Mysterious Crystal Caves of Abaco | JONATHAN BIRD'S BLUE WORLD

In this spectacular episode, Jonathan joins world-renown cave explorer Brian Kakuk to investigate the Crystal Cave of Abaco, Bahamas--considered the most highly-ornamented underwater cave in the world! The stunning crystal formations in this cave are simply stunning! It is considered one of the top cave diving destinations in the world.
WARNING! Cave Diving is extremely dangerous and should only be undertaken by divers with the proper equipment and training. This video is for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered “instructional” in any way. The dive team that produced this video is fully cave certified.
There are no Megalodon sharks or monsters in this cave, but it's still one of the most amazing places I have ever seen!
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For years I have heard about a remote cave in the Bahamas filled with incredibly fragile crystal formations. It has been compared to diving inside a chandelier. Only a handful of people have ever been into the so-called Crystal Cave, and I really want to see it.
I contacted world-renown cave explorer Brian Kakuk who operates Bahamas Underground, a cave diving operation in remote Abaco, Bahamas where he explores caves, leads expeditions into the caves, and advocates for the protection of Bahamas caves.
The Crystal Cave, also known as Ralph’s Cave, is way out in the pine forest, actually not very far from Dan’s Cave where I did my cave training. Brian is confident that the two caves actually connect, but he hasn’t found the connecting passageway yet.
The opening to Crystal Cave has just a thin ceiling of limestone separating it from the forest above.
Sidemount divers wear their tanks on their sides, so they have a thinner profile, and fit through smaller spaces. Today our entire team will be diving sidemount.
Almost all the formations in Crystal Cave are in fact made of calcite crystal. In most caves, a fat stalagmite like this would be made of opaque white calcite, otherwise known as limestone. But here in Crystal Cave, it’s a translucent crystalline treasure that glows with Brian’s light. Nobody is quite sure why the calcite here forms crystals.
Over the last hundred thousand years, this cave has alternated between submerged and dry at least five times. During an ice age when glaciers cover much of the world, sea levels fall and the Bahamas caves go dry.
Water dripping in from above creates cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites. They can only form in a dry cave.
With the Earth currently between ice ages, sea levels are high, and the caves are flooded, allowing us to swim from formation to formation.
These formations, called draperies, are so thin that I can see Brian’s hand right through them! It’s like they are mode of frosted glass. Formed by thousands of years of dripping water, these exquisite crystal curtains are super fragile.
Brian motions me over to a shelf to show me a thick layer of red dust.
Tens of thousands of years ago, during a long dry spell, strong winds picked up iron-rich sand in the Sahara desert. The finest particles blew all the way across the Atlantic and landed in North America, especially the Bahamas.
Rain eventually washed this dust down into the limestone where it formed a layer. The high iron-content makes it red like rust. The Sahara dust shows up in many of the cave formations as a red layer.
Next Brian leads us to an area of crystal dripstone, where water was running gently along the floor. A bat skeleton, 15,000 years old, frozen permanently in crystal, like a bug in amber. Bats flew all the way in here back when it was dry.
Not far from the bat, Brian directs me to this puzzling crystal formation. This was a pool in the floor of the cave, filled with mineral-rich water that grew huge crystals. The tiny stalactites from the top grew huge crystals when they reached the water surface. Crystals formed within the water grew towards the surface and spread out.
Nearby, a smaller crystal pool, filled with smaller crystals that look like gemstones.
As we push on, we finally reach the glass factory. It’s a room full of insanely delicate formations known as soda-straws, dripping from the ceiling.
So why do they call these formations “soda straws?” Many of them really are hollow, like a straw. You could sip a beverage through this piece of fragile crystal!

[@cosumar6551]

This is without a doubt the most beautiful and amazing cave formations and history.... its truly a magical world and something that must be protected. Hats off to Brian Kakauk for all he has done for these amazing caves.....Such and awesome journey Jonathan and your Videoing underwater is next level awesome! you have a way of telling stories and bringing the whole Video together and making it so much more powerful , and amazing. You have a gift, and I feel honored to be able to watch your masterpieces

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thanks so much!

[@happygeekywoman]

Thank you so much for bringing such a beautiful world to the convenience of my home so I can enjoy them.

[@tracysteele6871]

I feel the same way, I would never even have known this existed if I hadn't seen his vids! I think they are great, and truly appreciate them!! THANK YOU !!

[@Dboy10810]

I wish we, humans could treated our Earth, our world as gently and carefully as a cave diver.

[@LargeBanana]

Then we won't be able to advance, because the catalyst of advancement is the usage of energy. Without those energy usage, you would never have a scuba tank or any other advanced gear we need to even appreciate these divers.

[@zaman8032]

I just found this channel and already in love with it.

[@BlueWorldTV]

Welcome!

[@kerirae4777]

Me too!! It's AWESOME!!👍👍❤❤❤

[@lipa1467]

Me too. 2020 Feb.

[@mikhailp3236]

Mmmmeee tttoooo

[@makeer7107]

Been here since 2014

[@bluu_nilam]

i have deep water phobia but i love seeing this kind of videos. can't experience it myself due to fear yet jonathan's here to show me these spectacular views. 👍👍

[@e.l.2734]

Same, but knowing how safe cave diving is has actually helped me cope with this fear. Was it the same to you?

[@moro6957]

Man your chanel is the most legit I've seen, no matter the genre. I can't believe you don't have your own TV show. That's the quality your delivering. Subscribed and binge watching you vids. They are sensational!

[@gurungroshan3770]

The water is so clear those crystal looks amazing.

[@carolinasoares5756]

Could you please film a Q and A video. I think that most of your viewers would like to know a few facts about you. If anyone else would like Q and A please like up this comment and respond with your questions! My question: How long did it take to get your diving license and where did you get it? When did you stat wanting to be in the sea, as a job ? Again amazing video, amazing clear voice over and very informative. Thank you

[@WireMosasaur]

+Carolina Soares I agree! I have questions too! What's your favourite episode you've ever produced? Who are Jean Oiseaux and his associates? ;)

[@bumblebee1091]

+Carolina Soares I wanna know what the chances of one of those roof stalagmites breaking off n falling would be. Looks scary!

[@miriahthornton9646]

Carolina Soar

[@guldenwelter4844]

Carolina Soares nj

[@guldenwelter4844]

BenTheTidePooler hhh

[@OdenKanzaki]

I remeber watching your videos as a young child, I loved them a lot and still comeback every year and rewatch them lol, such nostalgia. I especially loved this video and still do!

[@schmidt640]

I could not do this! I love diving so much but I am too nervous to even do "standard" cave diving. Something this tight would freak me out. Thankfully Jonathan is brave so I can see what's inside there!

[@jmpicturefly]

fascinating. I can't say I'd have the stomach for this discipline of diving but the rewards look amazing

[@Blazing19721]

It's truly spectacular what nature has produced over so many years. For you and your team (including Brian Kakuk) to bring it to out to us is wonderful. I say to anyone here in Trinidad, if you want to see beauty, go under water. Again I wish that some how I could do what you do. My adventures don't take me so far and I've loved the ocean since I was a young boy. It's so ironic, your name is Bird and your life is the ocean

[@prayogapetra2541]

Incredible.. so amazing. I can't believe there's a place like that. Thank you Jonathan to bring this crazy experience to us!

[@ryanconrad9811]

Amazing! What an incredible experience, thanks for sharing. You're so talented with what you do, you really make me feel like I'm right there with you in your videos. Love it!

[@theresapepanio3819]

Wow😱😱😱 Amazing and awesome cave 👏 Huge thanks Sir Jonathan for showing us this beautiful place 💕

[@Herowebcomics]

WOW! Those cave formations looked like works of art!

[@eishanr]

If this was the Pokémon world : we would find the legendary LUGIA right here . Incredible :)

[@jackwascovich8459]

Entertaining and educational, thank you so much.

[@rosannadesole9092]

This planet is not only wonderful on the surface. It is also extraordinary underground, in the sea. Thanks to so many brave men we can marvel at such beauty. Thank you so much for the dangerous work you do to give us great emotions.🙏👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💙🌍❣️

[@marcosnasel8742]

When I started to watch this channel I really want to scuba dive as well. I just love watching this channel

[@iprobablyforgotsomething]

It's always nice to see a new Blue World video. The cave was lovely - like an underwater winter wonderland with cryst-cicles instead of icicles.

[@deepestlevel]

Thank you ,Jonathan! That was special !!!

[@Thenumericoracle]

I love how nonchalant your narration is. It takes incredibly brave people to do this. 👍🏼

[@AwaywithFaye]

How nice is it to watch incredible videos like this with no ads bothering us

[@klikinfotech7731]

sir, you are one of the most luckiest person on earth, to see such beautiful thing with your naked eyes, thank you for bringing such things to us...

[@AbbeyFlynn]

THIS IS SOOOOOO COOL, I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!! 🐳🐬🐡🐟🐠🐋🤗

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Abbey Flynn Thanks! We had a blast filming it!!! Awesome place!

[@Herowebcomics]

This cave is amazing! So many beautiful sculptures! But I would not like to go through that crack!

[@juntang4659]

Underwater crystal caves, untouched by man for Ages. Amazing worlds

[@marksaid6587]

That cave is monumental! Stunningly beautiful! Also, that best complements to you, John, and your team. Great filming skills! I loved this video very much. Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep it up.

[@azreal8408]

Ho jonathan i love your videos your the best

[@AlisVonMeat]

Hello Jonathan!! this episode is AMAZING!!! thanks for let me discover this beautiful treasure!!!:)Alice

[@DaBlueB]

Really cool! Grate Video. I Learn a lot from your videos. THANK YOU!!

[@AshleyandJoel]

That cave was incredible!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I just got SCUBA certified a couple of weeks ago and your videos had a large part in inspiring me to do so. Thank you for all you do! I can't wait to explore the underwater world like you do! :)

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Ashley and Joel Congratulations!

[@AshleyandJoel]

BlueWorldTV Thank you!! :)

[@ErebusFOG]

I've learnt SO incredibly much from watching all your guys from the BlueWorld Team and they are so damn good in every way. Funny! Scary! (To me since I have a fear of the deep) And they teach you alot. The amount of times I've bragged about facts I know 'cause of these videos to my family is incredible! :D Keep up the FANTASTIC work over there!

[@srivanimpelen2933]

Spectacular..! Thank you for sharing this video

[@insidecrazy8627]

Amazing... thank you for showing that how beautiful the world is... appropriate the work

[@yannmayc]

Thanks for sharing this ! For not many at all would have the luxury of visiting that in person ! That's so awesome ❤️🙌🙌🙌

[@rafaelpetinesii7123]

stunningly incredible and amazingly spectacular magnificent..good job well done

[@tzorro7136]

My most favorite segment so far. Exited for new discovery vid!💓💓💓

[@iamtiffany4411]

Amazingly beautiful cave! 😍😍😍

[@hyekang3504]

I am Tiffany byes to keela tiffany 😂 that looked like a big horse screaming out of the whole inferior lime rocks in the nightclub, to tell the truth. Such a heroine

[@yvonneross6522]

Magnificent crystal palace !

[@daniellee4642]

Great Crystal cave diving jonathan!!! Unblivible dive!!Amazing dive.

[@kriti1490]

Wow, that was amazing... 😍😍

[@shenloken2]

Cave diving is both one of the riskiest and rewarding ventures for divers. We love following you on your underwater cave adventures Johnathan!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thanks for watching!!

[@bemusedbandersnatch2069]

That was...exquisitely awe-inspiring. Wow.

[@karenswann6342]

Beyond description, no words eloquent enough 👍👏👏

[@keithrodriguez8109]

You are living a dream Jonathan, what a phenomenal video

[@chrispuder1527]

This is absolutely incredible!!

[@AllForManKind77]

Thank you so much, Jonathan by brought us the viewer to the deep of Crystal Cave of Mexico. It,s amazing and magnificent journey. Alhamdulillah.Praise to God. Thank you. You and the team are blessed.

[@AG-yj1jv]

I just wrote an article reminiscing about a surface cave very much like that, which I was asked to push, back when I was a gopher, able to do 5&1/4 clearances. The "widened" part of the entrance crawl collapsed behind me while I was in it -- just as well, because the people that sent me in were truly unworthy (I found out later, black market rockhounds who had left the entrance and gone down to the car to wait -- got drunk & didn't even know there had been a collapse when I came back. Said it had been so long, they were thinking of going and coming back for me in the morning.) Thankfully, there was another way out. Maybe a clue for your friend for his other entrance -- this other cave I was in -- my escape passage led me upwards -- but then the way out was through an extraordinarily shallow sump that was lit from sunshine on the other side. Maybe his other entrance does the same kind of thing -- enters over top the crystal room with a viciously shallow, popcorn-covered water- crawl and crawl chamber that is always full of runoff water. And surprisingly warm -- like really hot day, slow-moving or puddle. And yes, I went through with no tank. Because there was no other way out. Good luck to him finding it. An illness left me unfit for caving -- I suppose I could get a trainer and get back in shape, but I'm now as old as some of the older people in my club were back in the day. And feeling it. Truly, having seen what I saw, and went through the terror that I did, I'm not as anxious to go back into potentially collapsing caves. I was fine with it then, all was cool, but I don't have as much energy to muscle through and I kind of think I used up most of my luck on that one... But thanks for making this video, so when I describe the Cathedral of Eternal Rain, people can see this and have a sense. Only mine was much taller -- straws thin as the one you blew air through going up into the darkness so high neither my carbide lamp nor my mini flashlight could reach, but with wider spaces between the straws. None were broken when I first saw it, but the passage collapse broke a lot of them with the vibration or shift, & sent a coud of dust in over the white. I am just so grateful that I did not end up embedded, like that bat, in the crystal floor. I know the answer to why it makes crystal, but nobody will believe me, because I don't have a PhD, so I'll stop here and wish you goodnight. Maybe, tomorrow I'll look into a way to prove, scientifically, what I know from seeing the lay of the land...

[@emangamez6307]

This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen..,, ..,,stunningly magical.,!!

[@UyenTranonyoutube]

It is your crazy amazing world! Love it and thank you again for found your channel! Amazing and education awesome channel.

[@SLynn-yb3uf]

So magical! Wow thanks for sharing

[@patrickhend7857]

Awesome! keep on doing what you do

[@jesscacanog5805]

It’s Saturday here in the Philippines, since I don’t have work I’m planning to watch all of your videos! Honestly I find watching your videos do diving and more relaxing 😌 thank you Blue World 💙 thank you Jonathan Bird!

[@WireMosasaur]

New intro's a bit much, isn't it? xD What an amazing video though! I get so excited to see new Blue World videos on my subscriptions page. And I really appreciate all the cool facts on the geology of the place, all the different formations and the water levels and stuff are super interesting. Thanks so so so much again for always uploading these to youtube for us all to enjoy, god bless.

[@jeannerooney8088]

What an enchanting place. Such natural beauty.

[@PANCHAsticChannel]

Thank for the opportunity for making me see such beautiful caves. Every slide of your video is amazing. Very informative & I learned a lot from you. Kee it up. More amazing videos please.

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thanks!

[@jackarrowsmith7963]

Thanks so much for a new video

[@tracysteele6871]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ❤️!! Beautiful 😊

[@V12TurboEngine]

Hi jonathan! thank you very much for your dedication... your videos are really interesting and inspiring!

[@rogerjoy2722]

Oh man I am hooked. Glad I watched it. This is otherworldly.

[@BRIDGETTWC]

Thank you for this gorgeous video 📹

[@Sambi_vlogs147]

It's amazing....I love your videos...... It's fantastic...

[@randyearles1634]

amazing video and amazing cave. so glad everyone treads gently.

[@zertiiy6044]

Your now my favourite KZbinr your helping me to dive I'm watching to learn P.S im PADI

[@vikasch.1423]

I am addicted of this channel from few days...

[@coldmanblues1446]

What a great video. I loved it Jonathan

[@DoseDailyOf]

What an awesome video :D !

[@FriendlyKat]

I love you and your videos Jon! I want to become a marine biologist when I grow up! (I'm 18). I get so happy when I see a new video from you!

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Starwarsrap1 We have a great marine biology video coming next month! Stay tuned!

[@FriendlyKat]

BlueWorldTV Awesome!!! I can't wait!

[@nishatrahmani9670]

Only one word for ur channel "Awesome❤️"...now i am addicted to ur channel ...😘😘 Loved it...👍👍👍👍

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thank you so much 😀

[@nishatrahmani9670]

@@BlueWorldTV ur pleasure

[@deathsythelui]

Still not feeling that new theme song, guys. Just saying. That said though, fantastic episode!!! Made my jaw drop more than once. And as a geology major, I loved that you went into the formation of the caves and their related features. I actually didn't know about stalactites crystallizing beneath the water surface like that; beautiful. I cannot wait to get scientific diver certified in a few years at uni...

[@gwyningman2596]

Wow cool!

[@clairecollins8838]

The buoyancy 😱🤩 I can only aspire

[@kgaming8082]

YEAA FINALLY YOU UPLOADED A VIDEO!

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Abdulla Alshehhi Every month!

[@anwarusy]

wow.. it's very amazing....beautiful crystal

[@priyamunda1466]

Wow the video was amazing and i love it👌👌👌🙂🙂

[@xxxxxxxx0008]

always watching from philiphines your wow journey

[@Une123]

This is so beautiful

[@KuKKuDu]

Now this the vid i was looking for!!!

[@primaryendo]

This is amazing! So glad i came across your channel. New subscriber instantly!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Welcome aboard!

[@kitlee9068]

Confined spaces gives me the creeps, but your videos are so well paced and educational that I managed to only focus on the super awesome shots and information and find it very enjoyable to watch!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Glad to hear it! Thanks!

[@pamjam2567]

omg, I love the cave videos soooo amazing

[@jimidude7805]

That's Cool!

[@Ferinm]

I can watch this video again n again n again . Thank you for this amazing show ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@BlueWorldTV]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@ramyhatahet4565]

ME AND MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVES YOU YOUR THE BEST AND I LOVE YOUR VOICE

[@yvonneross6522]

Thank you Mr Bird 🤗👍🏻👍🏻🐥

[@ViagensGringa]

crystal cave power, namaste!

[@americanrebel413]

Amazing!

[@AllNamesAreBoring]

Mind blowing 👌👌

[@sonam0007]

Breath taking scene

[@galaxyggt1859]

4th haha. Nice Videos Jonathan! keep it up ! ;)

[@miragex2256]

Amazing.

[@CHASBERTTV]

Very nice cave😊 I love watching it ...🙂😉

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thank you 🤗

[@samarhafeez]

You are filled with positivity, God bless you Jonathan.

[@BlueWorldTV]

That's my vibe! Keep it all fun and positive.

[@samarhafeez]

@@BlueWorldTV I too am the same! Glad to know,that is why understood your personality so quickly

[@samarhafeez]

Your kids are lucky to have an adventurous father

[@calistawinsu6318]

u're very lucky :) those are amazing

[@oneknuckledeep]

His enthusiasm is awesome

[@mirellaferrer5079]

Magnífico espetacular!

[@VijaySingh-lc3tt]

Very nice video

[@taniekaramirez9859]

That's so awesome