Springwise
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My Buddy and I recently visited Ray Hole spring, or so we believe. After a 25 mile boat ride we were greeted with clarity which enabled us to see bottom 39 feet down from the boat. After buoying at the Deloach number, we initiated a bottom search with a reel and eventually located a circular depression to a maximum depth of 44 ft. Like the reports I have read the sides were undercut or "ledgey" over about 240 degrees from southeast to north northwest, with the remaining edge more of a slope. However, if anyone has read the reports and dreamed of going cave and 60 foot depths, be prepared for a big dissappointment.
Unlike the reports, the ledge extends down only about 4 to 5 feet to a sandy,bowl shaped caldera of fill. No 20 ft ledge, no massive schools of tasty grouper, no... well... spring of any significance for that matter. Where we expected the Blue hole to 60 ft in 36-40 ft of water, we were greeted with a few questionable seeps and one undercut ledge on the southeast side where a too small passage extended beyond light range. There was alot of sea life there to be sure. Flounder, hog snapper and a few small grouper were there, along with the usual reef fish. But alas, hardly the bounty my buddy and I had imagined after reading all about this spot.
After our first dive, we were discussing the peplexing lack of a "hole" at ray hole, and I was telling my buddy that we were probably not on the spot. As if to lay my doubt to rest, a Boston Whaler motored though the empty sea directly towards us, pulled up not 20 feet away, tossed the bouy, and the guys aboard were kind enough to inform us that yes this was the spot, and no there was no cave. "there's some springs under the ledge on the southeast side" the captain informed us, "where the sand looks whiter." It all looked pretty white to me, but I did recall swimming through what I swore was a "cline" of some kind near the ledges.
Now I had googled all things "ray hole" for a week before this trip and there was alot of archaeological literature about the site. Apparently there have been a number of excavations at ray hole, and I had read excerpts of many of the data. However, I don't recall reading that the spring had filled in. I was told at the dive shop that an FSU underwater archaeology class had been out looking for the site and failed to find it.
So. My question is.....what gives? If the site is a relict of a paleokarstic feature which was "flowing" in 1976 (Deloach guide and original report by sea captain) then it has been active for maybe 7000-9000 years (dating based on wood collected at site ). Why and how could it have filled in completely since 1976 and ceased any appreciable flow? Hurricanes have surely been slamming the area periodically since the inundation of the continental shelf began several thousand years ago, so I would not expect it to fill up all of a sudden as a result of storm. Drought, and a reduction of hydrostatic pressure could have concievably allowed it to accumulate silt but.....
I think it's one of two things. The first possibility is that we were NOT diving ray hole. In which case, I was hoping someone more knowledgable than I could disavow me of the notion that we were. Second, and I'm leaning this way, that the original captain who reported a visible slick or boil was an unconcionable exaggerator, and while he was exaggerating just decided to also exaggerate the depth as well as the existence of the cave.
So anyone with some knowledge of the area, any other possible springs or sinks in the gulf , or an interest in the subject is welcome to post some info.
Unlike the reports, the ledge extends down only about 4 to 5 feet to a sandy,bowl shaped caldera of fill. No 20 ft ledge, no massive schools of tasty grouper, no... well... spring of any significance for that matter. Where we expected the Blue hole to 60 ft in 36-40 ft of water, we were greeted with a few questionable seeps and one undercut ledge on the southeast side where a too small passage extended beyond light range. There was alot of sea life there to be sure. Flounder, hog snapper and a few small grouper were there, along with the usual reef fish. But alas, hardly the bounty my buddy and I had imagined after reading all about this spot.
After our first dive, we were discussing the peplexing lack of a "hole" at ray hole, and I was telling my buddy that we were probably not on the spot. As if to lay my doubt to rest, a Boston Whaler motored though the empty sea directly towards us, pulled up not 20 feet away, tossed the bouy, and the guys aboard were kind enough to inform us that yes this was the spot, and no there was no cave. "there's some springs under the ledge on the southeast side" the captain informed us, "where the sand looks whiter." It all looked pretty white to me, but I did recall swimming through what I swore was a "cline" of some kind near the ledges.
Now I had googled all things "ray hole" for a week before this trip and there was alot of archaeological literature about the site. Apparently there have been a number of excavations at ray hole, and I had read excerpts of many of the data. However, I don't recall reading that the spring had filled in. I was told at the dive shop that an FSU underwater archaeology class had been out looking for the site and failed to find it.
So. My question is.....what gives? If the site is a relict of a paleokarstic feature which was "flowing" in 1976 (Deloach guide and original report by sea captain) then it has been active for maybe 7000-9000 years (dating based on wood collected at site ). Why and how could it have filled in completely since 1976 and ceased any appreciable flow? Hurricanes have surely been slamming the area periodically since the inundation of the continental shelf began several thousand years ago, so I would not expect it to fill up all of a sudden as a result of storm. Drought, and a reduction of hydrostatic pressure could have concievably allowed it to accumulate silt but.....
I think it's one of two things. The first possibility is that we were NOT diving ray hole. In which case, I was hoping someone more knowledgable than I could disavow me of the notion that we were. Second, and I'm leaning this way, that the original captain who reported a visible slick or boil was an unconcionable exaggerator, and while he was exaggerating just decided to also exaggerate the depth as well as the existence of the cave.
So anyone with some knowledge of the area, any other possible springs or sinks in the gulf , or an interest in the subject is welcome to post some info.
