The story behind Phantom Cave, the Deepest Underwater Cave in the USA (2024)

Deep in the west Texas desert lies Phantom Springs Cave. Exploration divers there hit a record depth of 462 ffw / 140.8 m, making it the deepest underwater cave system in the United States! The team also set up sediment traps, collected water quality data, surveyed over 8,000 feet of the cave, and shot hours of high definition video and still photos topside and underwater. Please remember: Phantom Springs Cave (and the surrounding property) is a federally-owned, strictly closed biological preserve (for the endangered pupfish which live in the spring system’s external pools). It is accessible only by those who hold a scientific permit from the US Bureau of Reclamations.

A panel consisting of the Phantom Cave exploration team will discuss the ins and outs of the project: challenges, logistics, scientific findings and more.