Divers Say Weeki Wachee Is 400 Feet Deep

[jonsdigs]

Divers Say Weeki Wachee Is 400 Feet Deep
WFTV (Orlando FL)
July 3, 2007

WEEKI WACHEE, Fla. -- Two divers said the mermaids at Weeki Wachee have plenty of room for swimming; 400-foot-deep caves that may be the deepest underwater cave system in the country.

Divers from the Tampa-based Karst Underwater Research said the ongoing drought has helped them determine that the caves are at least 400-feet deep.

The dry conditions on land have dropped the usually heavy water flow in the crystal-clear springs. Over the weekend, the conditions were right for the divers to see how low they could go. The divers said when they got to 350 feet below the water surface, they could see the cave turn and continue farther down toward a pit.

The divers plan to drop into the springs again this weekend.

Story

[Kelly Jessop]

Pretty incredible work in this high flow cave system.

[jonsdigs]

Cave Network May Be Deepest in U.S.

By CHANDRA BROADWATER
St. Petersburg Times
7/06/07

WEEKI WACHEE - The home of the Weeki Wachee mermaids may also be the deepest underwater cave system in the country.

Last week, divers from Tampa's Karst Underwater Research group got farther than any other divers in history to determine that the caves are at least 400 feet deep.

With the help of about 20 people on land, the exhausted but excited two-man crew emerged from the cool, crystal-clear springs about 4:30 a.m. Saturday after beginning the dive at 6 p.m. Friday.

"Weeki Wachee is a crown jewel that everyone's coveted and wanted to get into," said Karst Underwater Research president Jeff Petersen. "But nature's prevented that. This is a historic event."

Drought conditions have slowed the usual flow of the springs by nearly half, to about 97 cubic feet per second, Petersen said. As it has gotten drier on land, the nonprofit research group began testing the flow in late May to determine when conditions would be right to dive.

Now divers can withstand the currents to make their way past the heavy flow and then drop into the cavernous underwater world. There the flow dissipates because the caves are so broad.

"It's still hard. You pull with a lot of strength to get in," Petersen said. "And if you let go, you go flying back."

He likened the flow to hanging on to a flagpole in hurricane winds.

Full Story

[Brian Roebuck]

We'll all have to keep an eye on this story. It sounds like they will continue to push the cave as conditions permit. One big rain event could recharge the system and stop further exploration though.