In August 2010, James Toland and Agnes Milovka established a link between Peacock Springs and Baptismal Spring. The connection between the two springs has expanded the Peacock Springs cave system by more than 10,000 feet (3 km), significantly increasing its already extensive passage 28,000 feet long (8.5 km).
In this interview, Agnes and James share the thrill of adventure and exploration as they pursue their first connection.
Many people believe that everything in Florida has been found and researched. How is it possible that you guys find a new cave, even in popular systems such as Peacock Springs?
James: Many divers from a Florida cave diving community focus on exploration all over the world, but I think it is important to focus on exploring in our own backyard - something I like to call backyard diving.
There are still many caves awaiting a jolt, and with the evolution of diving equipment and divers, the ability to make defects and longer dives. This opens up new and exciting opportunities that were missed or never considered in the past.
Agnes: I think it comes down to a relationship. Too many people accumulate everything that has been leveled and researched, and they are too happy to follow the already existing lines. Although there is a research culture in Florida, popular caves such as Peacock do not look these days. I think it just shows that the possibilities are endless, and the potential still exists, even in popular and often divided caves.
How did you find the leadership that ultimately led to baptism?
James: Ag ran down several directions with one of her regular dive friends and hit the jackpot. After confirming that the lead had passed, it was turned on. She contacted me and said that let's work a bit; obviously she really had to twist my hand.
Agnes: I actually did a funny dive with another friend, and we decided to check out a part of a peacock I hadn’t seen before - a tunnel for water sources for the peanut line.
As he grew smaller and smaller, I knew that we were coming to the end of the line, and it was very interesting for me to find out what happened next. At last the line ended, and, as I suspected, the cave kept going. It was a bit stressful and rather dull, but it was definitely still going on. I tied up and used what was left of the line I left on the reel to check what was ahead. I put a 200 foot (60 m) line on this dive and decided it was a spectator.
So you found the lead, and it looked promising. Tell us about your next dive.
James: A week later, Eg and I were at it again, and yes, we were armed with more lines and more gas. The mission was simple; put the whole line in.
I was kindly given the lead again, and we hit it. One drum, two drums, and then, before we learned about it, the third reel worked. The cave decided to throw a loop into the mix and began to split and split in several directions, so T & T started to fly. We managed to add over 1000 feet of line. As a result, the dive was 280 minutes, but with an average depth of 35 feet (10 m) we only suffered 10 minutes of deco.
Agnes: This time we had more lines, and they were armed with two drums. This time nothing would stop us! We knew that the dive would be long, so, despite the fact that I was not a morning man, I got up early. By 8 o'clock we were there, waiting for the gates of the park to open.
It was an incredible dive. We just put one coil after another, and it seemed that the cave would not stop. Finally, the way forward became less obvious, and we had to start exploring various options and lead here and there. In the end, they did not go in places, but we felt that we had a successful dive. You cannot sneeze when falling more than 1000 feet (300 m) line per day.
When did you find out that you were going to baptism?
James: We had expectations for our second dive. Breaking through the mud flats, the low muddy part of the beginning of our study, we began to find these green hairy mats of algae flowing through the tunnels. We noticed this previous dive, but we didn’t think much about it. On this dive, we saw it in great abundance throughout the whole new line that we had invested. All of this was also happening through the peanut line in the very faults. As we moved into the cave, it accumulated in large masses and more often. I mean, there were big pieces of this stuff. Then we began to find dead oak leaves in small clusters. All telltale signs of discovery.
Agnes: We knew that we should be close to the discovery because of all the green plump algae. I remember seeing a lot if I were at the entrance to Baptism when I first examined it. The realization that we are moving toward baptism has begun; where else will the stream flow?
I still remember how a couple of years ago I stood at the shores of Epiphany with James, thinking and discussing where all the water goes.
Even then, we realized that it was going to Paul, but we weren't sure if the person could physically fully go all the way. Well, here is our chance to find out.
Tell us more about the moment of connection.
James: Ag was ahead, and she had the great honor of tying the lines from both ends. At the mark we chose, it would most likely be that she put the coil inward and 200 feet (60 m), later there was the end of the line from the descending Baptizing Springs. Ag tied it up and we continued to move forward to make sure that we really did it. There was no doubt in our minds when we entered the hole directly below the entrance to Baptism. Unfortunately, we could not get out, because due to past floods, the entry restriction was already too strict. We saw the light of day, and after a little digging it was opened. We returned the next day to make the right move.
Agnes: It was incredible! I saw my old line and my blue color. arrow and knew we did it! I was delighted. I could dance a little bit then and there, if not physically, especially inside.
It was nice to return through the old and familiar territory in the lower reaches of Baptism. I was glad to see that my line was in good condition and was not buried, even after all the floods in the last year or so. The cave suddenly became part of a much larger picture. Having made the connection to the entrance pool of Baptism, we suddenly joined Paul with the ascending part of Baptism. This meant that the Peacock Cave System unexpectedly exceeded 10,000 feet (3 km) longer!
The next dive, the swimming was formal, but it was also quite exciting. To go down one spring and go out to another, at an altitude of 4,600 feet (1,400 m), further up was rather remarkable. The diver, physically floating through the aisles, demonstrates the hydrological link between the two springs and gives much food for thought. If the diver can swim through the water, so it can be pollution and pollution, and it is worth noting that the water that flows through the Peacock goes a long way, and everything that goes up to it affects the quality of the water in the park.
Bob Schulte is an important part of your team. What was his role in communication?
James: The problem was that before the new Ag reconnaissance line was laid down, there was a section of the line that was not tied, about 400 feet (120 m) from it. Ag and I tried to get data with a tape measure, which came out once, but could not because of zero. This predetermined our ability to display all the survey data as a map, so we never had a real perspective on where we were going. Ag returned to Australia briefly, so at this stage we bought Bob in fun and games. He and I obtained the missing survey data from the old line and examined the rest of the cave in more detail.
Bob brings unique skills to the table. This dude is on fire with some crazy skills in shooting, mapping and combining all of our mumbo jumbo. In the near future, Bob is going to transform the world of scuba diving with his maps, and he does an absolutely amazing job - he must be in any project.
Agnes: Before starting a scuba dive, James and I conducted a full dive, blindly chasing the leaders. It was so unpleasant; we knew that we were close, but we could not understand which direction was magical. We found all sorts of interesting things, but really we were after the connection.
It was only when Bob collected the review records and created the map that our next step was clarified. Of course, as soon as everything was laid out, it was simple; less than 250 feet (75 m), we later reached the mark and established a connection. The map made a difference, and Bob’s map was awesome. In the meantime, just for the record, I have an ax to grind someone who builds a line and does not tie it first!
Is this section of the cave unique? Is there anything really cool or is it all low and dirty?
James: The cave is definitely one of the best divers in North Florida. Fossils change passages through new research. After jumping from the main line, the cave acquires a completely new look. Walls without scars. Floors are dotted with all types of bones, from vertebrae, jaws, teeth and regular long bones, to areas that look like a seafood buffet, as crab claws and limbs stick out of the walls. It looks like a cave should look before the rape of all its treasures and diving movement.
Aisles range from a significant well cave with sandy bottom sediments to lower restrictive groundwater. Some paths are almost full of rock from top to bottom. The flow dynamics are interesting, and some areas have an exceptional flow flow compared to the rest of Paul. Then in other areas there is almost no flow, especially where the cave begins to go out with a web. These areas are usually low and negligible and have zero visibility on exit.
Agnes: I'm a big fan of Paul in general. I think this is one of the most unusual and incredible caves in Florida. In my opinion, Baptism will always be special, because it was my first venture in real and intensive research, and I found so many caves there. To combine these two caves together and expand the peacocks system, it was an extraordinary experience.
As James said, the amount of fossil remains in the cave is impressive, and there are many archaeological materials around the Baptismal Spring itself. This is an exciting system on so many levels. The Baptist Spring has this rich history dating back to the Timuquan Indians and the Spanish invasion in the 17th century. Then there is hydrology; There are still many secrets surrounding the flow of water around Paul. Finding this huge amount of new cave and uncovering another small piece of the puzzle is really great.
But some pieces of the cave are really low and dirty. The whole of Peacocks to Baptism is an advanced immersion in a cave and, not limited to, of course, requires good gas control and love for bottlenecks, thick silt and zero visibility.
