Christmas in the dark

Story by Ralph Joerger

It special kind of gift, to spend charismas night putting knots every 3 meters in #18 nylon braid, yet  that's exactly what happened this year as I joined JUE for a trip to Paglugaban cave, Palawan, Philippines.

My first real cave survey was nothing short of a magical experience.  Rather than being a chore - the survey depended our understanding and bond with Paglugaban.    Diving from a DIR compatible Liveaboard RagsTwo we marveled at and measured a cave that is truly exciting - and reminds me greatly of our spiritual home, where we met, in Mexico.

From the scientific work of surveying its-self, to the nerve-wracking experience of holding a penetration reel swimming into dark places that are unfamiliar to the eyes of man I felt a great connection to my buddies.  Its not just that we are all dive the same way; we are acted as one. our expectations effortlessly exceed.

 Excitement grew over our 2 day adventure and each night the digital survey map looked more and more complete. One of the most enjoyable aspects of our cave surveying is seeing what a committed team of GUE cave divers can do in just 2 days.

Another important lesson learned is that you can trust your survey compass.  Cave routes are deceiving to the mind, but not to scientific equipment. (And if you do love your compass, its probably best to loose it on the cave ceiling)

Paglugaban Cave Survey - Fast Facts

Date of Survey: Dec 25-26 2009
Flow: Negligible
Visibility: Excellent
Halocline: Variable 6-9m
Maximum depth reached: 30m
Water Temperature: Circa 28C
Maximum penetration on exiting line: 235M
Maximum round trip on existing line: 695M

Cave Survey by:  Thomas & Eriko Jonsson, Eiichi Ray Kato, Ralph Joerger and Jacob Mellor.
Video Survey by: Steve Cox, Nicolas Le Clerk, Thomas Jonsson
Trip Coordinated by: Miko Zulueta.

Cave 1 diving opportunities

The main cave line covering a 435m round trip. Max Depth 15M

Access is though a narrow opening from the sea but the cave opens up rapidly, containing a mix of salt and crystal clear fresh water that have carved out a vast cave that go deep inside the island.

Through the opening lies a rocky passage where one must work with the ocean surge to enter gracefully.  Reef fish dance around the entrance, lobsters are hiding behind every rock.  A pair of cowries also took shelter in eerie boundary between cave and sea.  The sea water lies just 1 meter deep; in the frowsty air above bats nest in karst decorations -  and an effigy of the virgin mary looks over those who enter.

A few minutes in the surge leads the diver down a sharp slope into wide domed decorated cavern of around 40 meters diameter .The bottom covered in a fine white clay which will hang in water and should not be disturbed.  A rock fall in the middle of the room provides an ideal tie off point at 6M, and heads the diver to the primary line.  To the east, the cavern widens to s small room which plays home to a banded sea snake.

At the back  wall of this cavern, the primary line will be found in 10.5M of water and the true overhead environment begins.   The permanent line is made from white nylon cave line; rarely disturbed - as it is decorated with crystals and growths - as if it wants to become part of the reef outside.

Following the line out of the dome cavern to the south, the diver enters a passage around 8 meters wide with tall, dark, granular formations on both sides.  The line toward the top of the passage on the right hand wall as you enter, regularly attached to larger stalactite formations. 

50 meters of progress leads to a T junction marked with double arrows attached to a stalagmite.  Below, behind floor to ceiling formations  hides a small room home to the glowing eyes of lobster,  the deepest cave dweller we saw that didn't have a set of twins strapped to their back.  Both lines at the T connect to a circuit line of the back cavern.

We first followed the left hand line which winds down across the passage ceiling.  Below the cave drops rapidly away to 30m and is full of dark formations and bright white silt.  Despite many decorations and overhangs below, we did not find further exploration opportunities.

This topography winds South East and down for another 45 meters of progress then upwards very sharply.   A gentle mixing of fresh and sea water cascades down the rock-face - like a treacherous ethereal waterfall leading up to another vast and decorated open dome cavern.

An abandoned buoy and rope lead up to the surface where a rock ledge lays host to a monument to a black cross and Madonna statue prays for the souls of those who lost there lives here. In the 1980s, a group of seven recreation divers were lost in the cave and got trapped in the back cavern.  Five divers were tragically lost to the overhead, yet 2 ascended to the ledge where the Madonna rests now, and waited for 2 days in the darkness until rescued by the Philippine Navy.  A reminder that this magical and innocent looking cave is as treacherous as it is beautiful.   I dropped a safety bottle on the line there - it just seemed like the right thing to do.

The back caverns geology differs from the previous.  The silt is course and yellow in color.  Large, angular dark rocks line the center of the cavern, a vivid halocline clings to the floor at 9m of depth. Large dripping formations are dotted across the floor.  Walls are white with trickling  yellow and brown stains.

An attractive grouping of 3 stalagmites at the Eastern end of the dome overlooks a change of directional marker.

The line continues around to the west - leading away from the wall - revealing some large stalagmites and large, angular black rockfall.   This route really shows the vast size of this cavern and instills a sense of wonder. To the right, one can see a large silt hole leading down.  Shortly after this, a double arrow points back down across the deep tunnel back to the T and the exit.

After a 100M swim, calm blue seas, hard corals and dancing reef fish welcome you back into the world of light.


Cave 2 diving opportunities

Long East Passageway – a 110M restricted linear penetration, Max Depth 13M

From the change of directional marker, a 20m East-bound jump through a restriction leads to the long, narrow East passageway.  This section is more highly decorated and narrow.

The line zig-zags between formations passing a low restriction, and into high and long decorated corridor.  The passage narrows to a restriction, but remains tall in aspect and the diver will notice on the silty floor the well-preserved skeleton of a Dolphin.   A further narrow restriction opens to a larger decorated corridor. Large, dark decorations line the stained white walls, with a highly decorated annex to the left.  At the far end of this chamber list the preserved remains of a large grouper at the foot of a coral and shell “rockslide” that end the passage.

Using survey data and GPS, JUE attempted to locate the other end of this passageway from the sea...but we found no diveable route.


Silthole to 30m

Near the double arrows on the west side of the back cavern is a silthole.  It was explored carefully to 30m depth, but no further significant penetration opportunities were found.


South West Dome - Circa 25m diameter, Max Depth 30M

Whilst adding detail to our cave survey map - we discovered another large dome to the South East of the back cavern.

From the double arrows on the east side of the back cavern tie in a penetration reel and head South-West.   What at first appears to be a plain wall reveals downwards to a large, water filled dome.  Formations and silt look clean and untouched.  The dome is well decorated and leads down to 30m.  We visually spotted what may be a small, silty tunnel to the bottom East side of this dome, but turned the dive before we had chance to verify any further penetration opportunities.