Cave diving, Scuba News, Technical Diving

Madagascar Karst expedition 2017

Madagascar is the third largest island in the world and also one of the poorest countries, making it one of the least visited countries by divers and making logistics extremely difficult. Until the first expedition in 2014, flooded caves in Madagascar remained virtually unexplored. This expedition discovered flooded passages now considered to be among the

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: October 19, 2017 - 15:36

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 15:46

Madagascar is the third largest island in the world and also one of the poorest countries, making it one of the least visited countries by divers and making logistics extremely difficult.

Until the first expedition in 2014, flooded caves in Madagascar remained virtually unexplored. This expedition discovered flooded passages now considered to be among the largest in the world, with a unique geological structure, as well as the largest fossil assemblage, of any sites of this type known to science in Africa.

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Following the discovery-laden exploration that took place during the annual expeditions between 2014 and 2016, Ryan Dart, Phillip Lehman, Hans Kaspersetz and Patrick Widmann have formed the Madagascar Cave Diving Association to lead further expeditions to explore the caves on the Mahafaly Karst plateau.

Within the organisation, Ryan Dart, a former Australian Navy diver who lives permanently in Madagascar, is handling the logistical side of the whole operation, while Phillip Lehman of the Dominican Republic Speleological Society, Hans Kaspersetz and Patrick Widmann, who co-owns Mexican dive centres Protec, are acting as exploration divers.

During the 2017 expedition, the team discovered the new Anjanamba cave and explored 5.5km of its passageways, making it the longest cave on the island, with this only the beginning as it is already certain that the passageways run much further.

Their enormous cross-section means that the cave can extend for many kilometres. The erosion processes that take place in the Anjanamba area have created a unique geological landscape that has once again exceeded all expectations.

Facts:
Date of expedition: September – October 2017
Location – Mahafaly Karst Plateau, Tsimanampesotse National Park, Madagascar
Expedition participants:

Ryan Dart
Phillip Lehman
Hans Kaspersetz
Patrick Widmann

Expedition objective – further exploration of the caves of the Mahafaly Karst plateau in the Tsimanampesotse National Park

Source: xdeep.co.uk

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.