Jacob’s well seems an abyss, and
people jumping into it are crazy! Jacob’s well actually a popular tourist
attraction, which beckons both locals and tourists for several years. Jacob’s
Well is located on the “Cypress Creek” in the town of Wimberley, Texas, USA. The
well represents an inexhaustible artesian spring; the transparent water creates
the feeling of flying into an empty space while jumping. Once Jacob’s Well was
a semblance of a geyser and a powerful flow of artesian water was beating to a
height of 10 meters.
This scenic spring has always
been reflected eternal, but lately it starts to dry out. The lowering of the
aquifer has resulted in a decrease of the water level in the well. Moreover,
from the second half of the 20th century, divers started to explore the cave.
In 1980, after a series of accidents, in order to prevent such tragedies, the
entrance to the well was closed by setting a special lattice of reinforcement
and by concreting of one of the chambers of the cave. However, these warnings
didn’t stop the brave divers, and all these superstructures were ultimately
removed. The karstic spring entices not only the divers, but also researchers
and artists. Visitors like this place as one of the most noteworthy natural,
geological Texas treasures.
This perpetual underwater cave
with a diameter of 4 meters derives from the most extensive underwater cave
system in the state of Texas. The cave vertically goes deep into the rocks for
about 10 meters, and then branches out into the endless underwater corridors,
extending in indefinite directions. These branching are cameras, or even
grottos, with narrow isthmuses covered with thick sludge; the entire length is
about 40 meters. There are four caves at the bottom, located a few dozen of
feet below the surface. The first cave can be found at a depth of 30 feet,
which stretches to a depth of 55 feet. It is well lighted, and has numerous
kinds of fish and algae. The second cave is located at a depth of 80 feet, has
a narrow entrance, which temptations the divers into a trap. Some caves bottoms
are covered with layers of limestone and loose gravel, and they are stirred up,
it will be almost unbearable to find a way out of the underwater trap.
Thus, the passage between the
second and the third caves is hindered with gravel, and here the divers try to
be particularly careful in order not to touch the bottom. The entrance to the
fourth cave is even more arduous task. Few people saw it, therefore it is
called “virginal cave.” No one has ever completely explored the farthest
corners of the underwater cave network. This is a threat to life of the inquisitive
divers, as so far eight divers have died in the process of research of the
cave. Jacob's Well in Wimberley, Texas is one of the most dangerous places to
dive on Earth, having claimed the lives of more than eight divers. Recent
attempts at developing the surrounding area resulted in the creation of a
natural preserve so that the springs could be enjoyed for generations to come,
and you would definitely visit again.
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