Intro Level Cave Dives- Peacock Springs

[Kevin]

Courtney and I will be doing Intro Cave dives at Peacock Saturday (6/6/09). First two dives will probably be Mainline then Peanut. Will be leaving Orlando early AM. All cave divers are welcome to join. No Cavern or OW are allowed in the system at the moment.

[tj]

Look for the deer skull when you get near pothole. We couldn't find it last weekend.... that shelf isn't the same without it... :icon_smile:

[Kevin]

Will do. Where is the shelf? Before or after Pothole?

[denise]

As you swim up Peacock Mainline, you round a sharp right corner at about 400/500 feet. A vertical line leads up to Pothole (too tight to get in and out for most divers with gear on), and the main line keeps going along with the tunnel. Right after you see this vertical line, look to your right and there is a big "shelf" close to the ceiling. That's where the remaining deer bones are.

Apparently a few years ago, a deer (or would we call her doe!), was drinking up at Pothole sink, fell in, and drowned! The remains eventually decayed, and divers put the remains of the skeleton up on the shelf. I always check them out as I swim by, they are pretty cool :)

After the flood they all got washed around the place in the tunnel, Tj and I found 5 bones last weekend (in close proximity to the shelf) and put them back, but so sign of the skull :102:

[Kevin]

That is neat. I guess we missed the shelf last time we were there. I was admiring how beautiful Pothole looked with the sun coming down through the small window. I will definitely check out the shelf this time.

[tj]

Apparently a few years ago, a deer (or would we call her doe!), was drinking up at Pothole sink, fell in, and drowned!

Geeze...what a story! I think the doe was being chased by a buck, and fell into the hole. Or.. it committed suicide because Rudolph dumped her.

For months, after she fell into the hole, that part of the tunnel smelled like 'dead'... but the cave creatures had a feast! :102:

[Peter]

The circle of life. Sounds like a Disney story.

[jj1987]

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v323/147/46/5233608/n5233608_46784747_9681.jpg

Don't think I've ever seen the skull.

[denise]

Here is the deer skull....

http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/3/fossils_5.jpg

Ok...just kidding, here is a pic I took a few months ago.....deer skull in the middle:

http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/3/deerbonespeacock_1.jpg

[jj1987]

where's the skull photo taken? That looks like one of those peacock passages that get nasty fast!

[denise]

That skull was photographed in down one of the little crevices at Devils Den.....the skulls is always being moved around by divers......