Falling Cave

May 19, 2005 - 15:30-17:00 EST

District: Thornton

Parish: St Elizabeth

WGS84 L/L: 18 12 13.7, 77 43 09.7

JAD69: 173793 E, 172416 N

JAD2001: 673904 E, 672705 N

Altitude: 180m WGS84

Accuracy: +/- 15m horizontal; +/- 15m vertical

Type: Stream passage

Accessibility: Walk-in

Depth: 38

Length: 1294m

Explorers: NSS - 1987

Survey: NSS - 1987

JU Ref: Text - pg 169; Map - pg 170

Entrance size: 3m W x 3m H

Entrance aspect: 205 deg true

Vegetation in general locale: Farm, bush

Vegetation at entrance: Bush

Rock type: Yellow limestone

Bedding: Moderate

Jointing: Moderate

Speleothems: Stals

Palaeo resources: None

Archaeo resources: None

Hydrology: Wet

Siltation: Low

Sink: N/A

Rising: Active

Stream passage with surface activity: Strong flow

Stream passage without surface activity: N/A

Dark zone: >99%

Climate: Cool, humid.

Bats: Undetermined

Bat guano: Undetermined

Guano mining: Undetermined

Guano condition: Undetermined

Eleutherodactylus cundalli: Some

Neoditomyia farri: Undetermined

Amblypygids: Undetermined

Periplaneta americana: Undetermined

Cave crickets: Undetermined

Sesarma: Undetermined

Other species: Undetermined.

Visitation: Occasional

Speleothem damage: Undetermined

Graffiti: Undetermined

Garbage: Undetermined

Ownership: Private

Protection: None

Vulnerability: Low. Occasional visitation by people of the district, but they don't go far due to water.

Falling Cave

May 19, 2005

Team: Stewart, Conolley

Notes: RS Stewart

We had problems pinning this one down. The NSS positions listed in JU for the caves in the district are inaccurate in the extreme. On our second attempt, we found a cave that the local people call Falling Cave, because of the water that resurges here in rain times, but it is a kilometre from the position given in JU. Near the JU position, we found what we believe to be River Maiden Cave (not far from the listed position) because it is at the head of a small stream that we were told is the Maiden River. Unfortunately, we were not able to get into what we believe to be Falling River Cave due to a strong resurgence. This, we were told, had only started about a week before.

We've GPS referenced the position of the entrance, and will make a return trip in dryer times to have a look at the inside to see if it matches the NSS map of the cave. The NSS indicate it to be a major river cave, and judging from the flow issuing from the one we found, there's a lot of large passage in there.

There is a track to the entrance that hits the road at about 18 12 07.8 N, 77 43 09.6 W. Drive to this position, park, and ask the nearest person - you'll be pointed the right way.