Dip at Cave and Basin Banff kills Snails

I have seen the signs at the Cave and Basin warning that interfering with the spring around the basin can kill the snails. Thanks to a vandal and the CBC I now have the answer as to how this happens. The CBC reported that a vandal broke into the Cave and Basin historic site last week and swam in an outdoor hot spring that is home to the Banff Springs snails. The swim has killed at least five endangered snails when he damaged the floating microbial mats on which the snails feed and lay their eggs. It seems the swimmer also smeared some of the algae on a nearby building.