Green Grotto Caves

By Taylor Fortin

On Friday, we took a trip to the Green Grotto Caves. As part of the project, touring the caves gave us more insight on the operation of a tourist attraction, and what locals and tourists may expect from a historical cave tour. The Green Grotto caves are a prominent tourist attraction on the north coast of the Island, and are rich with history. During the 17th century, the caves were used as a hideout for the Spaniards who were being driven out of the country when the English took control of the island. In the 20th Century, smugglers running arms to Cuba used them. During the Second World War, the Government of Jamaica used the entrance of the cave as a storeroom for rum in barrels. Slaves escaping to the mountains also used the caves for centuries. In more recent history, the entrance and largest section of the caves were used to host concerts, parties, and events. These operations were stopped when it was discovered that the constant vibrations were damaging to the bat population that occupied the caves. The bats are an essential part of sustaining the caves’ ecosystem. Green Grotto is 1,525 metres long and 12 metres deep and has a variety of sections and paths, as well as the Grotto Lake, a subterranean lake.

Our tour guide, Dwayne, had us in stitches

When we arrived at the caves, we geared up with hardhats and were met by our tour guide, Dwayne. He was one of the most funny and charismatic tour guides I’ve ever had in my life, which made the experience all the more fun and exciting. He was very knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions we had. He made the tour interactive and engaging, and always had everyone laughing, though he did enjoy scaring the living daylights out of some of us! The section of the caves we saw was only a small portion, because they only use small sections for tours in order to preserve the ecosystems within the caves. We were taken through different areas of the caves, each with its own unique story and history. We saw the escape route used by the Spanish Governor when he was evading the English in the 17th century. We were taken down to the Grotto Lake, which was 12 meters underground, and rumoured to be haunted. We also saw the Wishing Well, which was a vertical cave, roughly 10 meters down.

Getting to tour the caves was one of my favourite experiences of the trip. We learned a lot about the history of Jamaica, as well as getting to experience the beautiful and unique rock structures formed by the caves.

Taylor Fortin is a 2nd year student in the School of Social Welfare and Social Development at Nipissing University. Taylor is working with Team Caves for this expedition.