The Coast Guard finally gave the green light to run the tours to the Subterranean River. So our tour guide picked us up at 9 AM and took us to Sabang wharf. We lined up and climbed into an outrigger boat. It was boat #11 and we had a quick 15 minute ride over to the river. It was a quick walk to the launching point for the cave boats and we were able to climb in as soon as we got there. The cave was a wonderous place. So many beautiful formations and to be visiting it in a boat made it extra special.
We met the tour guide at 9 AM for the river
The loading and unloading crew
With the waves rolling in, they load the people in
Lots of water on the top of the peir
We are under way
We are motoring at a good clip!
Still a few big waves in the distance
We passed this slowpoke boat
Splash!
Right around the corner is the river
Foggy air in this cove
A big rock as a marker for the path
The boats are streaming into the bay
Limestone bluffs
The boats are at anchor while their folks are on the tour
Ready to land
We have landed
Life vests in hand
This beach is why the Coast Guard had to be careful of the conditions
The administrative center
Looking smart in the orange hard hats
The river's path to the sea
The size of the cave entrance size is hard to gauge
Now you can tell that it is very big
We are in but no talking is allowed
The noise could mess with the bat's echolocation
The cave has 11 different minerals, three of them are found nowhere else
Looking up at the ceiling we could see jagged limestone pieces
It is located within a 22,000 hectare preserve
UNESCO recognized for its natural beauty, karst geography and its unique mountain to sea ecosystem
It is 8 km long and this makes it one of the longest navigable underground rivers in the world
At its deepest it is 30 feet deep
These look like honey combs
Even though there were lots of other boats in the cave but we rarely saw anyone else
Very delicate structures
One chamber is over 1000 feet long and 80 feet tall
There were bats in every section of the river
It was hard to take a picture when the boatman was controlling the light
They found the fossils of a manatee 8 km back into the far reaches of the cave
The roof opened up
These are bats on the ceiling and we could here the echolocation
The different colors are surprising
An investigation of the cave in the 30's left these marks
Big bats and small bats
Noisy bats
Other explorers
The candle
Lots of different formations
Different colors and different shapes
Oncoming traffic
Like a huge head of blonde hair
Garlic bulbs, part of the garden area
So delicate
Different vegetables were described on our audio, this was sweet corn
A big mushroom
A whole array of carrots
How did an octopus get into the veggies?
Silky and golden
A very unusual formation
So many bats
These sheets of limestone hang from the ceiling and are 20 to 30 feet long
A face in the rock
Very cool
Sheets of gold
Organ pipes
Another group
Sharon Stone
Other worldly
Wavy pattern
A fantastic formation around every corner
Cacao seeds
Like a huge reptile
We are nearing the exit
The twilight zone
It looks like two eyes
Almost out
Back in the daylight
Back to the real world
More old marking
The path to the sea
We climb back on our boat
Daintily getting to the boat
And off we go
Nice limestone
Nice formations on the way out
Some big waves to navigate through
A fine mountain to aim for
Karst geography
Misty cove
A boat in distress
He throws a line over
We tie him on
And tow them in
Our progress is slowed by the boat in tow
Each boat has a number and a name
Some even have a mascot
