Divers connect Leon Sinks, Wakulla Springs

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Divers connect Leon Sinks, Wakulla Springs

Postby Wayne Harrison » Jul 31, 2007 5:56 am

By Bruce Ritchie
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

After 17 years of searching, divers have found a cave passageway between Wakulla Springs and Leon Sinks.

<img src="http://www.halcyon.net/images/halcyon/wkpp_120499_28.jpg" align="left">Divers with the Woodville Karst Plain Project made the discovery during four hours of exploration on Saturday. The seven-mile link between Turner Sink and Wakulla Springs creates a combined cave system totalling 28 miles in length.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment for the WKPP and for underwater cave exploration," Casey McKinlay, one of the divers, wrote this morning in an e-mail to the Democrat. "We expect to have a formal name for the combined cave system shortly."

McKinlay and diver Jarrod Jablonski entered the cave system at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

They explored 1,220 feet of new passageway before discovering exploration line laid in the past coming the other way from Wakulla Springs.

The divers emerged from Turner Sink at 1 a.m. Sunday after 10 hours of decompression.

<a href="http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070731/NEWS01/707310325/1010">Full Story On Talahassee.com</a>
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Postby graveleye » Jul 31, 2007 8:37 am

:woohoo: :banana:

woohoo!!! That's a big accomplishment!!! I'd love to see some more detailed trip reports. Perhaps in an upcoming NSS News.
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Postby Tim White » Aug 1, 2007 12:30 pm

Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0nNXAB6_kE

Congratulations to the WKPP team!
:patriotic2: :bow:
Be safe,
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Right on WKPP divers!!!

Postby KENTO » Aug 1, 2007 5:34 pm

Cool, sounds like it's time for another National Geographic article...or something. No wonder they weren't up here in Indiana following line in a cave browned out by nature not their flippers. That is the one thing we could not offer for sure at our convention, clear water borehole....
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Divers Break Record for Longest Cave Passage

Postby Cheryl Jones » Dec 18, 2007 12:43 am

Divers Break Record for Longest Cave Passage
Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News
December 17, 2007

Completing the longest dive from one cave opening to another, divers on a treacherous 20-hour journey proved that vast underwater networks in Florida are linked.

Jarrod Jablonski and Casey McKinlay dropped into a small cave entrance called Turner Sink on the afternoon of December 15 and dove to a depth of some 300 feet (91 meters).

They then swam through 7 miles (11.25 kilometers) of underground freshwater cave—enjoying what McKinlay called "an incredible ride"—before resurfacing the morning of the 16th at Wakulla Springs State Park near Tallahassee, Florida.

Read on :scuba:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... -cave.html
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Re: Divers connect Leon Sinks, Wakulla Springs

Postby DiverMikeD » Jan 4, 2008 5:28 pm

Such wonderful news indeed!!

My heartfelt congratulations to the WKPP team for their immense efforts over the last 20+ years of serious cave exploration in Leon and Wakulla Counties. Not forgetting those who came before and have added their own personal efforts over the years to the ultimate connection.

At long last, Parker Turners dream has finally been realised. The connection has been made!!
Maybe this is the time for a fitting and long overdue tribute to the WKPP and Parker to name the system 'The Turner Cave System'.

Regards to all.

Mike Dunning (WKPP Member - 1989/93)
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Re: Divers connect Leon Sinks, Wakulla Springs

Postby FW » Sep 23, 2011 5:49 am

cassey37 wrote:It was a fabulous accomplishment! Seeing the connection on the video is exciting. I am looking forward to hearing more as the days unfold! What a great team effort!!

You do realize that was over 4 years ago?
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Re: Divers connect Leon Sinks, Wakulla Springs

Postby graveleye » Sep 23, 2011 12:28 pm

lol - yep the champagne is long gone :grin:
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