Waterhole

[JerseyJersey]

Life is a grindstone. But whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. ~ Thomas L. Holdcroft ~

It was a great dive; I always enjoy the Waterhole Tunnel and Peacock System, about a 2000 foot trip into the world of wet rocks.

On the Peanut Line, at the first set of double arrows on the left, sits the Waterhole Tunnel. This passage runs parallel to the mainline and doubles back in a meandering tunnel of silt and limestone. The variety offered on this offshoot begins with breakdown and low bedding planes. It moves on to the ceiling; vaulting up and white ledges of limestone jutting out into the passage forming a shelf on each side. You pass through looking up and your light plays along the light colors of the ceiling and dark recesses below the ledge.

This opens up to wider arched passge and you move along closer to the ceilingn with the feeling of the echo of foot steps in a long library hallway. The passage once again lowers and the floor is gray with silt, the occaisional white rock bursting through the surface challenging the dark powdery floor to swallow it up and the tunnel ends in a break dwon pile, floor to ceiling. If you wend your way through it you can see the light of the surface throught a jumble of rock and branches and then you turn and follow these same passages back out to the goldline and return to the cavern entrance knowing... knowing that just off of your right shoulder....beyond the wall of rock.... lies another passage, the same, but different, echoing in its own right.

[Greenwood_60]

I got an opportunity to dive this passage this weekend. Most beautiful passage in peacock that I have seen. It's a bit of a swim to see it all (we turned an estimated 200' from the EOL), but it's well worth it. It was actually the clearest water we saw sunday.

[stairman]

I tried to get in at waterhole last year. Bad idea and unsuccessful getting thru the 3 ft deep hydrilla.

[ffdiver5597]

I got an opportunity to dive this passage this weekend. Most beautiful passage in peacock that I have seen. It's a bit of a swim to see it all (we turned an estimated 200' from the EOL), but it's well worth it. It was actually the clearest water we saw sunday.

Congrats on getting past intro! Did you do apprentice or go straight to full?

[Greenwood_60]

Congrats on getting past intro! Did you do apprentice or go straight to full?

Thanks! Just apprentice. I only had two days... which worked out for the better as the daytime high was in the 40's (late January), and I was diving wet.