A Diver’s Spring

Thursday Afternoon April 10, 2014
Suwannee River State Park
Live Oak, Florida

 

Yesterday we took a road trip from Suwannee River State Park to visit some nearby springs. If you are a springs lover like I am, you might want to read that post first.  You can find it here.   We managed to fit visits to three springs into the afternoon, but I could only fit two into yesterday’s post.   Hmmmm that should tell me something shouldn’t it??

 

 

In 2010, Peacock Spring State Park was renamed Wes Skiles Peacock Spring State Park in honor of Skiles a cave diving pioneer, explorer and underwater cinematographer. He created, directed and was the cinematographer for the PBS series ‘Water’s Journey’ among other things like being the first human to set foot on Iceberg B-15 in Antarctica.  Wes Skiles was a man following his bliss.

 

 

 

The park is a major caving attraction. ALL of the benches in the park that are not picnic benches are the high diving benches to enable divers to mount their tanks. Not a place I can easily sit down for a rest that’s for sure.

 

 

 

 

The picnic tables are normal size picnic tables but next to those giant benches, they look like they are made for hobbits.

 

 

 

However there is no diving today. And no swimming either which is the second most popular activity at this park and the one I am interested in.

 

 

 

The Nature Conservancy first bought 250 acres here in 1985 to protect the extensive stand of Florida Maples and two distinct aquatic cave systems connected to the Suwannee River – the 8.5 mile Peacock Springs system and the 1.5 mile Bonnet system.  Subsequent acquisitions protected five 2nd magnitude springs. 

We are so lucky to have the Nature Conservancy who can step in to protect land while our governments,  local and state, pass laws, bills, orders and whatever in order to buy the property.   The property was originally owned by Dr. John Peacock who brought his family here from Troy, North Carolina in 1857.  He was the town doctor and made house calls by horse and buggy.

 

It’s an amazing cave system as you can see from the maps.   The map on the left is the entire system.   The map on the right is an enlargement of the section shown in the lower right of the first map.   If you are a cave diver, this is the place to be.

 

 

 

 

We are the only ones in the park as we check out both the Orange Grove spring and the Peacock Spring. 

 

 

Here at Orange Grove Spring it’s hard to tell for sure where the spring even is the flooding is so dramatic.  It is just a wonderland.  I can’t imagine what it must look  like when it isn’t flooding.

 

 

 

The side walls must be limestone to be so eaten with holes.  It’s really beautiful.   They have left it totally natural.  5 thumbs up!!

 

 

 

There is a parking lot at Orange Grove and one down at the end of the road for Peacock Spring. We start to drive down to Peacock and run into flooding on the road. Ruby is a low to the ground girl so we decide to walk the road instead. As we go and the water increases, I am glad of this decision.

 

 

Here too everything is under water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These steps into the spring were built by friends of Sheck Exley and dedicated to his memory. Exley too was an original explorer of the elaborate cave system of Peacock Springs and a pioneer of cave diving. A plaque beside the trail explains the dedication. Exley wrote two major books on Cave Diving and was the first chairman of the Cave Diving section of the National Speleological Society.

 

 

 

 

Both Stiles and Exley died while diving at what seem to me to be young ages, 52 and 45 respectively. Cave diving is clearly a dangerous occupation/hobby. David says he thinks it would be terrific to be down there and wonders what equipment costs. It’s not even something I would consider doing. Not being able to breathe is perhaps my only real phobia.  I’m ok with heights, snakes, close places, small places, frogs but the idea of possibly not being able to get a breath is a major fear for me.

I’ll just swim on top and snorkel.   Sure wish I could.  The springs were a major reason we got snorkel equipment.

 

 

At Peacock we also see a map of a trail that supposedly starts at Orange Grove and looks very interesting. But the mosquitoes are so bothersome that we determine we’ll come back for the hike on another day when perhaps it’s not so wet and encouraging to the little devils.

 

 

David takes a picture of it for when we return.  It’s always good to leave something until “next time”.