BASSETT’S CAVE, BERMUDA
Maureen Handler
Southern Environmental Technologies, 900 Old Sewanee Road, Sewanee, TN 37375; tnshotgun@earthlink.net
In June, 2014, Southern Environmental Technologies contracted with the Government of Bermuda to map Bassett’s
Cave. The cave is located under a former Naval Air Station and suffered severe environmental impact during
military activities from 1940 until 1990. There is viscous oil floating on the tidal pools in the cave and steel drums
are visible in one of the entrances. Four cavers from Tennessee, Marty Abercrombie (Environmental Scientist),
John Hoffelt (Professional Geologist), JP McLendon (Ecologist) and Maureen Handler (Environmental Engineer
and owner of Southern Environmental) traveled to Bermuda to map the cave, flag the cave on the surface, estimate
the quantity of oil in the cave and sample the drums. In addition, Southern Environmental worked with the site
General Contractor to help devise a remediation method and advise on implementing remediation in the cave.
During mapping of the cave, historic signatures dating back to 1779 were discovered. Another discovery is the
appearance of unusual effects (biological?) on the formations from the environmental impact.
LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACKS—EXPLORATIONS IN
THE GRANDE ANSE OF HAITI
Pat Kambesis
pnkambesis@juno.com
The mountain chain that is the backbone of the southern peninsula of Haiti is drained by rivers that sink into a thick
sequence of limestones, flow underground for many kilometers, and breach the surface as large springs that flow to
the coasts. Between the mountain tops and the coasts is a spectacular karst made up of haystack hills, large sinks,
and numerous cave entrances. As with any extensive, complex and hard to reach karst area, finding the elusive main
drain requires exploration/survey penance before its secrets are revealed. January of 2015 began that penance as a
team of Haitian-US cavers spent 14 days looking for the underground route between the mountains and the coasts.
Based out of the town of Beaumont, in the Grand-Anse Department of Haiti, expedition members with the help of
local people began the painstaking process of looking for a way into the main drain of the area—one pit and cave at
a time. Vertical shafts of up to 20 meters in depth were abundant, as were short segments of somewhat horizontal
cave that typically ended in breakdown or sumps. Despite long and steep hikes to cave leads and some political
difficulties, the expedition explored and mapped 11 caves for a total of 2+ km of survey. Many more leads remained
unchecked because of lack of time or general remoteness. It will take much more penance to find the so-far elusive
main drain of the Grande Anse.
EXPLORING THE SUNLESS SEA—ONGOING EXPLORATION AND SURVEY OF THE
BELIZE MESO-AMERICAN BARRIER REEF KARST SYSTEM
James Petersen
Chapoose Street, Caye Caulker, Belize District, Belize; chip@belizedivingservices.com
In 1978 cave diving pioneer Paul Heinerth discovered Giant Cave in Caye Caulker, Belize. For the past 25
years, cave divers have explored and mapped this cave and several others beneath the Northern Meso-American
Barrier Reef. Now, armed with closed circuit rebreathers, advances in side mounting and other equipment, and
support for mixed gas decompression diving, divers are pushing further into the depths of these caves than was
possible in previous years. A total of 24,865 linear feet of cave has been explored and surveyed.
While divers continue to explore caves at eight different locations, Giant Cave remains the largest underwater cave
in Belize. At 17,141 feet and with stations reaching as far away from the exit as 3,817 feet, this underwater cave
contains a variety of cave structures from small tight passages to interstate-highway-tunnel-size rooms, spectacular
formations as large as 30 feet tall and other speleothems whose size strains the reach of today’s most powerful
diving lights. Explorations have revealed that these caves are complex solution caves and not just a single room as
was thought by previous explorers. It seems that beneath the world's second largest barrier reef system lies a vast
karst system that may play a key role in how the reef, water, and human populations affect each other.
TWO DECADES OF CUBAN-AMERICAN COLLABORATION ON CAVE EXPLORATION
AND SCIENCE
Cyndie Walck1 and Pat Kambesis2
1
karstgirl@yahoo.com; 2pnkambesis@juno.com
With the thawing of relations between the United States and Cuba, American cavers can now start working
there! But wait—there have been collaborative caving expeditions between Cuban and American cavers for over 20
years. Cuban cavers have a long history of cave exploration and science. Caves played an important role in Cuban
history and culture as evidenced by prehistoric cave art, strategic use of caves during the Cuban revolution, and in
the development of modern speleology under Antonio Núñez Jiménez, the “godfather” of Cuban speleology.
Jiménez, who was the country’s chief geographer and speleologist with dozens of publications and books to his
credit, documented Cuba’s many karst areas. Despite their lack of resources, Cuban cavers are skilled cave
explorers, excellent karst scientists, and great collaborators. American cavers partnered with Grupo Sama, a Cuban
caving group led by Alejandro Emperador who was the head of the Cuban Speleological Society (CSS). CSS is
Cuba’s premier caving organization that formed a full decade before the NSS. The Cuba Cave Project, which is a
project of the NSS, was formed to facilitate the Cuban-US collaboration. Working in Cuba required American
cavers to acquire permits from the US Office of Foreign Affairs and Asset Control (OFAC), which has been a long
and tedious process. Despite that, there have been a total of seven joint Cuban-American expeditions (with
scientific collaboration as well) to various karst areas of the state of Sancti Spíritus and minor work in other parts of
Cuba.
THE JAGUAR CHRONICLES—CLAW-JAW-MAW-PAW AND CRAW!
Pat Kambesis1 and Peter Sprouse2
1
pat.kambesis@wku.edu; 2petersprouse@yahoo.com
The incredibly porous and permeable limestones of the coastal Yucatan peninsula hold some of the world’s longest
cave systems. The dense tropical forest covering the limestone does a pretty good job of hiding the many portals into
these vast systems. Before the days of Google Earth and lidar, it was only when sections of jungle were cleared for
development that these entryways became visible. In December 2013, an interesting linear feature on lidar inspired
Pamuul Grotto cavers to venture into the remote jungle to find the source of that linearity, which turned out to be the
tip of a series of new discoveries now known as the Jaguar Caves (Jaguar Claw (31491m), Jaw (10015 m), Maw
(3257 m), Paw (2717 m) and Craw (1678 m)). Named after one of their largest and most frequent visitors, the Jaguar
Caves formed along a distinct linear feature that cuts into the underlying limestone. Large, decorated boreholes
intertwine along and through this feature. Three annual excursions (since we are not really roughing it!) attract a
large contingent of local, US and international cavers who have been trying to find the limits of the Jaguar Caves but
so far with no success. The myriad number of passages that head off into unknown territories play major distraction
to actually trying to connect the caves. But when they are finally joined (and undoubtedly they will be), the total
meterage of the Jaguar Caves will be at least 53 km though that number changes every 3-4 months!
RECENT UNDERWATER CAVE EXPLORATIONS IN QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
James G. Coke IV
7353 Myrna Blvd., Kent, OH 44240; chac@consolidated.net
The Quintana Roo Speleological Survey (QRSS) supports safe exploration, conservation, and survey documentation
of the underwater and dry caves in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Our present study area incorporates 6300 square
kilometers (km) in northeastern Quintana Roo. At this time we archive over 1274 km of confirmed underwater
survey data for 327 underwater caves and cave systems.
Underwater cave explorations continue in the Muyil and José María Pino Suárez areas south of Tulum. These
relatively unexplored areas continue to produce a number of significant underwater caves. We will review the
progress that several groups of explorers have made in their latest studies. Their cave surveying efforts support a
contemporary hydrological drainage hypothesis for the northeastern coastal drainage zone of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Explorations continue in the Actun Hu and Lab Nah Ha regions of Sistema Sac Actun. A new area of exploration
south of the Sac Actun cave system may provide a new direction for growth in Sistema Sac Actun.
PROYECTO ESPELEOLÓGICO SISTEMA HUAUTLA (PESH) 2015 EXPEDITION
Bill Steele
Dallas/Fort Worth Grotto, 500 Kingston Dr. Irving, Texas 75061; speleosteele@aol.com
The caves of the Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca, Mexico area were discovered by cavers in 1965. From 1966 – 1970
two caves, Sótano de San Agustín and Sótano del Río Iglesia, were explored and surveyed as the first and second
deepest caves in the Western Hemisphere.
Caving resumed in 1976 and until 1994 expeditions were held most years as a NSS official project. In 1988 the
Project was awarded a NSS Certificate of Merit. Two books have been published about the caves: “Beyond the
Deep” and “Huautla: Thirty Years in One of the World’s Deepest Caves”. A chapter about Sistema Huautla is
included in the “Encyclopedia of Caves”. From 1994 to 2013 a handful of expeditions were conducted.
In 2013 Tommy Shifflett and Bill Steele started PESH with the goal of conducting annual expeditions and
continuing the work in Sistema Huautla and other caves in its drainage basin. PESH is an official project of both the
NSS and the U.S. Deep Caving Team. It also carries the flag of The Explorers Club on its expeditions.
This presentation will be on the results of the 2015 expedition, which took place in April.
PROYECTO SIERRA MAZATECA 2015—CAVING FROM ANOTHER ANGLE
IN THE SIERRA MAZATECA
Tony and Marion Akers
Central Indiana Grotto; tony@carlotagardens.com
The Sierra Mazateca, a cloud-forest tropical region in Oaxaca, Mexico, is filled with amazing karst limestone
plateaus and sinkholes. We continued another year of cave exploration and conservation efforts, based out of Cafetal
Carlota in the municipality of San Bartolome Ayaulta, during the month of January, 2015. The major part of our
expedition was spent in the wilderness at Rancho Arco Iris, south of Río Santiago in the municipality of Huautla de
Jiménez. Daily we worked on pit leads in the high-altitude valley, at elevations of over 1400 meters up to 1770
meters. We explored 11 pits around the valley and above it onto the plateau, with depths ranging from 15 to 80
meters, and five more pits in other areas. The total vertical depth of pits explored and surveyed equaled 603 meters,
with over 357 meters of horizontal passage. We accomplished the expedition with the help of various donors and our
Mazatec friends. We also gave supplies to the elementary schools in Río Santiago and Cafetal Carlota. Permission
was obtained from two different municipal regions, with some challenges faced along the way, and we were steeped
in the complex political and social environment of the Mazatec people. Cave and cultural exploration are combined
in the Sierra Mazateca, where the experience of food, traditions, and people is as much of an adventure as the caves
themselves.
CAVING IN ROMANIA
Amos Mincin1, Giani and Irina Eftimie2, Andrew Field3
Philadelphia Grotto; 1amincin@aol.com; 2giani_e@yahoo.com; 3andrew@fieldsystem.com
Philadelphia Grotto arrived in Romania on April 13, 2014 and explored 15 wild caves in 15 days. In addition to
recreational caving, one cave in particular involved a dig which yielded about 40 feet of virgin cave. A tip from
German Cavers directed our team to the dig site. Two consecutive days were needed due to running out of rope on
the first attempt. That particular cave involved vertical caving, long low stream crawls and other challenges. We
hoped for a big breakthrough but that did not happen; a formation choke halted progress.
Giani and Irina Eftimie (both originally from Romania) organized and led the expedition. Andy Field, Andy Filer
and Amos Mincin were also on the team in Romania (all members of Philadelphia Grotto).
Andrew Field has put together an excellent movie with contributions of photos and video by the team and others.
HOUPING 2014/2015 AND TONGZI/JIELONG 2015—MORE DISCOVERIES
IN SOUTH CHINA’S WULONG KARST
Erin Lynch1, Andrea Futrell2
1
Institute of Karst Geology, 50 Qixing Lu, Guilin, Guangxi 541004 China; hongmeiguicc@yahoo.com
2
456 Thistle Lane, Christiansburg, VA 24073; karstmap@hotmail.com
Hong Meigui CES continued exploration in Wulong County, Chongqing, China during 2014 and 2015. A series of
multi-national expeditions to the Houping Tiankengs cluster of the Wulong Karst UNESCO World Natural Heritage
Site focused on San Wang Dong (48H-H12-1), Er Wang Dong (48H-H12-2) and Luoshui Kong (49H-H1-36).
In western SWD, the 170-m Mad Dogs and Englishmen bolt climb led to 2.4 km of well-decorated high-level
passage, extending SWD's boundary 714 m westward. In SWD's Bone Collector area, Chorus Line rift was
descended 213 m to a pinch. The San Wang Dong system is now 72,056 m long.
North of SWD, LSK's 215-m, clean-washed surface shaft led to 30 m-wide seasonally active stream passage with
numerous leads and a lower level with the largest perennially active stream in the catchment. LSK is now 4,476 m
long, 380 m deep and less than 500 m from a likely connection with SWD.
Near LSK, Niubizi Dong (49H-H1-1) was connected to EWD, making the 10-entrance Er Wang Dong system
47,701 m long. Houping Tiankengs now includes over 133 km of cave.
In 2015, the eighth HMCES “Tongzi” Expedition focused on Jielong township in northeastern Wulong,
documenting 14 new caves including 4-km-long Feng Dong (48H-H12-330) with tall, joint-controlled borehole, and
nitrate mining caves Pengongwan Dong (48H-H12-334, 868 m), Jingdongmen (48H-H12-341, 424 m), and Xiao
Dong (48H-H12-336, 295 m). The two-week expedition documented 7.2 km, bringing the Tongzi/Jielong project
total to 72.8 km.
THAM KHOUN XE—ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT RIVER CAVES
Pat Kambesis1 and Aaron Addision2
1
pat.kambesis@wku.edu; 2aadisson@wustl.edu
In 2008 a team of eight Canadian and US cavers began a mapping project in Tham Khoun Xe, one of the largest
river caves in the world. The cave is located in the Hin Nam No National Protected Area of Khammouane Province
of Laos. Over the course of eight days the teams started at the downstream resurgence in kayaks, paddling and
mapping their way upstream in immense river passage. On the last day they managed to get a survey line into a
relatively dry overflow section of the cave but were unable to finish the survey. They mapped a total of 11 km. In
January 2015 five members of the original team along with local cavers and villagers returned to the area to finish
the survey. This time they worked from a remote camp set up a half kilometer from the upstream insurgence. Kayak
travel was still necessary but only for a short stretch of river passage which separated the wet from the dry sections
of the cave. In the dry maze area while some smaller passages were less than 3 m wide, typical passage size was 70
to 130 meters across. The largest passages were breakdown areas with mountains of large rocks >100 m high. Over
the course of a week an additional 285 stations were mapped bringing the overall length of the cave to 14.7 km with
all tie-in shots excluded.
CAVING IN MINDANAO…NOW?
Cyndie Walck1 and Shane Fryer
1
karstgirl@yahoo.com
Mindanao, the southernmost large island in the Philippines, bordering Malaysia, is rich with caves but also fraught
with conflict. Security issues caused by a combination of Muslim separatist movements and other protests means
that few cavers have ventured there. In November 2014, seven of us did venture and were rewarded with great
caving and a wonderful experience. We collaborated with the South Bay Area Outdoor Club (SBAOC) to launch the
first official caving expedition to the Sultan Kudarat province in Northwestern Mindanao. The provincial
government provided both support and security for the trip, including 4-wheel-drive dump trucks to transport our
group, loaded with armed Philippine marines.
We visited 3 areas, including the Ketodak and Capilan Barangays in the Lebak municipality and the Kuden
Barangay in the Senator Ninoy Aquino municipality. The villages we visited were warm and welcoming and the
caves were large and significant, including virgin pits, river caves and highly decorated large chambers. We mapped
approximately 3 kilometers of passage, gave presentations to 5 villages and the governor, and prepared a cave
management plan for Lagbasan, a particularly beautiful cave which rivals Carlsbad. The caves and karst are
threatened by ongoing logging practices wherein bulldozing of meter-deep mud from the roads into sinkholes is
common practice. We hope that our education efforts increased understanding of the value in protecting the region’s
caves and that security conditions will allow us to return soon to map many more kilometers of cave.