Shondong is the largest cave in the world (25 photos). Caves

Our planet is a place of amazing wonders and unusual mysteries. It would seem that man has mastered even the most remote corners of the Earth, but has not yet discovered all its secrets. In addition to those known to everyone, there are a huge number of man-made and natural objects that capture the imagination and minds of all mankind. Among them is the largest in a unique formation with its own ecosystem. Let's talk about where it is located, when it was discovered and what distinctive features it has.

Shondong: size statistics

Shondong is the largest cave in the world. Such a statement by local residents was supported by facts obtained by a research expedition from England in 2009. According to dry statistical figures, the formation has a volume of about 38.5 million cubic meters, a height of about 200 meters, and a width of about 150 meters. Once in such an underground kingdom, willy-nilly, any person can be confused by the grandeur, size and scope.

History of discovery

The unofficial history of the cave begins in 1991; it was from this period of time that the local population mentioned its presence; before this date, no information was provided. At the same time, we should not forget that the underground grotto of colossal size was formed by the water element for at least two million years in a row. Evidence of the cave's considerable age are huge stalagmites, as well as other bizarre stone formations.

How to get to the cave?

Where is the largest cave in the world? Vietnam, Quang Binh Province - this is the address you will have to follow to visit it. Not far from the border with Laos, in these places there is a national natural park called Phong Nha - Ke Bang, and it is here that a unique natural formation is located. Finding the entrance to the cave is quite difficult, this is due to the fact that it is located in a rather wild area, in the kingdom of mountains and jungle. Perhaps this fact explains the fact that for a long time the underground formation was not discovered and was not explored even after its discovery at the end of the 20th century. Descent underground is carried out using ropes, which is also a rather serious obstacle and test.

Beauty and features of Shondong

What is the largest cave in the world famous for? Photos of the formation amaze with their amazing beauty and scale. First of all, most travelers are amazed by the water that flows in the bowels of the earth and in solid rocks for several kilometers. The most desperate daredevils even pitch tents on its banks, but you won’t be able to enjoy the silence away from civilization here either. The splash of water and the howl of the wind in the depths of the cave create a frightening atmosphere worthy of any horror film.

In addition to the river, Shondong also has its own green spaces and jungle, in which indigenous inhabitants may also be present. So, various insects and snakes are found here, a little less often birds and even monkeys. A unique feature of the local ecosystem is the unique underground climate. Fogs and clouds that are familiar to us are found even underground, which in itself is very unusual and intriguing. In fact, this is explained quite simply: a significant temperature difference between the surface and the underground leads to the formation of clouds and other similar phenomena.

You can visit Son Doong at any time, except during the rainy season. During this period, the caves are filled with water to a dangerous level, which means that visiting them can be extremely dangerous for the lives of researchers.

Other contenders for the main title

At different times, the title of the largest cave in the world was claimed by:

Unique dungeons of the world

Now that you know the name of the largest cave in the world, you can talk about other unique underground kingdoms that are popular among lovers of extreme recreation and unity with nature. So, the list of the most interesting formations can include:

Kingdom of Ice

The world's largest ice cave is located in New Zealand and has the complex name Isrisennvelt; its area is approximately 300 square kilometers, which allows it to be the absolute record holder in its category in terms of size. Beautiful and cold ice formations are found in Iceland (Vatnajekull is prohibited from visiting in the warm season due to the high risks of melting and collapse), in Russia (a grotto in Austria.

Movie about a cave

Delight and inspiration - this is what the largest cave in the world evokes in people. Sanctum, a 2011 science fiction film about a cave, tells the story of a group of explorers descending into the depths of uncharted dungeons. A brutal struggle with a dangerous and unknown element leads to very disastrous consequences, reminding viewers not only of the beauty of the caves, but also of the threat to life hidden in their unknown nature.

The largest cave in the world is currently located in Vietnam, but research in order to understand our world is carried out regularly and systematically, which means that unique finds will not be long in coming. It is likely that very soon we will become acquainted with new natural phenomena, no less fantastic and beautiful than those already known to mankind.

Caves are this mysterious and magical world of the dark kingdom, silence and silence. And the caves can rightly be called the cradle of humanity. Indeed, in prehistoric times, primitive people used caves as a refuge from the wind and cold. They were the "discoverers" of natural dungeons. The tools and wall paintings of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons found in caves confirm this. In ancient times, some caves were considered the dwellings of the gods, others were used to shelter herds and, especially often, for burial. And in the recent past, there were cases when people who were at odds with society tried to hide in caves.

But even though the cave “cradle” was abandoned by man long ago, interest in the dungeons remained for many centuries. In the 18th century, the first expeditions began to study hard-to-reach caves.

Some historical facts:

In May 1748, the mathematician I. Nagel led an unprecedented descent into the Macocha chasm (Moravia) that was unprecedented at that time. He overcame the steep part of the entrance shaft (50 m) and reached a depth of 138 m. The theoretical ideas of this time are summarized in Citeaux de la Fond’s book “Wonders of Nature” (1788). He believed that underground voids arose “mostly through fire-breathing mountains,” and the deposits in caves represent “a kind of underground garden.” The views of Russian scientists, which unfortunately remained unknown in Western Europe, were much closer to the truth. Back in 1720, V.N. Tatishchev visited the outskirts of the city of Kungur and pointed out that the caves were the result of “dilution” (dissolution) and collapse of rocks. In 1732, I. G. Gmelin visited the Kungur cave and drew up its plan. He also made the first measurements of air temperature underground.

M.V. Lomonosov made a great contribution to the formation of knowledge about the underground world. He proved that caves have a physicochemical nature, explained the formation of “scale” on the walls of caves by the deposition of calcite from an aqueous solution, proposed Russian equivalents of the Latin terms “stalactite” and “stalagmite” (“upper drip” and “lower drip”), substantiated causes of air movement underground and the formation of cave ice.

No cave in the world is like another. Huge halls with grottoes, wells, lakes, waterfalls and glaciers.

For thousands of years, water diligently eroded the stone and created underground labyrinths of a silent world of beauty and mysteries. Seeping into the cracks of limestone, rainwater destroys the stone from year to year, enlarging the cracks. For centuries, water saturated with minerals, dripping from the ceiling of caves, forms stalactites and stalagmites, sometimes of such bizarre shapes that they are given their own names.

Calcite in caves comes in the most unusual forms: in the form of flowers, pearls, twigs, sometimes so fragile and thin that they crumble when touched.

To this day, the deep labyrinths of caves attract people to plunge into their darkness and uncover underground secrets.

Let us, at least for a little while, also plunge into this mysterious world of the underground kingdom and get acquainted with its amazing beauties.

Han Son Doong Cave. Vietnam.

Hang Son Dung Cave (Mountain River Cave) is located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and was discovered in April 2009 by British speleologists. The cave system turned out to be huge. British researchers suggest that this cave is the largest in volume in the world!

In the underground hall of the Hang Son Dung cave there is enough space even for a 40-story skyscraper. The largest hall of the cave has a total length of more than 5000 meters. The total length of the cave is 9000 meters. The width of the halls and corridors is 100 meters, and the height reaches 200 meters. At the same time, the Deer Cave, located in Malaysia and one of the largest caves in the world, has a height of halls not exceeding 100 meters and a width of 90.

Hang Son Dong Cave - a jungle cave! In the vaults of the cave there are gaps through which light penetrates, and as a result of this, plants grow in the cave - the limestone ledges are covered with a carpet of delicate greenery. Following the plants, not only insects and snakes, but even monkeys and birds descend into the cave. The Rao Tuong River has created tunnels in solid rock over many centuries. During the dry months the river becomes a small stream, but during the rainy season the underground river becomes full again, so that in some places it comes to the surface of the earth.

The largest cave in the world. National Geographic film.

Cave of Swallows (Sotano de las Golondrinas). Mexico.

Sotano de las Golondrinas or Cave of Swallows is located in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The entrance to the cave is a huge hole in the mountain with a diameter of 55 meters. When descending into the neck of the cave, after a few meters there is an expansion to 160 meters, which creates difficulties during the descent and ascent. This is what attracts fans of extreme sports here. The cave is one of the deepest caves in Mexico, its depth reaches 376 meters, which is comparable to the height of a 120-story building. The floor of the Swallow Cave is sloped and has many narrow tunnels and passages that lead to deeper levels. To date, they have not been particularly well studied.

The cave got its name due to the huge colony of swallows that live here. And in order not to disturb the quiet life of birds, descents into the cave are allowed only at certain times: from 12 to 16 hours, when the birds leave it. In addition, this saves not only the lives of swallows, but also those who enjoy extreme skydiving. After all, a collision with a flock of birds during a free flight is very dangerous.

Recently, the Swallow Cave has become a real Mecca for speleologists and base jumpers.

Cave of Giant Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales). Mexico.

The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) is located in the Naica mine complex, in the Mexican desert of the state of Chihuahua at a depth of 300 meters. The cave is unique in that it contains giant crystals of selenite (a mineral, a type of gypsum). These are the largest natural crystals ever found on the planet - the transparent gypsum rays reach sizes of 11 meters in length and weigh about 55 tons.

The cave was discovered in 2000 while digging a tunnel in the mine complex. The climate in the cave is unusual - it is very hot in the cave! Temperatures reach 50-60°C with a humidity of more than 90%; a person can remain in such conditions without a special suit for no more than ten minutes. Access to the cave is open only to scientists exploring it in special equipment.

In the cave of crystals. National Geographic film.

Fingal's Singing Cave. Scotland.

Fingal's Cave is located on the southwestern coast of Staffa Island (one of the Hybrid Islands). The island is only 1 kilometer long and half a kilometer wide. Over many millennia, the sea surf and rains have carved out a whole system of caves, the largest of which is the singing cave of Fingal, which received its name in honor of the hero of the Irish and Gaelic epic, the giant Fingal.

The walls of Fingal's Cave are made up of vertical hexagonal basalt columns. The length of the cave is 75 meters, height 20 meters and width 14 meters. In Gaelic the cave is called Uamh-Binn, which can be translated as "cave of melody". Indeed, thanks to the dome-like arch, this place has unique acoustics. In calm weather, the waves of the sea produce peculiar melodic sounds in the cave, in a storm and during sea tides - a loud noise that can be heard for several miles.

The cave has a large arched entrance; you can get into it along a narrow path lined with fragments of basalt columns.

The Gouffre Berger cave is located on the Sornen plateau in the French Alps. The name of the cave comes from the Latin word "gufr", which means "abyss", and the name of the scientist Joseph Berger, who discovered it in 1953. This is the first cave to be explored to a depth of more than one kilometer and until 1963 was considered the deepest cave in the world. Its depth is 1271 meters, which is comparable to the height of two Ostankino towers placed on top of each other, and the length of the passages is over 30 kilometers. Today the cave ranks 23rd in depth in the world and 4th in France. However, to this day it is a popular place for speleologists who want to test their skills at a depth of several hundred meters. This cave is technically very difficult. For example, it can take from 15 to 30 hours to rise from the very bottom to the surface. In addition, floods often occur here. Over the past few years, 6 people have died in Berge, five of whom drowned.

Three Bridge Chasm is a limestone cave of the Jurassic period. The Baatara waterfall will fall into its abyss, from a height of 255 meters. This unusual place is located in Lebanon. It was discovered by French bio-spelunker Henri Coiffait in 1952. The cave owes its name to the fact that as it falls into the valley, the stream passes through three natural bridges, each of which hangs over the other. The age of the cave reaches 160 million years! For thousands of years, water from the stream slowly washed the limestone and gradually destroyed the cave arches. After the appearance of the upper bridge, it was destroyed for a long time by vertical and circular erosion, which, in combination with a series of collapses, created the middle and lower bridges.

Even today, the formation of the cave is not complete - and it will not be completed as long as the water flows.

Volcanic cave Cueva de los Verdes. Canary Islands (Spain).

The Cueva de los Verdes cave was formed about five thousand years ago as a result of the eruption of the Corona volcano. When the lava rushed to the ocean, forming the so-called “lava tube” - a tunnel more than 6 kilometers long, one of the longest on the planet.

The lava flow outside was cooled by air and solidified, creating the walls and roof of the tunnel, while molten magma continued to flow inside. This is how it turned out to be volcanic Cueva de los Verdes cave. The hot gases released from the lava, mixing with air, ignited; under the influence of high temperatures that melted the vault, grooves and swells similar to stalactites appeared on the ceiling of the cave. The remains of the lava, as it solidified, formed many folds and wrinkles, decorating the floor of the cave with intricate patterns.

The cave stretches in the form of a tunnel for 6.1 kilometers from the crater of the volcano to the seashore; the difference is 230 meters. The width of the cave reaches 24 meters, height - up to 15 meters. The air temperature in the cave remains constant throughout the year: 19°C.

The cave has two tiers - the upper, more spacious one, on which there is a concert hall with excellent natural acoustics, which is periodically used for its intended purpose.

At the bottom of the cave, called Jameos del Agua, there is an underground lake.

Ice cave Skaftafell. Iceland.

Ice caves are temporary structures that appear at the edge of glaciers. Such caves have a relatively short lifespan and can be destroyed at any moment. Ice caves are only tens of years old. But they look amazingly beautiful from the inside. One of these caves is located in the Skaftafell Nature Park in Iceland.

Skaftafell Cave was formed in a glacier as a result of melting ice. Melt water together with rain, having collected on the surface of the glacier, rushed into the cracks in streams, penetrating inside and forming peculiar tunnels. Sunlight, penetrating through the ice, gives the cave an unusual blue color.

A seven-meter ice tunnel leads into the Skaftafell cave, which gradually narrows to 1 meter.

Ice caves are in a constant state of transformation and can be destroyed at any time. It is safe to visit them only in winter, when severe sub-zero temperatures harden the ice. And even in this case, while inside the cave, you can hear a very frequent crackling sound. This sound does not arise from the fact that the cave is ready to collapse, but because the cave moves along with the glacier itself at a certain speed, sometimes reaching 1 meter per day. Every time the glacier moves and comes into contact with solid rock, you can hear this loud, scary grinding sound.

Marble caves. Chile.

Marble Caves are one of the most beautiful places in Patagonia. They are bright blue grottoes filled with water from Lake Carrera. The lake is located

Partially submerged by the lake's turquoise water, the caves can be explored by small boat or kayak. There are three main grottoes in the caves: the Chapel (La capillaries), the Cathedral (El Catedral) and the Cave (Cueva).

Today, this rare and amazing natural wonder is under threat due to plans to build five large dams in the region.

Video. Marble Caves, Patagonia, Chile.

Vardzia is a cave monastery complex of the 12th-13th centuries, located in the south of Georgia, on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Vardzia is a real underground city with many tunnels, stairs and alleys. Located in the valley of the Kura (Mtkvari) river in the steep tuff wall of Mount Erusheti (Bear). Inside the rock there was a place not only for a monastery, but also for several libraries, baths and many residential buildings. A total of 13 levels were built, with natural caves expanded to accommodate 6,000 monks and refugees. There are over 600 different rooms that stretch along the mountain for a distance of more than a kilometer, and the entire underground complex goes 50 meters deep into the rock. Secret passages connecting the premises, the remains of the water supply and irrigation system have been preserved.

A little history:

The ensemble of the Vardzia Monastery was created mainly in 1156-1205, during the reign of George III and his daughter Queen Tamara. Located on the southwestern border of Georgia, the monastery-fortress blocked the Kura River gorge to the invasion of Iranians and Turks from the south. At that time, all the premises of the monastery were hidden by a rock; they were connected to the surface only by three underground passages, through which large detachments of soldiers could appear completely unexpectedly for the enemy. In 1193-1195, during the war with the Seljuk Turks, Queen Tamara was with her court in Vardzia.

The cave city did not last long - a year after construction, the earthquake of 1283 almost completely destroyed it. It was so powerful that it damaged the cave system, causing them to collapse and cascade down Mount Erushelhi. Two-thirds of the hidden city was destroyed, revealing a secret world within the mountain. However, the monastery did not give up. It functioned until 1551, but then it was attacked by the Persian khan Sash Tahmasp, who killed all the monks. It was then that Vardzia became empty.

For a long time, the cave city was abandoned, but at the end of the last century, Vardzia was restored again, and monastic life resumed there. At the moment, about 10-15 monks live in the monastery of the ancient city.

When compiling the review, photographs were used from the Internet, descriptions were translated from local sites where the photographs were found.

Caves are a natural underground cavity accessible to human penetration. They are the object of study of the science of speleology. It is speleologists who make the greatest contribution to cave exploration. Some of nature's creations amaze with their beauty, others with their bizarre shapes, and others with their size.

The top 10 included largest caves in the world by length, volume or area occupied.

(Ukraine) opens the ten largest caves. It is also the longest gypsum cave in the world. The explored territory is 230 kilometers long, but the cave itself is much longer. The rest of it has not yet been studied by researchers. The Optimistic Cave was discovered in 1966 by Lviv speleologists. Initially it was assumed that its length was no more than 3 meters, but further persistent research showed that the cave is one of the longest in the world. It got its name because speleologists who were skeptical about exploring the cave called Lviv residents optimists. Since then, more than 200 expeditions have been made here.

(Abkhazia) is included in the list of the deepest caves in the world, which is located in the Arabica mountain range. It was discovered in 1990 by Sergei Shipitsin. The entrance to it is located at an altitude of 2150 meters above sea level. The maximum known depth of Sarma is 1830 meters. The cave is formed by limestone and gypsum rocks. Many speleologists took part in her research. Among them are Rudko Pavel, Koreshnikov Evgeniy, Plotnikov Vladimir, Osintsev Alexander, Sukhachev Vasily, Zakrepa Andrey, Safin Rafail, Bezverkhy Anatoly, Verbitsky Alexander, Kalachev Artem and many others.

(Abkhazia) - the deepest cave in the world, known for speleology. Its depth is 2.2 kilometers, and it is located in the Arabica mountain range in Georgia. The entrance to it is located at an altitude of 2250 meters above sea level. It is a subvertical type cave, consisting of a series of wells, which are connected by climbers and galleries. Another entrance to Krubera Voronya was opened in 2014 and is located at an altitude of 2253 meters above sea level. At a depth of two hundred meters, the cave branches into the Main and Nekuibyshevskaya branches, which are the main ones. Then there are many smaller branches. Krubera-Voronya was first discovered in 1960 by a speleological expedition of the Institute of Geography named after. Vakhushti Bagrationi AN GSSR. In 2014, a team of speleologists opened a new entrance, located above the main one, which made it possible to set a new world record for the depth of the cave system, which became equal to 2199 meters.

(Mexico) - one of the largest caves in the world, almost completely flooded with water. It is also included in the list of the longest caves in the world. Its total length is more than 317 kilometers, of which only 5 kilometers are not flooded. Speleologists began studying it in the second half of the 20th century.

(USA) is recognized as the longest in the world. It is located in the state of Kentucky, USA, in the national park of the same name. Its length is more than 587 kilometers. In fact, the cave is much longer, but researchers have only studied this part so far. Now in this cave system there are 225 known underground passages and about 20 huge halls. It got its name because of its impressive dimensions. In one of the passages flows the rather large Echo River, whose width is 60 meters and depth is 10 meters. Mammoth Cave was formed approximately 10 million years ago. The Indians have known about its existence since ancient times. Subsequently, scientists discovered Indian burials in the cave. Its discovery by Americans took place at the end of the 18th century.

(Russia, Crimea) is one of the longest caves, the length of which is 16 kilometers. Its area is 52 thousand square meters. m., and the volume is 200 thousand cubic meters. m. The Red Cave is located on approximately 30% of the territory of Crimea, and in length it occupies approximately 19%.

(Austria) - the world's largest ice cave, where permafrost remains throughout the year. Its length is 42 kilometers and its depth is 407 meters. People have known about its existence for a long time, but in fact it was discovered in 1879 by naturalist Anton von Posselt-Kzorich. The most thorough study of it was carried out by the Salzburg speleologist Alexander von Mörck, who died during the World War (1914) and was buried in one of the niches of the Eisreisenwelt. Currently, this cave is one of the most popular vacation spots. The first excursion here was made in 1920. About 150 thousand tourists visit Eisreisenwelt every year. Excursions are conducted from May to October, but in winter, visiting the cave is prohibited due to the danger of avalanches.

(China) is one of the largest caves in the world by volume. It was discovered in 1989 by a Chinese-European expedition. Miao is located in the largest Gebihe cave system in China's Ziyun Getu He Chuandong National Park. The only way to get to Miao is through an underground stream. To determine the boundaries of the cave, the researchers used laser scanning. According to the data obtained during the study, the volume of Miao was 10.78 million cubic meters. m.

(Malaysia) - cave with the world's largest grotto Sarawak. The length of the grotto is 600 meters and the width is 415 meters. It reaches a height of one hundred meters, and its area is 163 thousand cubic meters. m. The total volume of the grotto is 25 million cubic meters. m. It was discovered in 1981 by three English speleologists who were exploring a karst massif in Gunung Mulu National Park. The British climbed up the river flowing from the cave and found themselves in a grotto, which the researchers’ lanterns could not illuminate. The area of ​​the hall turned out to be so huge. Sarawak can accommodate 50 huge aircraft.

(Vietnam) - the largest cave in the world. It is located in the Vietnamese Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province. Local residents learned about its existence back in 1991, and in 2009 it was discovered by a British group of speleologists. In some places Shondong reaches two hundred meters in height and one hundred and fifty meters in width. It is recognized as the cave with the highest and widest passages. Its volume is approximately 38.5 million cubic meters. m. In places where light penetrates, grass and even trees grow.

What do the caves hide in their twilight, what are they ready to amaze even the most sophisticated viewer? Is there at least a shred of truth in the ancient legends about them? You can learn about all this from this virtual tour.

The most famous caves in Russia

Kungur cave

The Diamond and Polar grottoes are recognized as the most beautiful. All this is complemented by about seventy lakes, the largest of which is the Big Lake. According to ancient folk tales, this cave was previously inhabited. This is confirmed by the well and hermitage found in the Cross Grotto.

Kapova Cave

Human skulls were also found here, although without skeletons. A theory was put forward that this type of burial used to speak of the significance and greatness of the deceased.

Marble Cave

Caves can also surprise you with their names.. There is one on the website.

The most famous caves in the world

Reed Flute Cave, China

The Staff of the Dragon King stalactite is also very famous; it has a very bizarre shape and gigantic size. It decorates the Crystal Palace hall. It is also worth visiting such halls as the Red Threshold, the Dragon Tower, Zarya in the Lion Grove, and Pine on the Snow.

Mammoth Cave, USA

Its red limestone vaults look very impressive, especially in the Broadway corridor, near which the Styx and Echo rivers flow. They are home to rare species of shrimp, blind fish and crayfish. Tourists love to look at the stone block here, which resembles the profile of George Washington's mother. And also everyone is not averse to leaving their business cards and autographs in the special Records Hall. American scientists discovered a human mummy in this cave. However, this cave is not the most famous on the planet.

The most famous cave in the world: Fingal's Cave

The cave owes its name to a Scottish poet named James Macpherson. Legend has it that the giant Fingal built a dam to connect Ireland with Scotland, along which a giant walked into his home while Fingal was fast asleep before the upcoming battle with him. The hero’s wife showed ingenuity and, pointing to her husband, said that it was Fingal’s infant son who was dozing. The huge enemy, imagining the size of this baby’s dad, took off in horror, destroying the dam in the process. The second justification for this name was that the large hall of the cave bizarrely repeats the sounds of the surf, and it seems to be singing. These enchanting sounds prompted Mendelssohn to write the famous overture “The Hebrides, or Fingal’s Cave.” It also amazes with intricately woven basalt columns that have six and octagonal shapes.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen

A cave is a naturally occurring natural cavity in a mountain large enough for a person to enter. They are studied by such a science as speleology. Thanks to speleologists, we know a lot about caves, because they can be very different: deep, beautiful, bizarre or simply huge. What is the deepest cave in the world and what other outstanding caves exist on Earth?

This Vietnamese cave was discovered relatively recently - in 1991 - by a local resident who was afraid to enter it because of the terrible roar of water inside and called friends for help. Eighteen years later, speleologists from Britain began to study it closely. Having covered a distance of four kilometers, they came across an obstacle in the form of an impressive wall, entirely formed from solid calcite (rock-forming material). In 2010, the study resumed again, the expedition stayed in the depths of the cave for two weeks.

Unusual stone columns and deep gorges were found in the cave. The wonders of Shondong amazed the entire speleological world. The dimensions of the cave are truly gigantic; in some places a skyscraper could fit there. It resembles a lost city underground. It’s even surprising that for so many years no one suspected its existence.

When floods occur, it is not possible to enter the cave

The cavity is 150 m high and about 9 km long. After the opening of the cave, extreme sports fans flocked there. To get underground, you will need a rope and other climbing equipment. Along the way, you will be able to explore dark labyrinths decorated with real rock patterns created by water flows. After all, inside this strange cave a stormy underground river roars, creating various tunnels. In some places she managed to break through to the surface.

Shondong is an extremely unusual place. 70-meter stalagmites grow here, attracting the attention of tourists, and real clouds are formed due to the mixing of warm and cold air. No matter how difficult and tiring the path to the cave may be, everyone who has been there unanimously assures that it is worth it.

Lubang Nasib Bagus

This largest cave in the world is located in Malaysia. It has a famous grotto called Sarawak. This grotto has very impressive dimensions - 600 by 415 m, and a height of about a hundred meters. The total volume of the grotto reaches a fantastic figure of 25 million cubic meters. It was discovered by three cavers from England in 1981.

At that time, they examined the karst massif, which is located in the Gunung Mulu Nature Reserve. The scientists climbed up the river and found themselves in the cave from which it flows. The speleologists didn't even have enough flashlights to fully illuminate it.

The area occupied by the Sarawak Grotto can easily accommodate several dozen aircraft.

Miao (Miao)

China also has one of the largest caves on the planet. It is hidden under the hills, and you can only get there by moving along the underground river. The cavity is a huge cave chamber. Several years ago, an expedition took place to study this chamber in detail using the laser method.

This expedition was organized by the British, including specialists from the Chinese Institute of Karst Geology. Funding was provided by the American National Geographic Society. Later, all the information was announced at a conference on the issue of caves held in England. After extensive laser scans, the cave was officially mapped in 2013.

The volume of Miao is approximately 11 million cubic meters

Eisreisenwelt

There is an amazing place on the planet, surrounded on all sides by ice. It is located in Austria near the city of Salzburg. This is the longest cave in the world that is partially made of ice.

The cave goes as much as 40 kilometers into the depths of the Alpine mountains, but ice occupies only a small part of it, followed by limestone. The cave was formed by the efforts of the Salzak River, which made a hole in the mountain, and the ice appeared due to snow that fell into the cave and froze in winter.

The entrance to the ice part of the cave is always open to tourists, and cold winds constantly blow through the tunnels, which prevents snow and ice from melting, and in the warm season, cold air rushes out, forming a kind of airlock.

According to official data, the discoverer of the cave was A. Posselt in 1879. This naturalist, however, was able to explore only the initial 200 m. Before the discovery, only local residents knew the cave. They were afraid of it, calling it the devil's abode. In the mid-20th century, it was decided to build a special cable car, which reduced travel time from 1.5 hours to just 3 minutes. The open season lasts from early May to late October. A full tour of this impressive site will take approximately 1.5 hours.

It's difficult to find a photo of the cave's interior because photography is prohibited there.

Red Cave

On the Crimean Peninsula, part of Russia, there is also an outstanding cave, or rather a cave system, stretching for more than 25 kilometers. Underground there are many halls of different sizes and appearances, and a difficult labyrinth wanders between them. True, only 500 m is accessible to tourists, and then under the supervision of an experienced guide.

The interior view of the cavity is striking primarily due to the lighting skillfully distributed along the entire route. Its intensity is adjusted in such a way that the relief is emphasized and beautiful shadows are created. Walking through the cave is convenient and safe: it is equipped with special paths with railings. The place is very interesting from the point of view of speleology, especially for its large stalagmites and bizarre sagging on the walls. There is also an amazingly clean river flowing inside. It is so transparent that sometimes it can only be seen by reflections of light.

Hearing this name, anyone will imagine the remains of the greatest prehistoric giants discovered by scientists underground. But this is just a play on words, in the English dialect “mammoth” means huge. However, despite the fact that it has nothing to do with mammoths, traveling in it is extremely exciting. This is a whole underground kingdom, full of halls, galleries and passages. The cave seems to live its own independent life: rivers roar here and waterfalls bubble. The reservoirs even have their own unique fauna: blind fish, shrimp without eyes...

The main entrance is located in the USA, Kentucky. Nearby, in the western part of the Appalachians, there are several smaller underground systems that were previously considered independent, but now it turns out that they are all somehow connected to Mammoth. A significant national park was founded on this territory, where a colony of rare bats lives and you can enjoy untouched nature. In Mammoth Cave, scientists have repeatedly come across unusual finds, for example, the mummified corpse of an Indian, perfectly preserved along with clothes due to special climatic conditions.

The cave has not yet been fully explored, but its estimated length is 587 km.

Sak-Actun

This unique cave is one of the main attractions not only of Mexico, but also of the world. The large river flowing through it bears the same name, which means “white cave”. The cave system has a length of more than 300 km and is a suite of rooms connected by “room” passages. The study of Sac Actun, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, began only in 1987, but in the years since then, only one percent of the territory has been studied. It is difficult to imagine how many more amazing things are hidden in it, because the cavity was formed 65 million years ago.

According to one version, its occurrence is the result of a collision of the Earth with a huge meteor. At the place where he fell, a crater appeared, from which, in turn, many cracks spread underground. Time passed, and the crater, along with the cracks, was filled with rainwater. And so it turned out to be a long deep underground channel. Local tribes, such as the Mayans, have always treated this river with respect.

The river occupies almost the entire cave, and the spectacle is extremely beautiful.

Krubera-Voronya

This cave is located in Abkhazia. Its length is just over two kilometers, and Georgian scientists began to study it in 1960. Krubera-Voronya is of interest not only for speleologists, but also for biologists. Here they discovered a previously unknown species of beetles, which were recognized as record holders among insects for the depth of their habitat. Biologists also claim that many other new species can be found in this place.

The cave is mainly studied by the famous speleological group Cavex. It was this team that was the first to reach the maximum depth - 1.7 km. Research cannot be called easy: the expedition kept coming across dead ends and had to go back. It also happened the other way around: windows were discovered in the wall of the cave, leading to the opening of new paths.

The shortest river on the planet flows from Kruber-Voronya - Reprua, which is only 18 meters long.

Sarma

Sarma is located in Arabica Mountain, in Georgia. It consists of a series of wells and halls, between which many tunnels and small climbs meander. Sarma is unanimously recognized by scientists as one of the most beautiful and scientifically interesting caves, extremely valuable for the world speleological community.

Sarma is conventionally divided into three levels - the first goes to a depth of 420 m, the second - to 900 m, the third - to 1830 m, further the territory has not yet been explored. Sarma received its name in accordance with the name of the wind: due to the peculiarities of aerodynamics, a strong hurricane wind always blows here, reaching a speed of 50 km/h, which local residents are afraid of.

The cave is closed to tourists, so you can get into it only as part of an expedition with the appropriate skills and equipment

Our Earth is a place filled with amazing wonders and mysteries of nature, only a small part of which has been explored by mankind. Huge and majestic caves always delight travelers.