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8/8/2019 Uws Vol 36 3 Am Article
1/2
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).
8/8/2019 Uws Vol 36 3 Am Article
2/2
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