When we hear a word, an image immediately comes to mind. It is that of a cave, full of bats, rats and other nasty, ghastly creatures that go bump in the night. Scary pictures aside, we would like to tell you about the most captivating sites you can find if you ever decide to explore the caves.
- Blue Grotto. Ask Italians about the famous Capri attractions, and they will definitely name the Blue Grotto, or the Grotto Azzuro, if we are trying to be authentic. Apart from being a half-hooded hole in the sea, filled with water and spooky blue light, this grotto is nothing short of the ordinary.
Back in the Roman times, ancient believed that this place is so well lit so that the mermaids and the Nereids won’t get lost coming home. Romans would rarely enter the cave, as they were afraid of the creatures they might find, and preferred to steer clear of the Azzuro at night. A funny legend, we must admit, but how would you explain the eerie illumination that is so attractive and uncanny at the same time? If the sirens used to dwell here, it explains a lot. If the Grotto Azzuro was home to creatures less romantic, we are merely lost in thoughts.
Anyway, scientists came up with a more prosaic explanation, stating that the blue light is caused by the sun that gets filtered when it reaches the cave through the opening. Also, anything that gets into the water, turns silver in color, and that is due to the bubbles on the surface. The best time to visit the cave, they say, is the early afternoon, when the sun is just in the right place to illuminate the Grotto.
- Orda Cave. It is the longest underwater cave in Russia, and – strange things come again – there are no currents there. It is an inexplicable mystery, and generally, we would not recommend going down for an excursion.
Orda is made of gypsum, and there are smaller caverns leading away from the main cave. The water is freezing, and one of the marine explorers, who used to dive in Orda, said he saw giant chunks of gypsum fall off the ceiling. Giant? Well, he admits one of them looked like a small car in size!
- Lubang Nasib Bagus. Located in Borneo, it is the largest cave chamber in the world. We cannot say a lot of people came here, since the place is not the most popular tourist destination.
Perhaps, it can be explained by the number of smaller caves that can be found in Lubang Nasib Bagus, and the traveler’s traps, all of which are extremely dangerous. If you are looking for something extraordinary that will make your blood run cold, and the usual adrenaline sources do not seem to work anymore, try to visit the site!
- Krubera Cave. Located in Abkhazia, it was named the deepest cave in the world. Judging by the photos you can find online, scientists were right in their calculations. In order to get to the very depths of the cave and explore what’s hidden there, spelunkers had to survive freezing temperatures and risk their lives!
There was also a flash flood, and the team was isolated from the rest of the world for thirty hours. That was a terrible experience, but there is nothing impossible for science. Down there, a few parasitic worms were found and a fish that is almost transparent. It lives in the temperatures barely above freezing, and we cannot judge the people who decided that going down the rabbit hole (in our case, the cave hole) was totally worth it.
