The Dive: Dry Tour

tauchplaetze

Overview of the dive sites: This photo was taken a few days before the lake was filled.



On a very gently descending slope divers can check their equipment.
At the end of the slope is a gorge whose walls reach upward 7m.
After about 40 metres a small cave to one side leads into the Crater World

Nested caves between high walls remind of a volcano's magma tunnels.
Tunnels are stacked up to three levels high. The diver is never further than 3 metres away from an emergency exit.
The area is exited through a short cavern higher up that crosses the entry.

Follows a 6m long, vertical descent through a tunnel with a lateral rift.
A little later the valley narrows, gently ascending into short cavern.
A lot of light enters these 20m long arcades through lateral openings.

Above the water is a large air-filled area and about 1m high observation windows for park visitors.
Behind a crater-like valley begins the large, well illuminated system of corridors of the eastern cave.
Crevices in the rock allow for illumination. Emergency exits are never further than 5m away.

About 20m further on is a 5m high dome that splits into several corridors.
Some of the corridors are also stacked above one another and are connected through large gaps.
The floor of the main corridor slowly slopes upward and reaches the exit in 3m depth.

Before the visitor lies Rock Valley, surrounded by vertical walls.
The valley is characterised by rock pillars and interesting crevices.
At the end of the valley you meet an avenue with 3m high temple sentry cats.

Behind those lies 'Atlantis', a partially buried temple. The façade is about 20m wide.
In front of the temple sits a huge Pharaoh on his throne surrounded by more sculptures.
The ceiling is decorated with 'antique' symbols.

The way goes on, passing through a rock gate, to a shallow lagoon with water lilies.
The water lily leaves form a ceiling along the way which ends in a cave.
The southern cave is about 40m long, 8 wide and up to 6m high and has side corridors.

The Cave of Lights is called so because of the light rays that penetrate through small openings in the ceiling.
This is the largest cave. The ceiling is held by various pillars
There is an emergency exit in the ceiling. Every 7-10m there are further exits to the sides.

All surfaces are made of natural rock. This is the northern exit.
The lateral pressure of the caverns is held by large pillars.
Most of them are hollow and have large, chimney-like cavities.

Through a gap in the rocks you reach the 'chasm cliffs' that offer ideal hiding places for fish.
Right next to that the many walls of the water lily world look like a bizarre maze.
On past a sunken tree, the way leads to a bay with a balcony-like structure.

A few metres further you reach the massive cavern entrances to the western cave.
The system of tunnels consists of two corridors with several connections.
Leaving the cave you arrive at a large cavern, the cathedral.

This much larger cave has several cubic metres of air at the top.
It is called the 'hall of mirrors' because of the light reflexes at the bottom of the air bubble.
Through a large grotto-like opening you exit the western cave.

You get to a small gorge with two short tunnel sections. These are the abutments of the dome construction.
The valley becomes ever narrower and ends at a gap in the rocks. Behind this lies the wreck of a canal boat.
The ship - shown here as it is about to sink - contains 3 rooms that can ve visited by scuba divers.

The gorge leads the way back to the starting point.