Ohio, local area rich with caves to visit

After weeks with the world's attention on the Thai soccer team cave saga, it should be pointed out that many caves are perfectly safe to visit and explore.Ohio has hundreds of caves on both public and private property, with many offering tours — complete with guides, stairs, lighting and handrails.The ODNR's Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, which was absorbed by Parks, and then merged with Watercraft, is charged with administering Ohio's cave law, identifying and protecting them.Laws include the protection of stalactites and stalagmites; archeological artifacts; prehistoric ruins; art; fossilized footprints, cave organisms; and prohibit the placement of litter, toxic substances; or polluting the ground water, among other acts.In a survey that went from 2007-10, they partnered with Wittenberg University Speleological Society to identify 400 caves in the state — including 211 in western Ohio limestone/dolomite bedrock and 189 in eastern Ohio sandstone. Other references state that Ohio's caves number close to 500 between the Islands and the Ohio River in all 88 counties.The Wittenberg crew identified all of the living organisms in each cave. They found that of the 261 species of plants and animals found in the caves — 20 of these species are found only in this dark — moist and constant temperature habitat. Most are invertebrates such as planaria, spiders, isopods, beetles and pseudoscorpions.One species, the Kindt Cave Isopod is only known to occur in one cave at Put-in-Bay and was recently listed as an Ohio endangered species by the Ohio Division of Wildlife.In an Ohio Journal of Science article written by James Verber and Dr. Davis Stansbury in 1953, they learned about 30 caves on South Bass Island. They suspected that there may be just as many more lurking below the island's surface, based upon suspicious-looking depressions that could be excavated.Of the four caves formerly open for tours on South Bass Island, two remain open — Heineman's Crystal Cave and Perry's Cave across the street. Crystal Cave was discovered by winery employees digging a new well in 1897. It turned out to contain tons of the mineral Celestite inside the "World's Largest Geode."Through the excavation of over five tons of the crystal, used for the manufacture of fireworks, the floor was lowered enough to allow comfortable entry into the geode and enjoy the Strontium sulfate crystal formations on the ceiling.Legend has it that (Oliver Hazard) Perry's Cave was discovered in 1813 by troops searching for clean water while stationed with the U.S. Navy at Put-in-Bay during the War of 1812. This cave has calcium carbonate stalactites, stalagmites and cave pearls on the ceiling, floor and walls of the cave, which also has an underground lake.A group from the Cleveland Grotto documented three caves on Green Island, including the known one discovered by William Coil and discovered two new ones on Kelleys Island.There are a number of other caves within a comfortable drive of here with improved access to allow commercial tourism to occur. Some of the well-established ones include Seneca Caverns near Bellevue (Huron Co.), Ohio Caverns near West Liberty (Champaign Co.) and Indian Trail Caverns near Vanlue (Hancock Co.).Seneca Caverns (senecacavernsohio.com) was discovered in 1872 by two boys while rabbit hunting. It was named Good's Cave, for its owner, Emmanuel Good. Later, a local lawyer, Don Bell partnered with Good to explore it and then decided to open it up for tours in 1933.Seneca Caverns is located south of Castalia and Bellevue off of Ohio 209 and features seven unique levels, including some with fossils, including a 11½ foot-long fish. It also contains a portion of the subterranean stream that they call "Ole Mist'ry River" that famously flows through the region.Ohio Caverns (ohiocaverns.com) at 2210 East State Route 245, East of West Liberty is touted as the largest in the state, with two miles of passages that are 30-to-100-plus feet deep. First discovered in 1897, it has one of the largest stalactites known to exist, measuring almost five feet long and weighing 400 pounds and aged at 200,000 years old.Indian Trail Caverns (indiantrailcaverns.com) at 722 Ohio 568, near Vanlue is open 1-4 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Adjacent Sheriden Cave research site has produced great numbers of ice age animal remains, such as Giant beavers, Long-nosed peccaries, Stag moose and Short-face bear — and the earliest records of Paleo-Indian activity in Ohio.They are great places to go on a hot summer day.