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Jaguar Cave & Tortoise Cave
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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.
September 04, 2010: From the northern section is found a passage which allows to close the circuit, and in a forest of stalactites the exploration continues to North West.
October 4, 2010: The northwest
section
continues to reveal new surprises: over
one restriction passages open wider richly decorated with white
stalactites and stalagmites.
2017 feet of
explored caves
are added.
October 24, 2010: The path must be guessed in the midst of a dense network of karst decorations. A tunnel seems to go towards the cave Balan Ak, but turns out to be dead end with stagnant water with high concentration of tannic acid, because of which the walls and the formations are covered by a black patina. Are added 1915 feet of explored passages, and the maximum penetration distance is 4504 feet from the entrance.
October 31, 2010: The
cave
wants to go to the
West, the incredible amount of stalactites and
stalagmites forced to sudden and frequent changes of direction.
Are added to
1215 feet
of explored caves in a single dive.
November 7, 2010: Taking advantage of the intensity of water flow enough to clear the water, a bedding plane of about 1,5 foot high is forced , which leads to meet after 69 meters, the line laid from the cenote Balan Ak. The two individual caves are now forming a system, which takes its name Actun Balun, given by the largest cave connected to the smallest. The system actually includes 27.690 feet of underwater caves, and ranks in 16th place in the list of the largest systems of Quintana Roo.
November 30, 2010:
In the
upstream sector
is
found
a
pipe
that
seems
to go to the
cenote
Mil Columnas.
1090 feet
are
explored
but
seem the tunnel to
end
in a deep
phreatic passage.
January 22, 2011:
Given
the
difficulties of
dimension
and poor
visibility
in advancing
in the
downstream section another
approach
is
attempted
from
a
cenote
discovered
in
2004
by
Simon
Richards named
Tiracola's
Bed. In the drawing by Simon is visible the entry and the cavern zone surface.
The small entrance (inside view).
To the North of the cavern zone the depth increase and is intercepted a quite intense water flow. Are explored 519 feet of submersed cave to North-West direction; about 30 feet separate this cave by one of the last branch of system Balun Actun. In the opposite direction, after 65 feet the duit surfaces in the cenote Penthouse (named by Simon).
Cenote Penthouse access.
North-East from the cenote Penthouse a dry cave connects to Cenote Rojo, from which another submersed cave (117 feet only) is explored. February 24, 2011: A serie of diving allows to extend the northern section of the system; a weak water flow seems to lead to another parallel tunnel to the southeast. Are added to the system 1834 feet of new underwater caves.
March 15, 2011: Is made a further attempt to connect with the system Actun Can, but the size of the cave and the rapid decrease of visibility prevent progression. Only 239 feet are added to the system.
April 7, 2011: Due to the proximity to the Dos Ojos system (in his section of the cenote Dos Palmas) is made a serie of dives that can correct an error of about 300 feet; are also extended northward explorations for about 130 feet.
The distance to the Balun Actun system is only 241 feet, however, is necessary to explore over 700 feet of caves to find the key passage through many restrictions. The cave system Balun Actun is connected with the cave system Dos Ojos by Alessandro Reato April 7, 2011, adding to it 32.488 feet of caves.
The Dos Ojos is the third largest cave system in the world and has to date 258.343 feet of underwater caves.
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