Leaving behind the days of innocence: Safeguarding the Floridian Aquifer
Take a journey with Wes Skiles inside Ginnie Springs, as he describes his first ever encounter with underwater caves. Find out why he has dedicated his life to protecting Florida's underwater world. by Wes Skiles
Right: One of the many beautiful sinkholes and caves in North Florida. (Wes Skiles)
In July 1973 I made my first unsupervised SCUBA dive at Ginnie Springs in Florida at a tender age of 13. Before Ginnie was a park, it was a real adventure just getting close to the spring without getting your car stuck in the swamp. With few people visiting the spring it was truly a wildlife sanctuary. Beautiful eelgrass carpeted much of the basin. Fish, turtles, birds, crayfish and reptiles were abundant in the spring. But it was the springs cave entrance that first captured my attention.
Kicking hard against the current I made my way down to the dark foreboding entrance. I grasped a boulder at the mouth of the cave to hold myself in place and experienced the true magic of the springs, the powerful flow of pure water issuing from the mysterious darkness below. It was like a strong cool spring breeze but this was 72 degree water, the flow clean, crystal clear and constant. Swimming inside the cavern entrance, I was in complete awe. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness a magical world was revealed to me. I was inside the Earth. A great cavern of crystalline limestone and sparkling sand stretched into the unknown.
Early morning at one of Florida's amazing river systems. (Wes Skiles)
That was 35 years ago and I will never forget that moment. Since then I have dedicated my life to sharing my discoveries with the world in hopes that we can protect it before it is too late. As the first humans to ever venture inside the Floridan Aquifer, cave divers played an important role in mapping the mazelike nature of the subterranean labyrinth and giving insight into the underground world.
The most difficult aspect of educating people about this resource is that 99.9% of it is invisible to the public. It is difficult for most people to understand, much less accept, that just beneath the gentle rolling and scrub of North Florida exists the greatest free flowing aquifer on earth, and that every action on the surface, no matter how innocent or well intended, has the ability to damage this resource.
Right: Cayakers and swimmers enjoying Florida's sinkholes. (Wes Skiles)
Yet the days of innocence, when springs were mysterious pools of shimmering light far removed from the bustle of city life are long gone. Now we know that maintaining our natural systems and the water that flows through them is the key to living in balance with our environment. Today we know that the springs are in a crisis point and their health cannot improve without action.
It is hard to live anywhere in North Florida without finding yourself on top of one of the myriad systems that flow to our springs and rivers. Thus responsibility lies with residents, government and business to take steps now to prevent further disruption of the aquifer. Everyday decisions in homes and businesses can have an impact and we have to use our resources in a wise and constructive way. Taking responsibility is the first step in helping nature stay on course. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Get out, enjoy and explore your local springs, sinks and rivers and other natural resources!