Cave diving (could be for DIR people?)

[aclivity]

This may be a question that should be posed in the DIR section - but as it is to do with a dive site that non-DIR people may have dived I have put it in here.

I was re-reading "The Silent World" last night and I wondered if there are any more expedition reports from the Fountain of Vaucluse (spelling?). JY's visit was 50+ years ago, how much further has been discovered, did they find the zinc boat, what causes the flood once a year?

Any information gratefully received!

Andy

[turbanator]

I think there's some discussion in Martin Farr's 'The Darkness Beckons'.
Don't have it at work with me - sorry.

[NotDeadYet]

I doubt very much if any DIR divers have dived Vaucluse...

I haven't read Cousteau's account but the version in Lavaur's book was quite critical of Cousteau as I remember. Anyway...

The Fontaine de Vaucluse is in the south of France near the town of Isle sur Sorgues in the Department de Vaucluse. It is the grandaddy of springs, even today big blue pools which lead into deep caves are known as Vauclusienne.

I can't recall exactly how deep it is but it has been dived to well over -200m. There have also been ROV surveys to IIRC around -300m where it starts to level off. Diving is prohibited here as it is a source of water for the nearby communities and it can only be done with special permission. I am told it is possible to obtain a permit on the understanding of no dives below -40m but what is the point other than stamp collecting?

From memory the most recent dive by a cave diver there was to recover a lost ROV. And from memory this did more harm than good as he took advantage of it and went for a deepy and didn't actually recover the ROV.

The Fontaine is a very beautiful site. The annual resurgence is more than likely due to rains in its catchment area. The Vaucluse department is very arid, rocky karst country so it is probably taking drainage from a very large area. The "annual" resurgence isn't anything special, at least once a year most big springs resurge violently.

The area has many similar springs and many kilometres of cave systems, both dry and flooded.

[Diving Daisy]

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

I
From memory the most recent dive by a cave diver there was to recover a lost ROV. And from memory this did more harm than good as he took advantage of it and went for a deepy and didn't actually recover the ROV.

LOL good lad!