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March 31, 2005
SWANGA CAVE
Position:
Big Swanga: WGS84 - 18 18' 45.2" N, 77 34' 10.1" W, +/- 10m
Swanga-Banga: WGS84 - 18 18' 29.7" N, 77 34' 05.3" W, +/- 10m
Field notes: D.
K. Roggy
Cavers: R.
S. Stewart, I. C. Conolley, D. Roggy, E. Slack
Time in: 12:00 EST, Time out: 13:30 EST
THREAT VULNERABILITY: High
We made our way from the roadside where Carambie cave was located, up
a dirt road and into the bush, with the assistance of a very helpful
local man named Gary. We were searching for Swanga cave and he told
us that he would show it to us. What he took us to was a tall shelter
cave on the side of a valley, probably 60 feet tall. From the ground
level at around the drip line the land dropped down sharply into this
large shelter cave. I made my way down the muddy, channeled slope down
about 40 feet, to where an entrance seemed to be located. It was choked
up with sediment. It seems to me that this is a river rising where water
comes up out of it to perhaps just below grade, then drops back down,
causing the eroded channels seen. This cave is referred to here as "Big
Swanga."
Next Gary showed us a small stream passage that he referred to as "Banga."
This cave turned out to be the "Swanga" cave noted in Jamaica
Underground, and the cave referred to here as "Swanga-Banga."
Gary accompanied us on our journey into this active stream cave. The
passage got low enough in places that only our heads were above water.
This was a new experience for Gary, and he dealt with it very well.
After traveling along the passage for about 25 minutes we reached a
sump and had to turn back.
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