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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