Cueva de los Arcos (Benitachell)

Went diving this weekend with 6 people to a cavern near Benitachell. I had just passed my NAUI AOW cert. and this was to be my first cavern dive. My other dive experiences were in Morocco, France and Egypt, where the water was crystal blue and the marine life was astounding. However, those dives didn't compare to this dive at all. The entry to the cave is on land, inside a huge grotto. We descended to 5 mts and we swam through a tunnel to a large chamber, then out to open water over a wall. It was so incredible to be suspended in the pitch black of the cave. My buddy and I were talking on the way to the dive about how we didn't understand how anybody could lose their sense of up and down in the water. Well, now we know.
About half way into the dive, we were escorted through the opening of another cave and began to ascent. The ascent finally stopped when our heads broke the surface. We where in an enormous air pocket in an underground cave. The cave itself was the size of a swimming pool. At first I left my reg in my mouth. Id heard of divers passing out through lack of oxygen on several occasions because they’d surfaced in bad air whilst underwater. However Pete our guide had spat his out and was chatting away so I quickly followed suite.
The reason it was safe to breathe here was because a hole in the roof led straight to the surface. This hole in the roof was also the reason for us having such a short surface interval. We where instructed to cover our lights and enjoy the darkness. And it was very dark. Very dark that is except for a near vertical beam of light shining down from the surface. Putting my face back underwater I could see the shaft of light continue all the way to the bottom of the cave. This only occurs at noon, as the sun has to be right above the hole. As we descended we swam past the light and back into the darkness of the tunnel. Having become a bit more accustomed to being underground we headed towards the halocline. A halocline is where a layer of fresh water and saltwater mix. If you haven’t seen one, think what it looks like if you’re in a swimming pool with no mask and your eyes wide open. In fact it took me a minute to realise it wasn’t my mask fogging up. Water kept getting into my mask from smiling so much. I have never had such an out-of-body-like experience.
This was my best dive ever.

Farida Boudouani - Cambridge - United Kingdom