Thunderball was released during the Christmas holiday of 1965 and became an instant Bond classic (I think Goldfinger was a better overall but the underwater battle scene at the end of the film was probably, in it's day, something which had never been seen and would be reprised in For Your Eyes Only).
The film focuses around Emilio Largo, number 2 in the Specter criminal organization, and his role in the theft of two atomic bombs which are used in an attempt to extort $180 meeelllyon dollars from the NATO group of countries. Rife with bombshell characters like Domino Derval and the murderous Fiona, the film follows the Bond template of exotic locales, highstakes action, gadgets and wry one liners faithfully, but compared to other offerings from the beloved franchise seems to drag a little. But this small concern aside it is classic Bond and uses a cave as a albeit brief but important (and memorable) part of the plot.
After landing the British Vulcan bomber jet carrying the bombs in a remote, shallow spot off the coast of New Providence Island Largo and his minions tranfer the bombs underwater into his luxury yacht, the 'Disco Volante' via the secret hull doors underneath the boat. From there Largo motors to a new location and moves the weapons into a spacious cavern beneath a small reef limestone islet, referred to in the movie as the 'Golden Grotto'.
After telling Domino that her sugar daddy had her brother murdered she tells Bond where Largo and his divers will be donning their gear in prepartation to retrieve the bombs (after the NATO countries agree to pay the fee and Largo arranges to drop the bombs off off the coast of Burma. Not sure about that part.)
Bond manages to blend in with Largo's minions as they make their way underwater to the Golden Grotto.
Cave action starts around 1h 47 m into the film. After opening a set of large steel doors which seal the entrance they enter a spacious oval shaped passage perhaps 30' X 20'. While transfering the bombs into a specially designed aqua scooter/ vehicle Largo recognizes Bond and sets the wolves upon him. Bond bolts down the passage, farther into the cave with a minion close behind. Bond is cornered and goes hand to hand with the minion ultimately killing him by jamming an underwater flare into face. At least that's what it kinda looks like. By the time he's done with that Largo and the bombs are out of the cave and the steel doors locked behind them leaving Bond trapped in a watery tomb.
This is where they could've used the cave setting with more effect. In the movie Bond swims into the unknown passage and no time at all spots light glimmering on the waters surface above him. He surfaces into large air filled chamber with a skylight entrance 20 to 30 feet directly above him. He ditches his double 80's and waits for CIA agent Felix Leiter to track him down (using a low level radioactive homing device in pill form that he swallowed earlier). Bond fires his micro flare out of the entrance and a few minutes later a Coast Guard chopper is hovering above the entrance a Bond is pulled dramatically up and out of the cave with the rescue winch.
I think they should pushed the cave diving scene further by having Bond heading down dead end passages, getting disoriented, maybe even a little panicky before finally having to remove his gear underwater in order to negociate a tight spot in the cave which leads to the air filled chamber. This scenario was used in the recent movie 'The Cave' with success.
Of course everything works out in the end: Bond kills Largo and shacks up with Domino in a life raft. The underground sequences make up only a few minutes during the two hour film. Thunderball was remade with an older Sean Connery in 1983 and released under the title 'Never Say Never Again'. I have'nt viewed the film in a while but what can gather from the web is that they shot the cave scenes at same location.
The Golden Grotto is now known as 'Thunderball Grotto' and is popular Bahamian snorkeling destination. Although the movie takes place on Nassau (New Providence) the cave is actually located a couple of hundred mile to the southeast beneath a small limestone islet just off the coast of Staniel Cay, one of many cays making up the Exumas archipelago.
Click image for full size pop-up.
During low tide snorkelers can enter the cave, which judging from photos consists of a series of semi-submerged passages extending for some distance beneath the islet and has one or more skylight entrances. During high tide the entrance (entrances?) are submerged making the inner rooms accessible only with scuba or by descending through the skylights. Some of the passages look like phreatic tubes others look like the work of wave action. Perhaps a combination of the two is responsible for forming the cave. The floor of the cave appears to be 10-20 feet below the low tide surface and is in some places sand and others littered with chunks of dead coral. Althought he double skylight entrance in the photos does not resemble the more squarish pit entrance used by Bond in the film I guess it's possible that there are multiple vertical entrances.
If anybody has any more info email me at speleonet@gmail.com.
A map of the Exumas chain of the Bahamas.
Here are some photos I found on the web.
... 'Club Thunderball'. A bar that has apparently been built on the islet hosting the cave!
... lookin out the entrance from below the surface.
... an older photo of the entrance.
... interior shot showing light a skylight entrance hitting the water and what looks like another entrance in the distance.
... interior shot.
... group of three islets in the Staniel Cay Harbor.
... snorkeler preparing to enter.
... the islet.
... a group by the entrance.
... another view of the three islets.
... looking out from the coast of Staniel Cay.
... a different entrance?
... looking up at the double skylight entrance.
... looking out.
... scalloped walls.
... bisected tubular passage.
... another view of the skylights.
... underwater passage.
... nice image of the submerged entrance.
... free diving to the floor.
... looks like fun to me.
Screenshots: click for large version
Bond gets hoisted out.
Awaiting rescue.
Helicopter above the entrance.
The islet as it appeared in 1965.
Bond seaches for a way out.
The bombs await Largo.
Bond makes a dash for the entrance.
But is too late.
Minions loading the bombs onto the aqua sled.
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