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SEA CAVES / LITTORAL CAVES
A sea cave, also known as a littoral cave, is a type of cave
formed primarily by the wave action of the sea. The primary process
involved is erosion. Littoral caves may be found in a wide variety
of host rocks, ranging from sedimentary to metamorphic to igneous,
but caves in the latter tend to be larger due to the greater
strength of the host rock.
In order to form a sea cave, the host rock must first contain a
weak zone. In metamorphic or igneous rock, this is typically either
a fault or a dike, while in sedimentary rocks, this may be a
bedding-plane parting or a contact between layers of different
hardness. The latter may also occur in igneous rocks.
The driving force in littoral cave development is wave action.
Erosion is ongoing anywhere that waves batter rocky coasts, but
where sea cliffs contain zones of weakness, rock is removed at a
greater rate along these zones. As the sea reaches into the
fissures thus formed, they begin to widen and deepen due to the
tremendous force exerted within a confined space, not only by
direct action of the surf and any rock particles that it bears, but
also by compression of air within.
Small peninsulas or headlands, such as the one you are visiting,
often have caves that cut completely through them, since they are
subject to attack from both sides.
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