CAVES OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS
Formation and features
The Turks and
Caicos Islands are part of a large and impressive carbonate platform built over
millions of years. Cave systems and sinkholes are found throughout this
limestone structure and are formed as a result of chemical dissolution of the
limestone when:
- Rainwater percolates downward through
the rock on its way to the water table.
- The fresh and saltwater meet and form
a boundary or mixing layer.
This manifests
itself in the Turks and Caicos as open sub-aerial cave systems, vertical deep
sub-aqueous sinkholes (blue holes), and horizontal sub-aqueous passages. These
caverns formed during the lower sea levels stands of the Pleistocene epoch when
the Caicos Bank was completely exposed and the annual rainfall was higher than
today.
The caves, when
exposed to air, can form all variety of dripstone features, which are
collectively called speleothems. Water, rich in calcium carbonate, drips
through the roof of the cave or along the sides of the tunnel wall or cavern.
In the cave air some of the carbon dioxide in the solution is lost and the
calcium carbonate is deposited, on the roof (stalacite), the floor
(stalagmite), or the wall (curtain). The red or orange tinge is due to the
presence of iron oxides derived from the rock or soil above.
Exploration & study
Some variety of
cave or sinkholes is found on all the islands and cays in the Turks and Caicos.
The Caicos Caves Project, of which the owner of Amphibious Adventures is a
founding member, has been exploring the caves of the Turks and Caicos Islands
since 1999. Their main focus has been in exploring the underwater caves systems
but some of these are located beneath the dry cave systems found primarily on
the larger islands. Underwater passages are often tidal and exhibit a large
range of tidal flow.
Examples of
above water caves (sub-aerial):
1) Village and Indian caves near Conch Bar on
Middle Caicos
2) Airport cave on Providenciales (small)
3) The guano caves on East Caicos
Examples of
underwater/flooded caves and blue holes (sub-aqueous):
1) Tunnels in Lake Catherine on West Caicos.
2) Cottage Pond and Thomas Hill Pond on North
Caicos.
3) Village caves and boiling holes on Middle
Caicos.
4) Cathedral cave on East Caicos.
5) The ‘Boiling Hole’ on South Caicos
6) South Creek on Salt Cay
Many of the caves
are delicate in nature and protected by law in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Do
not touch any ‘live’ speleothems as the grease on your fingers will hinder the
deposition of calcium carbonate. The ‘dormant’ features are also easily broken
and great care should be taken when viewing them and moving around the cave. It
is mandatory that you enter any cave with a local guide and first seek
permission from the Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources (DECR)
and/or the Turks and Caicos National Trust. The underwater sections of the
caves are extremely hazardous; nobody should enter these caves without adequate
training and equipment. It is highly recommended to seek advise from either Amphibious Adventures or the Caicos
Caves Project before attempting to do so. For more information on the geology and
location of the caves in the TCI please e-mail mark@amphibiousadventures.org
“255ft into Cottage Pond” by Mark Parrish
is an account of a diving expedition to reach the bottom of this deep blue hole
on North Caicos.
History
The caves of the
Turks and Caicos have a fascinating history. They were first used by the
Lucayan (or Taino) Indians and many artefacts and some petroglyphs have been
found in the caves on Middle and East Caicos. Even human remains, believed to
be those of these early inhabitants, have been found in an underwater cave system in
the Caicos Islands.
Read “Talking
Taino” By Dr Bill Keegan and Dr Betsy Carlson for more information.
Much later, in the
19th century, the caves on Middle and East Caicos were extensively
mined for bat guano. This proved to be a very nutritious fertilizer and was
used on the sugar plantations in Jamaica.There is plenty of
evidence of these operations including pumping equipment found in a cave on
East Caicos.
There is more
information on the history of the caves in H.E.Sadler’s comprehensive history
book on the Turks and Caicos, ‘Turk's Island Landfall’.
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