A bit off-topic, as this is outside the normal mode of cave exploration, but is anyone out there interested in exploring sea caves? Whilst typically nowhere near as long as limstone caves, sea caves are a pretty unique environment. I love exploring them, and the best way, in my opinion is by coasteering.
Yes, you can explore some of them by kayak, especially on very calm days. However, there are many that are too narrow, swelly, or simply impossible to access by kayak. I wrote the following blog post a few years ago about the best sea caves in west Cornwall, where I live: https://kernow-coasteering.co.uk/top-10-best-sea-caves-west-cornwall.
But, we've subsequently found many more. In fact the north coast of Cornwall is home to loads of real mosters, and it's not uncommon to find sea caves greater than 100m in length. It's a very odd environment to explore indeed, swimming along in the darkness, with the waves rolling in making very haunting noises, and always the possible fear that you might abruplty find yourself in a seal's living room!
Oh, and there is maybe a uniquely Cornish phenomenon - that is sea caves that transition into old mine workings? There are numerous exmaples of this, and it's testament to just how bonkers the Cornish miners or old were. The miners would have accessed either through a shaft inland, or in some cases a very dodgy ledge leading from the cliff to an adit at the back of the sea cave. Many of these means of access are no more, which means the only way to visit these places now is coasteering into them. This video epxloring St. Agnes shows a famous example, but a few others that might be quite unknown, being inaccessible by usual mine exploration methods.
As I said, it's a bit outside the usual remit of caving, and dareisay, sea cave exploration is even more obscure than caving in general? But is anyone else out there doing it at all?
Yes, you can explore some of them by kayak, especially on very calm days. However, there are many that are too narrow, swelly, or simply impossible to access by kayak. I wrote the following blog post a few years ago about the best sea caves in west Cornwall, where I live: https://kernow-coasteering.co.uk/top-10-best-sea-caves-west-cornwall.
But, we've subsequently found many more. In fact the north coast of Cornwall is home to loads of real mosters, and it's not uncommon to find sea caves greater than 100m in length. It's a very odd environment to explore indeed, swimming along in the darkness, with the waves rolling in making very haunting noises, and always the possible fear that you might abruplty find yourself in a seal's living room!
Oh, and there is maybe a uniquely Cornish phenomenon - that is sea caves that transition into old mine workings? There are numerous exmaples of this, and it's testament to just how bonkers the Cornish miners or old were. The miners would have accessed either through a shaft inland, or in some cases a very dodgy ledge leading from the cliff to an adit at the back of the sea cave. Many of these means of access are no more, which means the only way to visit these places now is coasteering into them. This video epxloring St. Agnes shows a famous example, but a few others that might be quite unknown, being inaccessible by usual mine exploration methods.
As I said, it's a bit outside the usual remit of caving, and dareisay, sea cave exploration is even more obscure than caving in general? But is anyone else out there doing it at all?
