Construction workers have uncovered one of the largest, most impressive caves ever to be found in Bermuda, Environment Minister Dennis Lister told Parliament yesterday.

He said the significant cave formation was unearthed at the Wilkinson Quarry in Hamilton Parish by construction workers at the end of last month, bringing all work on the site to a halt.

He said the Ministry's conservation officer, accompanied by the hydrogeologist, carried out an initial one-hour inspection the day after, on February 22, where they found a "unique" and "irreplaceable" national treasure.

Mr. Lister said: "The officers were impressed with the size of the cave and the variety of cave formations they found. As a result of their findings, the decision was taken to immediately serve a Stop Work Notice on all quarrying operations in the vicinity of the cave.

"It was further agreed to carry out a more thorough examination of the cave at the earliest opportunity."

The Minister said a team of technical officers then began a more detailed examination of the cave chamber, which culminated in a 100 foot climb down to the large lake at the bottom of the cave.

He added: "The cave is described as large and usually well-decorated with a diverse variety of geologic and flowstone formations.

"The chamber is dominated by large, actively growing stalactites, stalagmites and huge columns. The roof and walls are almost completely covered with active, calcite formations that include sizeable, translucent curtains and unusually-shaped eccentric formations known as heclatites."

He said the extent to which the cave was wet or covered with actively growing formations added to the significance of the find, and said most caves already found in Bermuda were dead or dry with calcium carbonate deposits that have been completed for many millennia.

Mr Lister added: "The Wilkinson's Quarry cave is said to contain the largest area of active flowstone cascades found in Bermuda. One flowstone formation, resembling a stone waterfall, extends for over 70 feet from the cave entrance down to the edge of the lake.

"The lake is a significant feature in itself, with two large pools connected by a channel that curves around the buttress-like flowstone formation."

He said the northern pool measured more than 65 feet across and the connecting channel was 60 to 80 feet in length and appeared to continued to a much greater depth.

And he said that all of the officers had unanimously agreed on the significance of the discovery because of the cave's size, diversity of formations and the number of rare features it contained.

"It is a unique and irreplaceable treasure that must be properly protected and preserved and thoroughly examined," he added.

He said the cave is to be protected and a scientific exploration of the entire formation launched.

Mr. Lister told the House that the Stop Notice would remain in effect and the owners of the property, Wilkinson Trust, had been instructed to take whatever steps were necessary to protect the cave.

World renowned cave expert Dr. Tom Iliffe has been asked by the Ministry to head a team to survey, map and document the cave, and to carry out a careful search for cave organisms. The team will also dive the cave waters to explore connections to the more extensive underwater cave network.

Members of the public have been urged to stay away from the cave and the general site. He said it was on private property and the working quarry was not a safe environment.

Curator of the Natural History Museum at Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer, who has studied the cave, said it was definitely a significant find.

He said: "It's very well decorated, it's very active and it's still dripping, which means the stone is still growing.

"It's difficult to say exactly what we have at this point, but it's certainly much more than just a crack in the ground. It's a significant find. It will have to be explored much more. There is still a lot to be done."