The people and records behind the work
Credits
Exploration and documentation are collaborative. These image credits identify the people behind the photographs, ROV frames, covers, and archival material across the site.
Films
Several field documentaries on the Films page were produced by Mike Sandone / Sandone Films. Film entries identify the filmmaker and Michael Girard's participation. Visit Sandone's YouTube channel for more of his work.
Image credits
Find an image by the page where it first appears. Some images appear on several pages; each is listed once here. “ROV image” identifies a frame recorded by Robo-Teddy, not a human photographer. The maker of a few historical images remains unidentified.
Home5 images
Cliffs and wetland at Devil's Washdish in the Adirondack MountainsPhoto: Mike Sandone
Mine entrance hero, digitally extendedPhoto: Michael Girard; digitally extended for this site
Robo-Teddy, an underwater ROV, illuminating fossils on a cave floorPhoto: Luis Espinasa
Explorers silhouetted in the entrance shaft of Sistema CaleraPhoto: Mike Sandone
Earlier Mexico daily dispatch portraitPhoto: Michael Girard
About8 images
Michael Girard among the fractured rock inside Bernie's CavePhoto: Jim Moore
Michael Girard presenting Sistema Calera at The Explorers Club headquartersPhoto: Explorers Club
Michael Girard and a teammate operating an underwater ROV at Lake LuisPhoto: Mike Sandone
Michael Girard climbing from the rocky entrance of Sunk MinePhoto: Mike Sandone
Michael Girard standing beside a llama during expedition travelPhotographer unidentified
Michael Girard at The Explorers Club in New YorkPhoto: Michael Girard
Michael Girard operating an underwater ROV beside the sump in Schoharie CavernPhoto: Mike Sandone
Michael Girard beside the moss-covered entrance of Wolf Hollow Ice CavePhoto: Michael Girard
Press resources2 images
Michael Girard in a helmet and field gear undergroundPhoto: Michael Girard
Michael Girard examining a fossil skull in a cavePhoto: Mike Sandone
Speaking2 images
Michael Girard operating an underwater ROV at the Schoharie Cavern sumpPhoto: Mike Sandone
Daylight entering the deep shaft of Sistema Calera in MexicoPhoto: Mike Sandone
Writing4 images
Iván Alarcón Durán, Luis Espinasa, and Mike Sandone at the Sótano del Toro entrancePhoto: Michael Girard
Crypt Of The Megafauna coverCover: Luis and Jordi Espinasa
Into The Shadows coverCover: Michael Girard
Stories In Stone coverCover: Michael Girard
Expeditions index7 images
Layered mountain ridges seen from the Adirondack highlandsPhoto: Michael Girard
The rock face and openings at Andover MinePhoto: Michael Girard
An explorer carrying underwater equipment through Schoharie CavernPhoto: Mike Sandone
Michael Girard operating an underwater vehicle beside the clear pool at the end of Schoharie CavernPhoto: Mike Sandone
Fractured ledge and fallen blocks at the Seven Wonders of PlainfieldPhoto: Michael Girard
Light from above falls into a narrow flooded mine cut with timber at the waterlinePhoto: Michael Girard
Mike Sandone stands in the flooded mine passage beneath surviving overhead timbersPhoto: Michael Girard
Sistema Calera8 images
Mike Sandone beside an Ice Age short-faced bear skull in the cavePhoto: Mike Sandone
Camelid and other fossil remains visible underwater in Sistema CaleraROV image: Robo-Teddy
Blue water beneath hanging roots in a Mexican cavePhoto: Mike Sandone
Robo-Teddy illuminating a flooded cave passagePhoto: Luis Espinasa
Michael Girard and Mike Sandone monitoring the ROV at Lake LuisPhoto: Mike Sandone
The team preparing Robo-Teddy in a confined cave passagePhoto: Mike Sandone
Mike Sandone holding a 17-inch giant ground-sloth claw elementPhoto: Michael Girard
Mike Sandone working through a narrow section of Toro IIPhoto: Michael Girard
Beyond the Sump13 images
Pale biofilm covering submerged rock in a mineROV image: Robo-Teddy
Expedition team operating an ROV beside a cave pool in MexicoPhoto: Mike Sandone
A compact ROV visible beneath the blue surface of a cave pool in MexicoPhoto: Mike Sandone
Fossil material resting on sediment beneath a cave poolROV image: Robo-Teddy
Submerged timbers and false floors inside a historic mineROV image: Robo-Teddy
A small ROV being lowered into a flooded historic minePhoto: Mike Sandone
Luis examining fossil material in a caveROV image: Robo-Teddy
Orange mine chamber surrounding a still flooded poolPhoto: Mike Sandone
Robo-Teddy underwater with twin lights illuminating a cave wallPhoto: Luis Espinasa
Michael Girard beside a compact underwater ROV and field casePhoto: Mike Sandone
A distant explorer silhouetted in a dark cave passagePhoto: Mike Sandone
Sculpted limestone passage inside Schoharie CavernPhoto: Michael Girard
A vertical flooded mine winze disappearing into darknessPhoto: Mike Sandone
Andover Mine7 images
ROV frame of submerged timber and stone structures in the flooded Andover driftROV image: Robo-Teddy
An explorer operating an underwater ROV beside a flooded opening at Andover MinePhoto: Mike Sandone
Explorer standing in water within a passage at Sulphur Hill MinePhoto: Michael Girard
A water-filled tunnel at Tar Hill MinePhoto: Michael Girard
Another ROV view of upright timbers in the flooded mineROV image: Robo-Teddy
View from inside the upper mine opening toward daylightPhoto: Michael Girard
1855 Andover Iron Mine woodcut1855 woodcut; artist unidentified. Reproduced in Sims and Leonard, New Jersey Geological Survey Bulletin 62 (1952)
Seven Wonders9 images
Tall leaning stone slab at Devil’s Coffin on the Plainfield ledgePhoto: Michael Girard
A deep narrow opening between large fractured blocksPhoto: Michael Girard
Initials GN scratched or carved into stonePhoto: Michael Girard
Narrow fissure entrance between tall rock wallsPhoto: Michael Girard
High rock face with a shadowed cave entrance partly hidden by vegetationPhoto: Michael Girard
Rock chamber and bright natural window in Old Lady’s KitchenPhoto: Michael Girard
Historical postcard of the ledgeHistorical postcard; image maker unidentified
1892 Baldwin map detail1892 Baldwin map detail; image maker unidentified
Rock chamber in the talus cave with daylight entering beyond fallen blocksPhoto: Michael Girard
Adirondacks13 images
Small cavity developed in calcitic marblePhoto: Mike Sandone
Water moving through exposed rock in Adirondack forestPhoto: Michael Girard
Robert Carroll field mapMap: Robert Carroll
Low entrance of Devil's Washdish Cave beneath a rock ledgePhoto: Michael Girard
Michael Girard inside the confined passage of Devil's Washdish CavePhoto: Mike Sandone
Low rock passage inside Devil's Washdish CavePhoto: Michael Girard
Cliffs rising above the wetland at Devil's WashdishPhoto: Mike Sandone
Explorer crossing a wetland on a narrow timberPhoto: Mike Sandone
LiDAR cave modelPhoto: Mike Sandone
Sunset seen through trees toward Pharaoh MountainPhoto: Michael Girard
Packing camp on the forested slope of Thunderbolt MountainPhoto: Mike Sandone
Annotated field route mapPhoto: Michael Girard
A small waterfall found while climbing Thunderbolt MountainPhoto: Mike Sandone
Schoharie Cavern5 images
ROV frame of pale limestone and its reflection beneath the surface in the air-filled chamberROV image: Robo-Teddy
Entering Schoharie CavernPhoto: Mike Sandone
The Shower DomePhoto: Michael Girard
ROV frame of stacked pale limestone slabs narrowing a submerged passageROV image: Robo-Teddy
ROV frame showing thin limestone sheets and a dark submerged passage in Schoharie CavernROV image: Robo-Teddy
Sunk Mine5 images
Two helmeted people stand beside the broad, shadowed mine opening in daylightPhoto: Michael Girard
Explorer standing near the base of a tall excavated mine wallPhoto: Mike Sandone
Close ROV view of a broad fallen timber crossing other wood beneath the waterROV image: Robo-Teddy
ROV light illuminating a murky underwater opening below the mine ceilingPhoto: Michael Girard
ROV view of large submerged timbers forming an angular opening in the mineROV image: Robo-Teddy
Wallkill Lead Mine4 images
Mike Sandone studies a rock-filled winze opening beside shallow mine waterPhoto: Michael Girard
Mike Sandone and Michael Girard wearing red helmets at a mine openingPhoto: Mike Sandone
Mike Sandone stands waist deep in water in a low rocky mine passagePhoto: Michael Girard
Michael Girard moves through a flooded passage between an upright door frame and another timberPhoto: Mike Sandone
Avon Adventure 6201 images
Mike Sandone at the controls of the Avon Adventure 620 on Long Island SoundPhotographer unidentified; image from Michael Girard's 2023 article
Permission to display an image on this website does not grant permission for republication. For a file or publication use, please send a media inquiry with the image description and intended use.
Historical material
The Andover Mine narrative cites New Jersey Geological Survey sources. The Seven Wonders of Plainfield narrative discusses an 1892 map and an 1895 issue of The Graphic. See the source notes on each expedition page for context before reusing historical material.
Corrections
If you recognize a missing or incomplete attribution, get in touch with the page and the correct credit.