Continuing with the photo exploits of the Virgnia Beach Lynnhaven Dive Center divers who sojourned to central Florida from Feb 12-15, let's plunge into the fabled Devil's Den near Williston, the Den so named by settlers and pioneers many scores of years ago because even in the dead of a severe Winter, with temperatures hovering in the 30s, the deep-flowing underground freshwater spring retained its pleasant 72 degree F. temperature. The clash of these two temperatures at the water's surface produced clouds of rising steam that wafted through the fissures in the ground, leading the superstitious to imagine that the steam was rising right from Hell, hence the name, the Devil's Den.
Devil's Den is also a geographical wonder. To quote from the website, http://www.devilsden.com/:
"Visit one of North America's most prehistoric places,
Devil's Den -- an underground spring inside a
dry cave in central Florida. The remains of many extinct
animals
from the Pleistocene Age (2 million - 10,000 years ago) were
discovered at Devil's Den, including the bones
of
early man, dating back to 75,000 B.C.
The
pleasant year-around temperature of 72 degrees in the Den
allows
comfortable diving, winter or summer. On cold winter
mornings you
can see steam, like smoke, rising from the cave's chimney.
Hence,
the early settlers called the place Devil's Den.
You'll find open water and cavern diving at its best &
will be
fascinated by the rock formations with stalactites and 33
million
year old fossil beds, truly a natural wonder."
So let's go exploring:
A large and beautiful fish pond graces the recreational resort/camp-grounds:
The Devil's Den below:
Your host:
Instructor giving a prep talk to students who will be certifying this weekend:
Entering the Den:
A third of the way down:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
I am a student of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and a tempered advocate for the ultimate manifestation of peace, justice and the unity of humankind through self-realization and mutual respect, although I am not (
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