You've Grotto Be Kidding...

Good morning, and welcome!

When I first set out to discover the world’s most interesting caves, I had no idea that they would be so… well… interesting! Caves and I have a bit of what you might call a tumultuous relationship. I don’t like mud, I don’t like groping around in the dark only to cut myself on a rock, I don’t like the headlamp things you have to wear, and I really, really don’t like bat droppings or anything that might live in them. However, I can appreciate the incredible rock formations that can often be found inside a cave. There’s something magical about the idea of an entire world waiting to be discovered just beneath the surface.

This would be the point in which I rant once more about how cool our planet is, but here’s the thing: caves aren’t unique to Earth. They’ve been spotted on Mars and the moon as well. Wow, wouldn’t it be amazing to be the first to explore a cave… in space? As if I don’t have enough impossible dreams on my bucket list already!

Sadly, until we are able to develop more advanced technology, I doubt there will be any space spelunking (space-lunking?) efforts anytime soon. In the meantime, we’ll have to settle for exploring the remaining caves on Earth… not exactly a disappointment if they’re anything like the six I’ve got for you this morning….

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Cave of the Crystals

(Photo "The Cave of Giant Crystals, Naica, Mexico" by Paul Williams www.IronAmmonitePhotography.com is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

In the year 2000, a group of miners in search of silver found something far, far more impressive beneath the ground in Naica, Mexico: the Cave of the Crystals. It consists of three connected caverns, each made entirely of long, translucent white selenite crystals that extend from the floor to the ceiling of the cave. They dwarf humans in size. In nature, these crystals were able to grow when molecules from a solution of saline, gypsum, and water latched onto the solid matter that was the crystal. When submerged in groundwater, these crystals can still grow today, despite already being up to 3 feet in diameter and 36 feet in length. However, this chemical process is slow going. The crystals in the cave likely took up to a million years to grow to their current size! How to explore this natural wonder? Sadly, the conditions in the cave don’t really lend themselves to tourism. The few scientists who have visited required cooling suits and special breathing masks, as the temperature in the cave is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the high humidity levels in the atmosphere there could be lethal. On the other hand, if you’re really desperate to experience the spectacular Cave of the Crystals, it is said that you could contact the Naica Mine in the hope of obtaining permission to go inside….

Read more about the cave on this Atlas Obscura webpage: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/100-wonders-the-cave-of-crystals

Orda Cave

(Photo "FH000122" by mhowry is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

The entrance to Russia’s Orda Cave was formed from a sinkhole in 1970, and was then discovered by a group of curious schoolboys gone exploring. It is the world’s largest underwater cave in Russia, as well as the most extensive gypsum—a sulfate mineral found in sidewalk chalk—cave in the world. Because of the gypsum powder that filters the water, Orda Cave is renowned among the diving community for its remarkable underwater visibility. It’s a popular dive for both recreation and training, one that gives access to some truly riveting views. Not to mention, divers there may or may not have some extra help when it comes to safety. It is said that a spirit referred to as the Lady of Orda Cave watches over explorers there who come with pure intentions. However, divers are not the only group who flock to Orda Cave. Speleologists and geologists also frequent the area for samples, data, photos, and simply to marvel at the cave’s breathtaking natural rock formations. Their efforts made it possible to create a map of some parts of the cave, making it safer and more accessible for the public to explore. Might want to bring some cold weather gear for the trip, though, as the water can reach temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meet Natalia Avseenko, a free diver who posed for photographs in the cave dressed as the Lady herself: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267785/The-real-life-Lady-Lake-Russian-swimmer-goes-deep-underwater-crystal-cave-create-legend-spirit-said-haunt-it.html

Eisriesenwelt Cave

(Photo "Ice Cave Formation." by Pathfinder Photo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Welcome to Eisriesenwelt Cave in Austria, the world’s largest ice cave! (Its name is German for “World of the Ice Giants” for a reason.) It’s a 26-mile icy wonderland encased deep within the Alps, complete with frozen waterfalls, ice columns stretching from the cavern’s floor to its ceiling, and much, much more. It is known for its wide variety of natural “ice sculptures” formed by freshly melted water seeping into the cave in the spring only to refreeze in the winter. Because of this, the cave is ever changing. Before the cave’s discovery by an Austrian scientist in 1879, the cave was believed to be a gate into Hell by the locals of Werfen, a nearby town. In 1912, the first team of explorers set out to debunk that theory, and Eisriesenwelt has been a popular tourist destination ever since. Reaching Eisriesenwelt requires a bus and cable car ride up the mountains, a short trek to the entrance, and cold weather gear, as temperatures in the cave can reach below zero, even in the summer. Unfortunately, photos and video recordings are prohibited in an effort to preserve the cave and its natural beauty, so be sure to take time to appreciate the stunning views while you can.

For one traveler’s experience inside Eisriesenwelt, read this Road Affair article: https://www.roadaffair.com/eisriesenwelt-werfen/

Great Blue Hole

(Photo "Blue hole fly over" by seann.mcauliffe is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

60 miles off the coast of Belize lies this geologic anomaly: a shockingly deep underwater cave that drops off to a depth of more than 400 feet deep. Though the Great Blue Hole is technically categorized as a sinkhole, not a cave, it originated as a limestone cave prior to its collapse due to rising water levels just before the end of the last Ice Age. Oddly, it retains a perfectly circular shape, with a diameter of nearly 1000 feet. Around it is the Belize Barrier Reef, a shallow area with an abundance of sea life that is also worth seeing. However, only various shark breeds and groupers frequent the hole itself. The true beauty inside the Great Blue Hole is its rock formations, as with all caves. It is filled with stalactites (which are the rock formations that hang from the cave ceiling, not the cave floor—those are “stalagmites”) and other fascinating rock formations. To explore the Great Blue Hole demands a deep, complex, and arguably dangerous dive that is exclusive to experienced divers. You’ll need to partake in 24 complete dives prior to your Great Blue Hole expedition. It might just be worth the wait, though—this amazing underwater cave was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a favorite spot of marine biologist Jaques Cousteau.

See video footage from inside the Great Blue Hole in this video on Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/great-blue-hole-belize-divers-sinkhole-what-lies-bottom-2019-2#:~:text=Narrator%3A%20There's%20a%20massive%20underwater,called%20the%20Great%20Blue%20Hole.&text=Narrator%3A%20Past%20the%20conch%20graveyard,did%20not%20expect%3A%20small%20stalactites.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

(Photo "Outside the Puerto Princesa Underground River" by jamkablam is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

There may still be secrets left to uncover in the Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Underground River. It’s a place of mystery, as unexplored caverns are said to remain even today. Though the river flows through much of this fascinating labyrinth, numerous waterfalls inside the cave suggest a second level awaiting discovery above the river. This theory was confirmed in 2010 by a team of environmentalists and geologists. Additionally, the cave is home to a recently discovered species of huntsman spider. The water in the river is another anomaly, as it contains too much salt to be categorized as freshwater but not enough to be deemed saltwater, either. Wow, who knows what else we can find here? As for the view inside the cave, it contains rock formations both under and above the water, a room filled with crystals, plants and animals unique to the river and the surrounding rainforest, and the exposed fossil of a manatee that is millions of years old. Tours are given by boat, but know that the journey might take a while: extending for more than 15 miles, the Puerto Princesa is the longest navigable underground river in the world. For these numerous reasons, the river has been declared one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World. I think it’s a fitting title for such a distinctive, beautiful place!

Remember this New7Wonders website from the 28 Wonders article? It has a page on the Puerto Princesa Underground River, too! Check it out here: https://nature.new7wonders.com/wonders/puerto-princessa-underground-river-philippines/ 

Son Doong Cave

(Photo "File:SondoongcaveIMG 0592.jpg" by Lelong is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

The bigger, the better, some say… and this is definitely true for the world’s largest known cave, Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave! Forget one paragraph, I could write an entire article on this thing. Included in its 1.5 billion—BILLION!—cubic feet is the cave’s very own weather system, jungle with unique plant species, river, beach, pools of water millions of years old, rare cave pearls, rock formations the size of skyscrapers, and did I mention climate and jungle? Wildest of all, it was only discovered in the 1990s and explored in the late 2000s, meaning that there’s still a lot we don’t know about this marvel hiding underneath our planet’s surface. More people have summited Mount Everest than explored inside Son Doong Cave. Son Doong owes its remarkable jungle ecosystem to its open roof, the result of a collapse that occurred millions of years ago. This enables animals from the surface to come and go as they please, as well as supporting the rise of clouds and the fall of rain… all from inside the cave. Additionally, Son Doong is home to a plethora of spherical cave pearls, formed from water, sand, and calcite. They’re incredibly hard to find, but here, they’re just one of many mind-blowing surprises from inside Son Doong.

There’s no way I covered everything. Read more about this incredible cave in this LonelyPlanet article: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/explore-hang-son-doong-in-vietnam

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Amazed yet? I find the diversity of Earth’s caves so impressive. From crystals to underwater caves to subterranean rivers, I’d say the word “cave” is one of the most general terms out there. It sells short the endless possibilities and instead promotes a single image, of dull-colored rocks and musty smells, when a cave could actually be a variety of different, unique underground structures. It’s like how “insect” could be anything from the terrifyingly supersized giant weta to the brightly colored blue morpho butterfly or “flower” could mean the petunias in your backyard or the rare, foul-smelling corpse flower.

That’s why today’s dare is a friendly reminder of that age-old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Before researching these six fascinating examples, I thought caves were all dust and bat poo. Now I know just how incredible these underground marvels can be. It’s the same with a lot of things in our world. Until we have all the facts about something (or someone!), it isn’t fair to pass judgement on the subject. Besides, learning more about what we see can be a fulfilling experience—some might even say an adventure.

Happy spelunking….