Map of Norman's Pond Cave: Brian Kakuk, 1997

Cave Type: Inland, anchialine blue hole - fault line cave

Location: Norman's Pond Cay, Exuma Cays, Bahamas

Length: 210 m

Maximum water depth: 86 m

Norman's Pond Cave: entrance pool

Description: Norman's Pond Cave is an inland blue hole cave located near the northern tip of Norman's Pond Cay. The entrance to this fracture cave is a 2 m wide by 8 m long sinkhole situated just above the high tide line. The cave consists of a collapse-floored fissure up to 8 m wide that extends under the island and trends toward the open waters of Exuma Sound. A large entrance cavern is followed by a narrower section at 40 m depth that in turn opens onto a second room with a dome in the ceiling and a pit in the floor. Two deeper breakdown choked passages extend off the second room.

Hydrology: Because of its proximity to the coast, waters in the cave are fully marine.

Diving Mode: Standard cave scuba

History: Original exploration unknown. Deeper sections of the cave explored by Brian Kakuk.

Fauna: Copepods, ostracods, thermosbaenaceans, remipedes, amphipods, isopods, shrimp.

Conservation status: Although the cave is located on an uninhabited island, it occasionally visited by divers from the nearby Caribbean Marine Research Center.

References:

Contributor: Brian Kakuk, Caribbean Marine Research Center, Bahamas