Stalactites – A Natural Wonder
Stalactites are among the very first things that catch your attention whenever stepping inside a cave. They feel like long needles, reaching down from the cave’s ceiling, ready to thrust into you at any minute. They are also beautiful to look at, majestic, like the natural pillars of an ancient, subterranean kingdom.
These natural wonders are gradually formed by sediment-heavy water dripping from the ceiling of the cave. As you might expect from something formed by slow drips, they aren’t the quickest of growers. It can take up to 1,000 years for a stalactite to grow just four inches (the length of a smartphone… or a Baja spider!). Speleothems are the most common type of stalactite in the world, due to the abundance of limestone in caves. The longest stalactites on Earth can be found in Jeita Grotto in Lebanon, measuring up to 27 feet in length.
An Endless Hole
Some rocks weather in time, causing them to break and leave voids and treacherous crevices, extending down into the depths of the Earth. While this sounds ominous, it is most likely how many of today’s caves were born. Some of the results of this process, though, are truly terrifying. This bottomless pit in Ellison’s Cave is something else. It is not bottomless, per se. But if you plan on throwing a rock and waiting for it to reach the bottom, you might want to consider setting up camp.
Ellison’s Cave (which extends vertically for 1063 feet) is actually dotted with more than one pit. The big daddy of them all, suitably named “Fantastic,” is estimated to stretch down 586 feet. That’s about half the height of the Empire State Building, around 51 stories. The hole is deep dark space, filled with meandering offshoots and alien-like subterranean creatures, making it a perilous spelunking site. Ellison’s is the 12th deepest cave in North America, but the Fantastic pit takes the top prize as the deepest unobstructed pit on the continent.
Hidden Lakes
Greece is known for its rich history, beautiful scenery, and high ridges with white plastered houses lined atop. While many think most of the food when planning their Greek getaways, caving is also a popular reason to travel there. Some of Greece’s caves are nestled on the country’s pristine mountaintops, whereas others are to be found submerged beneath the crystalline blue waters of its coastline. With both representing a stunning adventure, your next trip to Greece might just have to involve a mix of both.
The Melissani is a cave one can climb up to and, once inside, spelunk down to find a limpid, peaceful lake running through it. It is named after the island it’s located on, and tourists love to go there to explore the place via kayak or canoe. It’s an adventurer’s hidden paradise.
Cave Art
Caves make us feel as though there is always something exciting lurking in their depths. Filled as they are with dark, craggy corridors, our sense of adventure tells us there simply must be at least a thing or two for us to discover within. While they are a place of mystery and exploration for modern humans, back in prehistoric times people lived in caves. For early humanoids, caves were a rare and welcome shelter against hostile external conditions. So, finding relics and links to this long-forgotten past isn’t far-fetched at all.
In fact, in this Argentinean cave, explorers have discovered dozens of hand-prints lining the rugged walls. These have been interpreted as an early form of art, with red chalk used as a medium. The work is said to be 9,500 to 13,000 years old, and this discovery tells us as much about prehistoric man’s nature as it does about modern man. It seems that, through the millennia, we have always been possessed by an inherent need to express ourselves creatively.
Stalagmites - The Other Natural Wonder
Stalagmites owe their existence to their twins from above: the stalactites. Their growth occurs gradually, from the ground up, built from the mineral-rich droppings off the stalactites on the ceiling. Stalactites and stalagmites are on a quest to meet each other from the moment the first drip drops. Over the passage of time and the layering of minerals, they move by infinitesimal fractions towards their twin.
Like stalactites, it takes many years for a stalagmite to develop. The longest stalagmite in existence can be found in the Doolin Cave in Claire, Ireland. It is said to project from the ground at around 21 feet high, which is about the length of George Washington’s nose... on Mount Rushmore that is.