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So this is what we have been up to in the Dominican Republic.  Last year's trip to Gri Gri Divers lead to our discovery of a primate skull.  We later contacted Dr. Alfred Rosenberger from Brooklyn College in New York.  He brought us back down for two more trips; the first to recovery the original monkey skull and the second (last month) to look for more fossils.
Here are some links that discuss our find as well as the enormous scientific impact is has made:

• Proceedings of the Royal Society - Academic Paper
• Advanced Diver Magazine Article - ADM Discovery of Antillothrix Bernensis
• ADM Exploration Foundation Video - Recovering Monkey Fossils
• Brooklyn College Press Release - BC Anthropologist Identifies Primate Fossil in the Caribbean
• New Scientist Article - Skull tells tale of the lost primates of the Caribbean
• BBC Article - Divers find ancient monkey fossil
• Fox News Article - Scuba Divers Discover Ancient Monkey Fossil

We are proud to be a part of this great research and exploration and look forward to more expeditions to the Dominican Republic. The picture to the left is of Eric and I collecting monkey bones in a small cave; the picture was taken by Curt Bowen.

I have also been busy adding new cave systems to the database and adding countries as well -- I have even listed cave systems in Bosnia!  If you would like to have cave systems added or would lilke to see other features, please let me know.

In a couple of weeks I am headed out of the country to do a more detailed survey of a cave we were working in last year.  I was hoping to have a smaller version of the cave radio we used at Weeki Wachee but Ken Smith doesn't have any to spare.  Honestly, his is labor of love making those things; 300 turns of smaller-than-hair width Mumetal is more than my ADD-plagued mind can take.  We are simply going to use use the old, tried and true method of tape and compass.  Normally, I just make a matrix in my survey notebook and start from there.  However, Jason Richards has recently converted his Rite in the Rain dry cave survey paper (product #R-168) to be more fitting to the underwater world -- THANK YOU Jason!  If anyone is interested in picking some of these up, you can call Rite in the Rain and request custom order product #R-237.  As an aside, Rite in the Rain's Field Ring Binder (product #210) handles the paperwork perfectly.  You might have to trim the edges of the notebook to fit them in a drysuit or wetsuit pocket though.

As for this site, I am constantly adding new cave systems both in the US and other countries.  Take a look at the new flag-based navigation at the top of the Cave & Cavern List and let me know what you think. Hopefully soon we will have some great new expedition news to report. Until then, please take a look at some of the recent expeditions I have been involved with over at Advanced Diver Magazine and the ADM Exploration Foundation.

Many of you, that know me, know that I am passionate about Florida, our karst and the the damage the water bottling industry does to it. I have heard long time cave divers advocate how extracting water from the aquifer is actually good for the State. Yeah it doesn't make sense to me either! They have tried many times to look like environmentalists but they just want more money (pretty typical in Florida Cave Country).  Making money is not bad at all  but lying about how you do it is!

I seldom post to my blog as is witnessed by the lack of keeping it up to date but I do post a lot on twitter if you want to read some of my random thoughts.  Things that I feel are important enough to memorialize, I post here.  Given that, I want to share a video with the few readers I have.  I have watched this video a few times and feel it more than warrants as many views as it can get.  Get the message out and STOP buying bottled water!  I know a good place to get water filters so let me know if you are interested. Please take 8 minutes to watch the video below and help spread the word.