Caving

Do not touch the formations you see in caves.  In some cases large floors of Flowstone must be traversed.  In those cases, sticking to the marked trails helps minimize damage to the cave.  If you’re not a veteran caver, but have gone on a commercial cave tour, you may have been told not to touch the cave along the tour route.  In the United States, there are laws in place protecting cave formations from damage.  Most states have their own laws and penalties in addition to national ones.  It’s logical to assume that the formations are being protected against breakage, but what you might not realize is that even touching a cave formation damages it.  The oils and salts found in our skin is quickly absorbed into the porous calcite that most precipitated cave formations are made of.  This oil, when absorbed, creates an oily barrier on the surface of the formation wherever it was touched.  Ever spot brushed by human fingers becomes coated with oils that block water which would enable further development.  In this way, by touching formations, we are “killing” them.  During dry seasons, many cave formations become periodically inactive.  What happens to touched formations prevents any more growth.  This is sad for caves who take many visitors through who cannot keep their hands to themselves.  Ruined or broken formations can sometimes be repaired, but such restorations are timely and can never completely restore speleothems, or cave formations, to their former splendor.  So next time you venture underground to go caving, or just to take a tour, remember to keep your hands off of the formations.  Don’t take anything but pictures.  Don’t leave anything but foot prints, and “kill” nothing except time.