Return to Santa Cruz Island

1� NSS  NewS,January�009

zineeditorstodoastoryonthecaveinvertebrates.Davidspentsevenweeksintheparkswiththegoalofphotographingallofthenewspecies.Henearlysucceededandcreatedanamazingseriesofphotos.Davidpatientlysetupwhatamountedtoasmallphotostudioineachcave.Wewouldfindthearthropodsandbringthemtohim.HephotographedeachanimaldozensoftimesinapolishedPetridishwithlightingfrommultipleangles.Thiscreateddramaticphotographswithonlytheanimalonawhitebackground.

AfinalmeetingbetweenZaraandtheParkhelpedusdevelopadatabasewithresultsoftheinventoryworkandtoprepareusformonitoringtheseanimalsforthelongterm.WeworkedforseveraldaysontheAccessdatabaseandprotocolsforfuturemonitoringworkthatisnowon-goingatthepark.

ThisishardlythelastchapterinthestoryofcaveinvertebratesatSequoiaandKingsCanyonNationalParks.Recentanalyseshaveshownthatusuallyittakes10ormoretripstoacavetofindallofthetaxapresent(KrejcaandWeckerly�007).Mostcavesattheparkswerevisitedonetotwotimesduringthisstudy.Mostof

thenewspeciesweidentifiedinTable1arenotdescribed,theylackfulltaxonomicworkupandspecificnames.Wealsoknownothingoftheseanimals’populations,ecology,preferredfoodsandreproduction.Whileatfirstitwouldappearthatcaveanimalsinanationalparkwouldbewellprotected,thatmaynotalwaysbethecase.AnimalsinCrystalCave,ourtourcave,suffermanyimpactsfromthetensofthousandsofvisitorstothecaveeachyearandtheassociatedinfrastructureinsidethecave.Recentfiresuppressionactionsintheparksalsothreatentheaquaticcavespeciesbecausefiresuppressionchemicalsaretoxic.Wehopeforalong,productiveandinterestingfutureforparkcaveinvertebratesandtheresearchonthesefascinatinganimals.

referenCeKrejca,J.K.andB.Weckerly.�007.Detectionprobabilitiesof

karstinvertebrates.ReportpreparedforTexasParksandWildlifeDepartment.�7Undescribed japygid dipluran in Soldiers Cave

Taracus sp. in Forsyth Cave Yosemite National Park

Peelingoutofourwetsuitsafterafulldayofseacavehunting,photography,andsurvey,abeautifulsunsetspreadbeforeusintheshelteredwatersofForneyCove.Justasweallscrambledtofindourcameras,adistantsailboatcameintoview,andweallwaitedas it linedupperfectly inanotchamongagroupofseastacks.Wehadjustcrossedsomeofmostturbulentseasaroundtheisland,thedreaded“PotatoPatch,”butwerenowanchoredintranquilwaters.ItwasagreatendingforourlastfulldayonSantaCruzIsland.

ThiswasthesecondtripintwoyearsthatI’dorganizedaspartofarenewedsurveyoftheseacavesthere.SantaCruzistoseacaveswhatKentuckyandTAGaretosolu-tioncaves.Therearefewplacesintheworldthathavetheabundanceofmajorseacavesthatthisislandhas.Priortothisrenewalofoursurveywork,from198�to1988wehadmapped11�cavesforatotalofover5milesofpassage.Withtheadditionofsome

largenewcavessurveyedonthesetwo,therearenow�8cavesover�00feetlongand�9over�00feetlongontheisland.

TheinitialworkherewasallpresentedinabookIpublishedin1988,Sea Caves of Santa Cruz Island.Mapsofmostofthecaves,descriptions,andphotoswerepublished inthisguidebooktothe islandcaves.The bookhas beenhelpful forbiologistsstudyingthemarineandavianinhabitantsofthecaves,andalsobecamepopularwithseakayakersasthissporthasgrowninpopularity.AtthetimeIfeltlikewehadfoundmostofthecaves,butafewvisitsinsubsequentyearssuggestedtherewaslotsofstuffwemayhavemissed.Thebookhasnowbeenoutofprintforalmostadecade.In�006wedidthefirstsurveytriptotheislandinalmosttwodecades,inanticipationofmymakingarevisedversionofthebook,whichwouldincludemapsofnewcaves,mapsofthefewcaveswe’dexploredbutbeenunabletomap,andphotographsofalltheentrances

Return to Santa Cruz Islandtext and photos by Dave Bunnell; maps by John Lovaas

John Lovaas begins sketching in the surge channel leading into Backdoor Cave

NSS  NewS,January�009 1�

tohelpidentifythem.Itwillalsoincorporatenewinformationfromwildlifebiologistsonwhichcavestoavoidandwhen,toprotectthebirdsthatnestinthecaves.Generallyspeaking,fallisthebestseasontonotonlyavoidrun-inswithnestbuilders,butalsotohavethecalmestseaconditions.

The�006tripconsistedmostlyofscout-ingfornewcaves,shootingentrances,andsortingoutexactlocationsforsomeofthecavesinthebook.Conditionswereontheroughside,soweonlymappedonenewcave,onethatisunusuallydifficulttospotforaseacave.Insteadofthetypicalopening,thecavewasvisiblefromtheseaonlyasatallfissureblockedwithrocks.Onlybyscalinga15-footclimbwasthecavebeyondvisible.Thesurveyofthiscaveyielded���feetofthemostlinearcaveI’veseen,evenforaseacave.Italsohadahugetidepoolfulloflobsterintheback.AmapandphotoswerepublishedintheCalifornia Caver (#��7,Summer�006)

InlateOctober�007,DanClardy,JohnLovaas,NancyPistole,andIheadedoutonceagaintoseekhighadventureintheseacavesofSantaCruzIsland.WewereinDan’s��-foottri-hull,aroomysailboatwithoutasailbutabletocruiseatawhopping6knotswithitsinboarddieselengine.Soittookseveralhourstomakethe�5-milecrossingfromtheharborinSantaBarbara.ThistimeIwasarmedwithabunchofcoolprintoutsmadefromGoogleEarthshowingalltheknowncaves,leadsspottedonprevioustrips,andsomenewleadsevidentfromperusingGEalone.Happyisthecaverwhoseprojectareaiscoveredinahighlevelofdetail…Afterahiatusofalmosttwodecades,technologywasgivingourseacavesurveyaboost.

day 1: east end TheeastendofSantaCruzIslandis

administeredbytheNationalParkServiceaspartofChannelIslandsNationalPark.ThereisagreatanchorageatLittleScorpion

Bayamongstcave-stud-dedislets,andherewemadeourhomeforthefirstnight.Asisusualinseacaving,oursurveyswereplanned for theperiodsofacoupleofhoursbeforeandafterthelowtide.Onlythencanyoubecertainofgettingaccessofmostofthecave,andeventhen,portionsofacavemaybeaccessibleonlywithSCUBAgear.Sincethelowtidesforthedaysofourtripoccurredinmidto lateafternoon,wewould typically spend

morningsmovingtheboat intoposition,scoutingcaves,andphotographingandconfirmingentrancesofcavesmappedinthe1980s.Afteramorningofscoutingfromthemainboat,wethenheadedoutinseakayaksforcloserlooksandwerepreparedtosurveyanynewfinds.Withtheseakayaksonecanpopintoacaveopeningforabetterlookthanfromthebigboat.Wefoundsomeinterestingnewcavesontheeastsideoftheisland,afterroundingSanPedroPoint.Thesurfwasn’texactlycalmbutconditionswerebetterthanonthenorthsideoftheisland.Asthelowtideapproached,wepickedacomplexareathatappearedtohaveseveralcavestoworkon.Landingwasabittrickyastheshorelinewasarockyshelf—sowedida“seallanding,”basicallyridingaswellupandploppingontotheshelf.Afailedseallandingtypicallyendswithoneflippingtheirboatanddumping,butthemostexperiencedofusmanagedwithnoproblems.Notsoournoviceseacaver…Scoutingtheclosestentrances,weenteredanicechamberwith

twoseawardentrancesseparatedbyapillar.Thetidewasnowquitelow,anditwasclearfromtheorganismsencrustingtheceilingthatthiscaveprettymuchopeneduponlyatlowtide.Thefloorswerecoveredwithanicevarietyofpurpleurchins,giantgreenseaanemones,andsomelargekeyholelimpets.Onesurpriseherewasanentranceinitsfarendthatemergedupontodryland,sowenameditBackdoorCave.Anotherunusualfeaturewasasurgechannelononesideofthecave,withakeyhole inonewall thatonecouldcrawlthroughintoanadjacentcovewithahugecaveentrance,probably100x50,but this ledonly intoashallowcavewithaseriesofhighledgesobviouslypopularwithbirds.

day 2: platt’s HarBor CavesThenextmorningwemovedtheboat

westabout10milestoPlatt’sHarbor.Wehadlocatedseveralpromising-lookingleadshereonourlasttrip,usingthekayaks.Todayweweredueforaverylowtide,-0.9.Themostintriguingregionwasapointthatappearedriddledwith7ormoreentrances.Alargeswathoforange lichencovered theseacliffabove,laterlendingthenameOrangeSherbertComplexforthecavewefound.Landingnearsomeofthesmallerentrances,wedraggedtheboatsoverbarnacle-studdedrocksexposedbytherecedingtide.Twosmallentrancesconnectedupinside intosomesmallishtunnelsthatthenopenedintoaverylargechamber,over100feetacross,about90feetwide,andwithceilingheightsupto�5-feethigh.Thetidepoollifeinthischamberwasstunning:mostofthe largecobbleswerecoveredwithspongesinvarioushuesoforange,yellow,red,andblue.Onerarelyseesspongesintidepoolsoutside,astheyseemtoprefermoresubduedlight.Seacaveswithpermanentdarkzones,however,

Nancy Pistole in a sea cave crawlway at Backdoor Cave

1� NSS  NewS,January�009

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typicallyhaveonlywhitesponges.BrightredBatStarsandorangeOchreseastarsclungtotherocks,whilesomeofthetidepoolbasinswerefilledwithpurpleurchinsandgiantgreenanemones.Wetookaseriesofsplayshotstodefinetheroom,andwhileJohncaughtuponthesketch,ItooksomesnapshotswithmylittleCoolpixP5000.Thecavewasgenerallywellilluminatedbuthead-lampsweredefinitelyusefulforseeingthefloordetailsandportionsoftheroomwereintotaldarkness.Thelatterareasshowedverylittletidepoollife.

Ontheeastsideofthemainroomanopeninggaveaccess toanotherpassagethatwaswater-filledevenatthis lowtidelevel,sowegrabbedthekayakstoexploreit.Ittapedoutto110feetlongandupto50feetwide,withceilingheightsupto�0feet.Welandedinsideyetanother largecobble-coveredchamber.Theselargecobblesprobablyactasgrindingstonesasthesurfsurgesin,tumblingthemaroundandscour-ingthecavewallsandceiling.

Onarollwiththislargecave,andabout

One of the Orange Sherbert entrances at a minus tide

18 NSS  NewS,January�009

Sunset in Forney’s CoveA Giant Keyhole Limpet (Megathura crenulata) in Backdoor Cave

This cave on the east end was formed along a contact between the basalt and the agglomerate layers.

Dan Clardy entering Orange Sherbert Cave. Guess who was puling sea urchin spines from his feet later?

An Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus) in Orange Sherbert Cave

Purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and Giant green anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) in Backdoor Cave. The former mean that stout footwear is advised for sea caving.

Bat Star (Patiria miniata) and sponges in Orange Sherbert CaveNancy Pistole at one of the Orange Sherbert entrances

NSS  NewS,January�009 19

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anhourofdaylightremaining,wepaddledaroundapointtoanearbycavethatwehadexploredonour�006trip.Onthatday,conditionshadbeenmuchrougher,butwehadfundartingintothewide,lowcaveanddoingathroughtripouttoasecondentrancethroughasmall tunnelthat intermittentlyfilledandemptiedwiththeswell.Timingwaseverythingthen.Butnow,withthetideverymuchlower,itwaspracticallyadrysurveyofthiscave,abroad,10-foot-highchamberagainflooredwithlargecobbles.Weworkedthecaveuntilafterdark,andpaddledbacktotheboatviaheadlamp.We’dalsoflippedontheboat’sanchorlightsbeforeleaving,justincasewereturnedafterdark.

day 3: painted CaveOurthirddayontheislandwasaphoto-

graphicsafari tophotographthe interiorofPaintedCave,theresultsofwhichweredetailedintheJanuary�008issueoftheNews.Wefoundmoresurveyablecavesthatday,butswellconditionshadpickeduptothepointwhereitseemedtooriskytoenter

someofthem.Itdidn’thelpthatthelowtidesoccurredsolateintheday,aftertheafternoonwindshadpickedup.

day 4: forney’s OnourlastdayweroundedtheWest

EndofSCI,anareaknownforhabituallyroughseasasitcaughttheprevailingwestswellsdirectly.Yearsago,NancyPistole,MattOliphantandIhadmapped5hugecaveshereonanunusualglassy-seaday.Thismorning,wetraversedtheminthebigboat,thebestplatformforshootingentrancephotos.Itwasmuchtoosloppyforkayakscouting,sowecontinuedaroundtoForney’sCove,awell-protectedanchoragewhereIknewofatleastoneunsurveyedcave.WedidasurfacehikeandlocatedawholeseriesofcavesIhadn’tknownof,beforereturningforagorgeoussunset.

We’dmappedsomegreatcaves,andbetteryet,foundevenmorecavestoreturntoinabeautifulplace.Whatmorecanonewantoutofacavingexpedition?

Nancy Pistole at one of the Backdoor Cave entrances