The ELEPHANT CAVE It is located in the Drepano area of Akrotiri, in Chania prefecture, northwest of Crete. The cave was discovered in 1999 by the diver Manolis Efthymakis the professional diver and filmmaker G. Tzanakis, organized the first mission to explore the cave on March 31, 2000. The finds were fantastic: in addition to the impressive beauty of the cave, also Bones of unknown elephant species were found.
The cave entrance is 9 m high, 6.5 m wide, begins at a depth of 10 meters below sea level and continues into a tunnel about 40 meters long. The rest of the cave is 125 m long and has an average width of 25 m. It is the main room of the cave and, due to its morphology, it is partially filled with water. The depth of the room (below the surface of the water) varies from a few centimeters to 4 meters, while the height of the ceiling above the surface of the water reaches 10 m at some points. The ceiling of the cave is full of reddish stalactites, indicating aluminum and iron content in the rocks. There are many stalactites in the water, indicating that the cave floor was once not covered by water. The study of the sediments (organic, clastic and chemical) shows with certainty that the cave in previous seasons was dry. Also, the air inside the cave is breathable.
The most important find was elephant bones and a very small percentage of deer bones. From the measurements made on the discovered parts of the elephants' skeleton, it could be argued that they belong to a new endemic species, which was named elephas chaniensis, from the Chania area. The elephant fossils belong to at least three adults and a younger member. The age of the bones is estimated between 50,000 and 60,000 years. The migration of these species in Greece is estimated to have occurred before 15 million years ago, when there was a single land area from the Ionian Sea to the coasts of Asia Minor.
The deer bones are interesting, also found in the cave. They belong to both normal-sized deer and dwarf deer (reaching just 30 centimeters). It is believed that the excessive increase in the deer population significantly reduced the food offered and caused the extinction of the elephants in the area. This is confirmed by the fact that elephant bones were found in lower layers than deer bones. Do not expect a large number of fossils, since they do not occupy more than a square meter in the rock, already almost at the end of the cavern, but even so, they are magnificent.
The experience is unique: the decoration of stalactites and stalagmites (under water and on the surface of the water). Visibility is crystal clear and despite the fact that only in the last section, the natural lighting that comes from the entrance is reduced. More than a cave, it could be considered a cavern in terms of diving. There is only a single input that is also the output. Natural light accompanies almost all the time, although a spotlight is essential, at the end of the cave is the chamber with breathable air where we can walk without problems. The bottom is rocky and there is no sediment to lift, so losing your orientation and therefore the way back is impossible. Penetration requires attention, any distracted flapping could destroy the stalactites that are still developing. In short, it is a very beautiful and simple dive that is available to almost all divers.
By Caco Pradas