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Jaguar Cave & Tortoise Cave |
Jaguar Cave & Tortoise Cave
Also known by the mayan names of Balun Actun (Jaguar cave)
and Balan Ak (Tortoise Cave), these two caves are located on both sides of
the same collapse of material, just north of the Dos Ojos system and at
the section of the cenote Dos
Palmas.
At the end of 2009 the land owner decides to improve an
eco-tourism site which can not miss the activity of cave diving. February 06, 2010: It is located the downstream of the Jaguar Cave and in a single dive we add 749 feet in a new way. The cave is wide at the beginning but the ceiling is just about 3 feet from the bottom. Certainly the back-mount configuration is not the optimal in this cave.
February 14, 2010: It starts to get even in Tortoise Cave, much bigger in size of ducts, are explored 1250 feet of new passages. In the Jaguar Cave, with the objective to turn around the collapse and connect the two caves are located a conduit upstream to the north, probably a bypass with another cave. 1049 are the feet of cave explored.
March 08, 2010:
Patrick Widmann joins us
for a few days of exploration.
March 09, 2010: The cave is longer than expected, although there are almost no flow. 1292 feet are added in a single day.
March 10, 2010: We begin to push some side passages. Another day full of happiness ... 1214 feet of cave added.
March 11, 2010: We go to look for the connection between the two caves, but without success, 681 are the feet added.
March 24, 2010: Continue connection attempts between the two caves, starting from Tortoise (169 meters added), while in the Jaguar Cave is found another duit with low flow of water (238 meters added).
April 17, 2010: Resumption of activities in Jaguar Cave after a stop for few weeks and we identifie some by-pass between the different sections for a total of 594 feet of new explored passages. In one of these are found the bones of a small mammal.
May 31, 2010: We push the down-stream section to the east but due to the reduced flow is very difficult to identify the main conduit. The small size of the passages means that visibility is reduced to zero immediately. Some duits are closed on themselves, others give a glimpse of the possible ramifications. The total of new explored passages is 1246 feet.
June 9, 2010: Forcing a restriction is found a new duit up-stream towards the northwest. In some places the flow is quite evident and greatly increase the size of the cave, especially the last part after the last intersection. 1787 feet are added to the exploration. To date the cave has a total extent of 7440 feet.
June 30, 2010: Simon Richards informs us of the existence of some cenotes south-east of the eastern part of the cave. Are then explored some duits south but without success. It also continued the exploration of another passage towards the northwest for a total of 1049 feet.
August 3, 2010: It is explored a pipeline that goes in the direction of the cenote Dos Palmas (Dos Ojos system). The flow is heavy but the size of the cave did not allow us to go over. The distance as the crow flies with the Dos Ojos system is only 90 meters. Is also continued the exploration in the north. 876 feet are added to the cave.
August 13, 2010: The focus in the North. A weak flow leads to discover a new passage richly decorated with white stalactites and stalagmites. Are added 951 feet. The total of explored and surveyed passages of the cave is 10364 feet, although we can't call it cave system, as it has not yet been discovered a secondary exit.
August 21, 2010: The way to the north continues
to surprise both for the beauty that the amount of branches; are explored
in a single dive 1078 feet of new passages.
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