Welcome to Jewel Cave!
This is the natural entrance to Jewel Cave, where the cave was first explored on the 3rd of January 1957 by Cliff Spackman. The natural entrance to Jewel cave is located on a bush walk loop which is free to complete. If you want to enter the cave itself you must purchase at ticket for a guided tour.
Jewel Cave is located in a 90 kilometre by 3-kilometre-long stretch of limestone known as the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge in the south west corner of Western Australia. It is the largest show cave in Western Australia with a depth of 42 meters and a 1.9km walk way and 3.5km of passageways.
Limestone caves are formed when slightly acidic underground water erodes the porous limestone leaving cavities, gradually these cavities increase in size. Entrance holes into the caves form when tree roots make their way through the limestone. As the tree roots grow, more limestone is eroded. The entrance hole to Jewel Cave was formed from a decayed tree. Once the tree died, water seeped through the hole, dissolving the surrounding limestone.
Limestone caves are often characterised by calcium carbonate formations such as stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites are formed when water containing calcium carbonate drips off the end of the stalactite during this process a small amount of calcium carbonate is left on the end of the stalactites. The stalactites grow at a very slow pace of about 0.13 millimetres per year, this is equal to 13 centimetres every thousand years. The speed can depend on the amount of water supply the stalactite is receiving. The term stalactites is derived from the Greek words stalaktos meaning tight and stalassein meaning to trickle. Stalagmites are formed when water dripping from stalactites falls and lands on the ground depositing calcium carbonate to form a cone like shape. This is why stalactites and stalagmites usually grow in pairs. Stalagmites grow at a rate of between 0.007 and 0.929 millimetres per year. The word stalagmite comes from the word stalactite and the Greek stalagmos meaning a dropping.
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Jewel Cave is home to the one of the largest straw (or tubular) stalactites in Australia. Straw stalactites are formed when tree roots grow through the cave roof and then water with calcium carbonate in drips through the root. The root then dies and decays away and the water continues to drip from the stalactite leaving calcium carbonate behind to continue the growth. The straw stalactites are the fastest growing type of stalactite and can grow up to 4 millimetres per year. The straw found at Jewel Cave is 5.43 metres long.
Initially Jewel Cave descends steeply. On reaching the water table the cave enters the phreatic (sub water table) zone, a large pool of water can identify this. The cave begins to open out. These passages have a loop formation as the water flows down a bedding plane, and then ascends another fracture to gain higher bedding planes within the limestone. As the further down in the cave you go the more gradual the descent. Limestone caves often have calcium carbonate formations formed by the slow dripping of water containing calcium carbonate. These can include flowstones, stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, soda straws and columns. These secondary mineral deposits are called speleothems.
A fun fact about Jewel Cave is that in June 1960 a skeleton Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was found in Jewel Cave. This is one of several Tasmanian Tiger skeletons that have been found in Jewel Cave.
Question 1: How was this opening created?
Question 2: Place your hand over the opening explain what you feel?
Question 3: (Optional) Post a photo of you at Jewel cave.
A parking location is in the way points.