Texas has given the world a unique attraction - the well of Jacob. This is a huge artesian source of fresh water. Its diameter is 4 meters, and its depth is more than 10 m. When a person stands above, it seems that an abyss has opened under his feet. Or maybe it doesn't seem, maybe it's true ...
Dangerous beauty
Many would never know the name of the city of Wimberley, if not for the system of underwater caves. By showing the world in the photographs of Jacob's well, Texas attracted the attention of a huge number of divers from around the world. Indeed, it is simply impossible to pass by such beauty. It attracts both researchers and ordinary adventurers. But attempts to penetrate the secret lead to sad consequences. To date, Jacob’s well has sacrificed eight divers for his secrets.
Underwater cave system
So, a huge fresh spring comes to the surface. For many millennia, he "dissolved" the rocks, and in their place a huge funnel with sheer walls formed. But that is not all. The attention of divers is attracted not only by the well of Jacob, but also by the unique cave system. The first of them is located at a depth of nine meters and is considered the safest. Algae grow here and fish are found. Transparent fresh water allows you to observe the life of the underwater world, the width of the cave makes it possible to relatively safely conduct dives not only one at a time, but also in small groups. The length of this cave is not too great. It goes under a slight slope down and ends at a depth of 16 meters. But this is where the calm underwater walk ends. Further researchers are waiting for the real test.
Diving Trap
The entrance to the second cave is located a little deeper. The diver will have to overcome 24 meters of water to get to it. Here, the well of Jacob first shows his cunning. Entering this cave is much easier than getting out of it. The passage is quite narrow, and it is almost impossible to turn around. The first victim of this cave was a young student from Texas who could not get out to a wide place.
The second cave has a secret. Here is the entrance to continue the journey. But is it worth the risk?
Third and fourth cave: curiosity or recklessness?
Getting into the third cave is quite difficult. The entrance is a narrow opening among unsteady and unstable gravel. Divers have to show miracles of dexterity in order not to touch small stones and not to fill up a gap. But this does not stop the daredevils. They strive further and deeper to where no one has been before.
The fourth cave is called "Virgin". Explore this cave to the end has not yet been possible. This forces many to return annually to the well in the hope that now they are probably lucky.
What's going on today
Once, the well of Jacob was considered eternal. Everyone was sure that this spring could not dry out and become shallow, but this was a mistake. The well of Jacob, whose photo continues to excite the minds of extreme people, is gradually losing water.
A couple of millennia ago, the pressure of the source was so strong that it hit above the surface like a giant geyser. The height of the water fountain was almost 10 meters. However, the aquifer gradually decreases, and the water level in the well has become less. We are not talking about the fountain at all.
At the end of the 20th century, the first scuba diver plunged into the cave. This gave rise to a number of dangerous dives, which repeatedly led to death. After another fatal accident, they tried to block the entrance to the well’s opening and to the underwater karst caves with a solid grating. But divers still tried to get inside.
In the end, the ceiling and superstructure were removed, and today the entrance to Jacob’s well is again open. However, the geological treasure of Texas continues to zealously guard its secrets, and the next divers already fill the scuba tanks with oxygen.