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Joined: Sep 2013
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With the island formation beginning with the mangrove formation and the sedimentation processes from fish. would this cave system be a result of that or possibly the breakdown of that? With the decrease in trees and increase in buildings on the island...is it actually possible for the caves to eventually collapse? I always thought all water on the island for anything other than cooking was rainwater. This is the first time I've ever heard that some have wells. Well...I take that back. I do remember people talking about the stinky nasty water and I guess I just assumed they had an old rusty rain barrel and needed a new one hehehehe :-) I've have lived most all of my life directly above the New Madrid Fault line in the States. Guess its never been a thought of its collapse bc North America is much wider than CC!

Joined: May 2012
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Caves that are filled with water very rarely collapse. The pressure of the water inside helps support the roof, so in that respect, they are safer than dry caves. Of course there is that little detail of no air to breathe.. The presence of all the dripstone formations, stalactites and stalagmites etc, shows that this cave was dry for a long time when the sea level was lower, after the cave itself was formed. While I'm no expert,it looks like is a solution cave like most of them - rain water picking up acid from the air and soil dissolves the limestone layers where it flows underwater. It takes a thousand years for the spaces to become big enough for a human to pass! So the big cathedral-like rooms of Giant Cave just boggle my mind when I try to think how old they may be.

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Chris, Your right The cave, thousands , maybe millions of years ago was in air in order to have dripping water form stalagmites but ask yourself what made the Blue Hole :-0 The ceiling collapsed :-)


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Giant Cave Entrance RAW from Tony Rath on Vimeo.

Giant Cave Entrance

A GoPro view of the entrance into Giant Cave, Caye Caulker.

Initial frames show me making sure GoPro is running, and some of the equipment I am carrying.

Next frames show Caye Caulker in relation to the cave entrance, very close to shore.

Then I start into the hole following Marty in. You can see the entrance is vertical from the bubbles coming up at me as I make my way through the crack. The thin line you see is the only thing that keeps us from getting lost. Remember I am wearing double 80's on my back and another 80cf stage tank on my side.

Marty is at the bottom of the shaft and is beginning to enter the horizontal constriction at the bottom.

At 2:27, I get stuck and have to back out, running into another diver behind me. I have to back her up so I can get through. it is very constricted at the entrance and is at about 60-foot of depth. You can also see how easy the visibility goes to 0.

In the horizontal shaft you have to crawl on your belly to get through, pulling with your hands.

by Tony Rath


Joined: Oct 2003
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Wonderful Tony. I have been in Shark Cave and always wanted to dive other caves after that

Last edited by Katie Valk; 09/21/13 06:36 AM.

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Oh great, now you ADDED to my worries! Nah, it's true about the Blue Hole, but this is RARE, which is exactly why it is considered for an 8th wonder of the world! Lets' just say when I'm in Giant Cave, the roof collapsing is WAY down on my list of concerns!

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Chip and I have added a few more lines to the "hugeness" (is that a word?) that is Giant Cave- its just plain big and getting bigger in almost every direction-Marty O'Farrell

any exits yet?

Just the one we came in thru:)

White sand and shells in a few places that came in thru the top, but solid rock above- bout 80-90 fsw

any other exits other than the main one ?

We know there is because of the tremendous flow at times- we just have not found it yet.

we would swim right past that exit if we didnt know it was there- just another small hole- never looked at it that way- makes it seem like an impossible task to find another entrance from down there-....... But we will!!:) I don't think we will find another access point from below


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Video: Cave Diving in Belize

Belize is a little known cave diving gem holding some of the most immaculate and under explored submerged structures in the Western Hemisphere. Scuba divers visiting Belize experience the thrill of floating through the massive rooms of Giant Cave and cutting through the shimmering sand coated stalactites of Winter Wonderland.


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Cave Diving in Belize

Belize is a little known cave diving gem holding some of the most immaculate and under explored submerged structures in the Western Hemisphere. Scuba divers visiting Belize experience the thrill of floating through the massive rooms of Giant Cave and cutting through the shimmering sand coated stalactites of Winter Wonderland.


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Giant Cave: Caye Caulker

Este v�deo � sobre GIANT CAVE - Caye Caulker, BELIZE.


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