Palma Vista
Next we drove to Everglades National Park and visited Palma Vista Cave, a nearly road-side cave and the southernmost known cave in the lower 48 states. The entrance was arched about 4 from one wall to the another attaining almost 2 in height above the waterline. The rock ceiling above is only about 3 thick. I crawled into the cool water and posed for several entrance pictures. Then I explored the cave.
Only about 20 back, you reach a wall. There are some tiny formations on the ceiling in this area. To the left the passage quickly ends. To the right, you can wade across to a standing dome (I could only stand bolt upright if I rammed my feet down into the muck). From here a low passage loops back toward the entrance. I submerged all of my body and one ear to reach a small crawlspace to one side of the entrance. Had I wanted to, I might have been able to squeeze out a small crack on one side of the entrance. Rather, I squeezed through a very wet belly crawl emerging just inside the entrance.
8 from the entrance a skylight, E2, opens above. I exited this way climbing out the skylight and then helped Alan take more pictures. I lowered his tripod and camera to him through the skylight and then posed inside the cave now a bit chilled from the cool water. After that I posed for one more shot in the small dome and exited the cave again. With all the photo gear collected, we walked 40 back to the truck to change.
Palma Vista Gallery
Palma Vista
Taken by the famous Alan Cressler.
Palma Vista
Taken by the famous Alan Cressler.
Palma Vista
Taken by the famous Alan Cressler.
Palma Vista
Taken by the famous Alan Cressler.