View source for Earth:Haitón del Guarataro

{{Infobox cave
| name = Haitón del Guarataro
| photo = Entrance to Haiton del Guarataro.jpg
| photo_width = 256px
| photo_caption = Entrance shaft of Haitón del Guarataro
| map = Venezuela
| map_width = 256px
| map_caption = Location of Haitón del Guarataro within Venezuela
| map_alt =
| location = Falcón State, Venezuela
| coords = {{coord|11.149748|N|69.689774|W|region:VE|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref = 
| depth = {{convert|305|m}}
| length = {{convert|640|m}}
| elevation = {{convert|1000|m}}
| discovery = April 1973
| geology = Oligocene limestone
| entrance_count = 1
| difficulty = 
| hazards = Verticality
| access = 
| survey = [http://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/images/guarataro_survey.jpg BKRE 1973]
| survey_format = 
}}

The '''Haitón del Guarataro''' is a [[Earth:Solutional cave|solutional cave]] system in the Sierra de San Luis in Falcón State, Venezuela, {{convert|2.5|km}} south-east of Curimagua. It is the deepest [[Earth:Limestone|limestone]] cave in Venezuela,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Herrera|first=Francisco|display-authors=et al|title=Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología 2007.|journal=Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología|year=2006|volume=40|pages=5–11|url=http://www2.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0583-77312006000100003&lng=en&nrm=is|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106124008/http://www2.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0583-77312006000100003&lng=en&nrm=is|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2014|accessdate=24 February 2020}}</ref> and the entrance is a tourist attraction within the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kohn|first=Beth|title=Lonely Planet Venezuela|year=2007|publisher=Lonely Planet|page=154|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ek_-oO0xYoIC&q=%22haiton+del+guarataro%22+%22lonely+planet%22&pg=PA154|accessdate=3 February 2016|isbn=9781741045451}}</ref> A large entrance shaft {{convert|12|m}} in diameter leads via drops of {{convert|168|m}}, {{convert|55|m}}, and {{convert|19|m}} to a stream passage which follows the dip down for a distance of about {{convert|350|m|ft}} to the north to where it eventually chokes. An upstream passage is intercepted which runs south for about {{convert|150|m|ft}} to the base of a shaft. The cave has a depth of {{convert|305|m}}, and a total passage length of {{convert|640|m}}. It was first explored and surveyed in April 1973 by members of the Venezuela '73 British Karst Research Expedition.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chapman|first1=Phil|last2=Checkley |first2=Dave|title=Caves of the Serrania de San Luis, Edo Falcon: The British Karst Research Expedition to Venezuela, 1973|journal=Transactions of the British Cave Research Association|date=March 1981|volume=8|issue=1|pages=1–26|url=http://cavescience2-cloud.bcra.org.uk/1_Transactions/ckt029.pdf|accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gascoyne|first1=Melvyn|title=Hydrological Investigations in Northern Venezuela|journal=Transactions of the British Cave Research Association|date=September 1974|volume=1|issue=3|pages=169–179|url=http://cavescience2-cloud.bcra.org.uk/1_Transactions/ckt003.pdf|accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref>  It is formed in [[Earth:Oligocene|Oligocene]] [[Earth:Reef|reef]]al limestone.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Gunn|editor-first=John |title=Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science|year=2004|publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn|location=London|isbn=978-1579583996|page=110}}</ref>

A faunal survey was undertaken during the exploration of the cave, but only a few cavernicoles were recorded. They included [[Biology:Rhaphidophoridae|cave crickets]], [[Biology:Opiliones|phalangodid harvestmen]], a depigmented troglophile garnmarid shrimp ([[Biology:Hyalella|''Hyalella meinerti'']]) found in a large pool, and a troglobitic trichopolydesmid [[Biology:Millipede|millipede]] found on the roof of the terminal chamber.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Chapman|first=Phil|title=The Invertebrate Fauna of Caves of the Serrania de San Luis, Edo Falcon, Venezuela|journal=Transactions of the British Cave Research Association|date=December 1980|volume=7|issue=4|pages=179–199|url=https://hinko.org/hinko/Dowloads/BCRA/BCRA%207-4-1980.pdf|accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/images/guarataro_survey.jpg The Venezuela '73 British Karst Research Expedition survey of Haitón del Guarataro]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYxRc1qGCOc Video of a December 2018 descent by members of the Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleologia]

[[File:Haiton del Guarataro underground camp.jpg|thumbnail|left|350px|alt=Three people sitting down at an underground camp site surrounded by their equipment|Camping on a ledge at -223 metres during the 1973 explorations]]

[[Category:Limestone caves]]
[[Category:Wild caves]]

{{Sourceattribution|Haitón del Guarataro}}