimming through a giant

crystal orest. The whole scene was illuminated rom all sides

by the ever powerul Dive Rite 50W lights, meaning I could see

everything - amazing!

Further Dans, like all the caves, has a number o lie orms. I do

believe I might have clapped my hands in excitement when Isaw my very rst Luciuga. It is a sh, with a ace only a mother

could love that screams Jurassic. It is the oldest and the only

truly cave adapted sh in the world. This little creature is just

wickedly cool.

I thought Dans was the best cave in the world until I dove

Ralphs. This cave dees description; it is probably the prettiest

and most special cave on the planet. I could happily dive this

cave every day or the rest o my lie and not get bored with it.

Ater you dive it,

you seriously con-

sider never set-

ting oot inside

a cave again, or

perhaps simply

lying down to die,

because nothing

will ever beat this

experience. Ev-

ery type o crystal

decoration imag-

inable is present

in this cave; in-

tricate rose-like

ormations, ex-

quisite crystals,

stalactites piled

on so thick not even a athead could swim through them with-

out making contact. Then there were the soda straws with little

diamond-shaped crystals at the tips. They say diamonds are

orever, well, this cave has captured my heart big time. I elt as

uzzy as the halocline that surrounded us as we explored and

photographed the cave.

Brian Kakuk runs Bahamas Underground (www.bahamasun-

derground.com) and he was our illustrious guide throughout

the trip. Not only is this man a genuine explorer with extensive

knowledge o the local area, he is also a abulous host and per-

haps most importantly a top bloke. He deserves a medal or

looking ater our lot, taking us to orgasm-inducing caves and

or the late nights he stayed up lling all our tanks. A big thank

you must also go to Nancy Albury and the Friends o the En-

vironment; without their support, patience and hospitality we

would have been completely lost.

So, when I think o the Bahamas, I think o the most incredible

caves in the world; a place where each cave is dierent, unique

and startling. I think o ascinating scientic work and o all the

questions the scientists are attempting to answer. I think o

ossils, bones and the oldest living sh in the world. I think o

a beautiul rugged coastline. I think o sunsets and the sweet

taste o a well-deserved beer at the end o the day. But I do not

think o sex on the beach. Somehow, to my great dismay, the

Bahamas stereotype managed to elude me. Still, one cant have

everything and there is always next time.

www.nss