drapery is called The Whale's Mouth.
...the cave is filled with many fascinating geological formations.
Stalactites hang from the ceilings...
...while elsewhere, impressive columns rise from the cave floor.
This type of formation is known as flowstone...
...while these features are typical of those found in the main chamber.
All them owe their existence to water...
...which deposits mineral content as it collects in crystalline pools. A tour of the caverns took the greater part of
a day...
...so extensive were the chambers and rooms.
After a long day underground, I took the elevators to the surface and returned to Carlsbad,
where the next day I would try to gain access to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
