Who are some famous female spelunkers?

Born in 1827, Sarah Ann Rhodes was one of the first women to explore caves in the United States. She began exploring caves in her teens and quickly became known for her courage and determination. In 1850, she became the first woman to enter and map Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. She went on to explore many other caves in the Midwest, and her work helped to open up the world of caving to women.

2. Emma Lee Turner

Emma Lee Turner was born in 1883 and was an influential American spelunker and caver. In 1910, Emma discovered the Turner Entrance in Colossal Cave in Kentucky, and later that year she became the first woman elected as a member of the National Speleological Society. Turner became the second female member of the Grotto in 1918.

3. Margaret O'Connell

Margaret O'Connell was born in 1894 and was an extraordinary speleologist, cave conservationist and pioneer in the world of underwater exploration in Yucatán. She was the first person to explore and map many caves in Mexico and Central America, including the legendary Cenote Zacatón which, at her death, was listed as the world’s deepest sinkhole.

4. Hazel Alexander

Hazel Alexander was born in 1901 in the United States. She was a renowned caver, diver, hiker and author. In the 1920s, Alexander became one of the first women to use scuba diving equipment in underwater cave exploration.

5. Barbara Moore

Barbara Moore was born in 1927 and was an important caver who founded the first women’s-only caving club in the world: The Women’s Vertical Caving Club (WVCC). She has since become one of the most experienced cave divers and explorers in the world.

6. Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth was born in 1963 in Toronto, Canada. Considered the “Queen of Cave Diving,” Heinerth is an acclaimed underwater explorer, science communicator and author. In the 1990s, Heinerth became the first woman to dive and film both sides of the Mayan Blue Hole in Belize.