Caves have a special attraction for some people they love the thrill of exploring deep under the earth. There is just as much beauty below us as we are privy to on top, conceivably in some ways even more, as caves unquestionably have a mystic to them that exterior sites do not. Here is a compilation of some of the most magnificent caves in the world.
Majlis al Jinn Cave, Oman
Majlis al Jinn Cave is the second major cave on earth. In the Sultanate of Oman in a secluded area of the Selma Plateau you’ll discover this spectacular cave. This is an amazing cave that can be accessed through a fissure in the ground with a rope. The height in the interior of this cave runs from 120 to 150 meters. The cave floor is 300 by 200 meters and to provide you a better perceptive of how huge this cave is, it is gigantic enough that, the largest Egyptian pyramid, the great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt would just about fit inside. The foundation of the pyramid is approximately the same dimension of the chamber floor and the height is very comparable.
Don Davidson discovered this awesome marvel in 1938. He was a geologist that at that point in time was studying water resources in the Sultanate. Approximately ten years later Davidson took an expedition to the Andes where he never returned and it is assumed that he died there. He rented a car and drove it to the trailhead, left a note inside saying what his intentions were and was never seen again.
Waitomo Glowworms Paradise
The Waitomo Cave is located on the North Island of New Zealand. This cave is noted for the Hugh population of glowworms (Arachnocampa luminosa) that call this home. They build a nest out of silk all over the ceilings of the cave and just hang down. To attract prey to its threads the larva glows. This phenomenon makes looking at the ceilings in these caves just like looking at a starry sky at night. When these larvas are real hungry they glow brighter than the ones that have eaten. It is a glorious sight to behold. Insects seem irresistible drawn to them. The blue light is due to a chemical reaction in its tail. This light also solves the problem for cavers that venture into these caves.
Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves
This cave is to be found in the Tennengebirge Mountains near Salzburg in Austria and is the largest ice cave recognized to man. This cave stretches for 40 km but only a fraction of the labyrinth is open to man however, this is a sufficient amount to get an idea of what these caves are actually like. You will be astonished at Mother Nature’s achievement. Ice caves are very diverse from normal caves. The feeling is totally unlike other caves and it’s somewhat like being on a different planet once you cross the threshold into them.
Cave of the Ghost
In Spanish this cave is called “Cueva del Fantasma” which means Cave of the Ghost. It is found in Venezuela. This cave is so vast that two helicopters can fly in it and land next to a spectacular waterfall. The waterfall cascades down one side and forms a small but stunning pond at the foundation. This cave has only been in recent times revealed and researchers also exposed something else that existed there. It was a dendrobatid frog species (Colostethus breweri). The frog was named after its discoverer Charles Brewer-Carias.
Fantastic Cave Pit
The Fantastic Cave pit is found in the United States. It is the deepest known cave pit in the continental USA. This is an extraordinary pit and it is gigantic enough to hold the Washington Monument. It takes approximately eight seconds for a rock to plummet it the ground below. It is beyond doubt an incredible rappel.
Dongzhong Cave
The Dongzhong Cave is found in a Maio village in Ziyun County in southwest China’s Guizhou province. The Dongzhong Cave is not acknowledged for its beauty but it is known for something very extraordinary. Dozens of children attend school in this cave every day. This school was built in a huge aircraft hangar-sized natural cave, it was carved out of the mountain thousands of years ago, by wind, water and seismic shifts. It is a most remarkable place to have a school.
credited to scienceray
weeeeeeeeew...sometimes it will cross in my mind to go adventure in caves but my mom doesn't give me an opportunity.