Marine AttractionsThe world's most mysterious and awe-inspiring caves have formed along the coasts of oceans, seas and lakes. These geological features, also known as coastal caves, have been carving waves into the...
Marine attractions
The most mysterious and awe-inspiring caves in the world have formed along the coasts of oceans, seas and lakes. Also known as coastal caves, these geological features have been carving waves into the rocky cliffs for millennia, finding the weakest and most easily damaged areas.
In addition to working for speleologists, underwater caves offer enormous opportunities for kayaking, swimming, diving, scuba diving and other water activities. Moreover, such formations can be found almost anywhere on the planet from European coastal areas to the Pacific coast of the United States.
We invite you to get acquainted with nine of these wonders of the planet.
In Gaelic, Fingal's Cave, which is located on the Isle of Staffa in Scotland, is called "Uamh-Binn", which means "cave of melody". It is well known for its curved geological formations like a cathedral dome and the eerie sounds that visitors hear.
The cave and the entire island of Staffa, like the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, consists entirely of hexagonal basalt columns, which form the natural curve of the ceiling. The easiest way to see the awe-inspiring cave for yourself is to take a tourist cruise from Mull. Ships moor right next to the cave, and the hexagonal basalt columns are great for walking along the shore and throughout the cave.
Sea Lion Caves in Oregon, USA, are famous not only for being the largest sea caves in the world, but also for the sheer number of wild sea lions perched on the steep cliffs. This huge basalt formation is located a few kilometers from the American city of Florence. To get to the inner caves, visitors have to go down in an elevator deep underground, and then go through several more stairs and flights.
The small island state of Samoa boasts the most interesting natural attraction - the Alofaaga fountains. At high tide, powerful waves burst through a series of vents created by lava flows
The Great Blue Hole is located off Lighthouse Atoll, which is part of the Belize Barrier Reef. This is a huge underwater vertical cave with a diameter of 305 meters and a depth of 120 meters. Thanks to its beautiful, clear waters and the diversity of marine life found in its depths, the Great Blue Hole is a popular scuba diving destination.
Blue holes, which can be seen in abundance around the world, were formed by erosion during ice ages when the Earth's sea levels were much lower than they are now. While the Great Blue Hole is certainly the most impressive, it is not the deepest of these formations. The title of the deepest is held by Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas, which goes under water to 202 meters. In this video you can see how world champion diver Guillaume Nery dives into this formation.
The Blue Grotto, with its striking blue waters, is one of the most famous sea caves in the world. It is located off the coast of the island of Capri, Italy. You can easily see the cave with your own eyes by taking part in an organized boat tour. The entrance to the cave is so narrow that travelers are forced to lie down on the bottom of the boat as they progress. Therefore, unfavorable weather and high waters may hinder attempts to see the cave.
Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California, formed along a geological fault, is the second longest sea cave in the world. Its length is 374 meters, and the entrance is at an altitude of 40 meters.
The Painted Cave got its name thanks to the colorful stones, lichens and algae that decorated it from the inside. In spring, a cascading waterfall forms in front of the cave entrance. One of the easiest ways to experience this amazing attraction is to reach the island by boat and then explore the sea cave by kayak.
In the American state of Wisconsin, off the coast of the Apostle Islands, you can see another unique natural attraction. In summer, kayak travelers can explore each of the exquisite caves. In winter, when the lake freezes, these formations take on an amazing appearance. Visitors trade their kayaks for sturdy winter boots and head into the caves to see frozen waterfalls and enormous icicles.
But the island is famous not only for its amazing caves, but also for its unique coastal ecosystem. A variety of plants and animals call this place home, such as extensive populations of black bears and a variety of nesting birds. In the video you can see the caves in summer.
Smoo Cave is located near the Scottish village of Durness. This impressive geological feature is carved into the limestone by the Alt Smu River, which runs along the top and flows into the cave through an opening. It contains both sea and fresh water. The internal cavities were created by the Alt Smu River, but the easily accessible and wide entrance to the cave appeared thanks to erosion caused by sea water.
The cave is fairly easy to access, with steps, passages and rest areas that are enjoyed by the nearly 40,000 people who visit the site each year. In summer you can take part in tours of the inner caves filled with water.
This natural source of fresh water, formed by cooled lava tubes, flows from a cave into the sea, and the site itself has become a favorite attraction for locals and visitors to the northern coast of Upolu Island in Samoa. Tourists can stay nearby at the Pula Theological College, which charges a small fee to attend.
Florida is home to an industrial number of parks and preserves. To visit them all, you probably need to live here for at least a year, traveling from one to another. In fact, all of Florida is a huge park, with the exception of places inhabited by people.
Those who think they were in Florida and never left Miami Beach or the beaches of Sarasota can go to bed. For Florida is a fantastic, wild, untouched nature like no other, with many birds, fish, animals, amphibians and everything, all, all.
Early in the morning we went to a park with underwater caves - Wes Skiles Peacock Cave Park.
This park has one of the largest underground water cave systems in the world, 8.5 kilometers long, with branches, tunnels, vertical natural shafts, narrow passages and halls. Professional divers from many countries come here to experience real extreme sports.
I hoped that here, as in many places, groups of divers gather several times a day and go with an instructor-guide through the underwater tunnels. Therefore, I grabbed some equipment taken for diving on the reefs. But it was not there. It turns out there are no groups. Divers arrive in groups of several, with special equipment, which I had no trace of, and at least two or three of them dive underground in special suits, with spare air tanks, emergency flashlights and everything else. Diving alone here is strictly prohibited - the risk is incredible, but from year to year a certain number of those who take the risk remain forever in the hidden tunnels of the caves.
Wooden footbridges lead to a small lake surrounded by forest. A river flows into it, sometimes turning into swamps. A group of divers preparing to dive into the underworld told us that you can swim in the lake and river as much as you like, but try not to go ashore unless absolutely necessary except on wooden walkways, since there are quite a lot of alligators along the shores, and in general you can get stuck in a swamp. We didn’t argue much, put on our masks, and plopped into the lake.
The water is clean, fish swim unafraid, turtles sit above and below the water on rocks, or float weightlessly one after another in the depths. The pleasure is great.
Directly under the walkway there is a small hole in the rock, this is the entrance, or rather, the entrance to the caves. That is, he squeezed through, and that’s it, further on his own. Even looking at it is creepy, not at all like the fabulous underwater caves of Mexico. It’s completely dark inside, and God forbid if something happens to your flashlight and you didn’t take a spare one.
And at the top there was a beautiful forest through which we went to wander. Huge-sized chanterelle mushrooms grow, and some others too.
Some strange trunks with no less strange knobs stretch out of the water.
The tree roots probably crawl tens of meters in all directions.
I was photographing forests and swamps, and so was Anton, until he came across a spider hanging in his path right in front of his face. His camera immediately began to chatter at a hundred frames per second until the battery died. I agreed that of course the spider was worth it, not like some wilderness scenery. And in general, the pleasure of meeting something beautiful, that is, a spider, is the main thing. This was worth crossing the ocean for.
Acclaimed photojournalist Kurt Bowen specializes in extreme underwater photography. He took part in dozens of expeditions in different parts of our planet, photographing different places where no one had ever set foot.
In his works, Kurt Bowen uses his own photography technology, which includes the installation of underwater LED lights, time-lapse photography and other techniques that allow him to obtain amazing night photographs of mysterious underwater caves and springs.
The Bahamas is one of the richest places in the world in terms of diversity of diving sites, level of difficulty and abundance of experiences. This underwater cave is located on Abaco Island. Its depth is 94 meters and it has many side branches. To obtain a night photograph of the entrance to the caves, about 70 frames were taken:
To photograph this cave, Kurt Bowen used only natural light and time-lapse photography:
Dominican Republic. The pool in the cave was illuminated using a large number of underwater LED lights:
Cave entrance. The photo is made up of 100 individual frames. There are people in the frame for scale:
Weeki Wachee Springs Amusement Park in Florida. Limestone underground caves serve as a natural pool here:
Emerald green waters grotto "forty fathoms" in Florida. Underwater LED lights were used for illumination at night:
Bahamas. Emerald green waters Crocodile Cave and Luna. Let us emphasize once again that this very complex shots from a staging point of view. To get such photos, you need to install a large number of LED lights under the water, as well as illuminate the shores:
El Chicho Cave in the Dominican Republic:
Ginnie Springs, Florida:
Natural well(cenote) on the Yucatan Peninsula:
Small salty spring, Florida:
Incredibly beautiful underwater caves from around the world
American photojournalist Kurt Bowen specializes in extreme underwater photography. He participated in many expeditions to various parts of our planet and more than once photographed places where no human had ever set foot. Kurt came up with an unusual way to photograph underwater caves. By installing artificial light sources underwater, he creates stunningly beautiful photographs.
Salt Lake, Florida
Renowned photojournalist Kurt Bowen specializes in extreme underwater photography. He took part in dozens of expeditions in different parts of our planet, photographing places where no one had ever set foot.
Vicki Wachee Cave, Florida
In his works, Kurt Bowen uses his own photography technology, which includes the installation of underwater LED lights, time-lapse photography and other techniques that allow him to obtain amazing night photographs of mysterious underwater caves and springs.
Wards Well, Florida
Dominican Republic. The cave pool was illuminated using a large number of underwater LED lights.
Crocodile Cave, Bahamas
El Chicho Cave, Dominican Republic
Ginny Springs Cave
Complex lighting allows you to see the underwater beauty of the reservoir at night.
Cenote, Yucatan
Cenote, Yucatan
Mineral Springs, Florida
Entrance to Norman Cave, Bahamas
It is considered one of the most extreme types of underwater diving, requiring particularly careful preparation and the availability of appropriate equipment.
The difficulty of cave diving, first of all, is that, if necessary, a quick straight-line rise to the top, as with, is simply impossible. First, you will have to spend time getting out of the cave, and given that visibility in such cases is far from the best and can suddenly deteriorate, it is easy to lose your bearings and get lost. It will be good if the oxygen supply is sufficient to reach the surface. Otherwise, diving into underwater caves can end very sadly.
This is why cave diving requires extensive basic and specialized training and is only suitable for experienced divers. Cave diving can be perceived as a step towards improving the art of underwater diving, but to switch to it requires passing a serious 4-level training course. It is worth noting that only those who have a basic level of training not lower than Advanced Open Water Diver are allowed to take part in the training. The training course certainly includes the specifics of navigating a route inside caves and reaching the surface in conditions of zero visibility.
Cave diving sites
There is a special classification of caves that may be of interest to cave divers.
Coral caves are formed by growths of corals welded to limestone blocks. They can be of varying length, depth and branching. The most extensive caves of this type are found in the Red Sea.
Glacial caves formed during the melting of ice at the edge of the glacier. They have bizarre shapes and are the most beautiful, but at the same time, such caves are also the most dangerous for diving.
Sea caves formed as a result of the influence of surf, tides and other water currents. They are usually shallow, but the most beautiful, and therefore most often visited by divers. Most of these caves are found in the Dominican Republic, which can be called a true paradise for cave diving lovers.
Karst caves the most common and most frequently visited. They have a wide variety. If the dry areas of such caves are usually explored, then their flooded parts are the least studied and are still awaiting their discoverers. Among the most famous caves of this type are caves in Florida and Mexican cenotes, which are especially popular among cave divers. This type also includes various failures and mines flooded with water (for example, the Marble Quarry in Karelia).
Cave diving safety
True connoisseurs of water extremes choose cave diving as their dive. To prevent this water accident from having tragic consequences, it is important to follow all the rules during such dives.
Basic rules. – It is worth remembering that when diving in caves, all actions must be carried out in a strictly horizontal position. Divers diving in underwater caves should not have any hanging parts that could easily get caught on the sharp edges of the caves, and all equipment should be securely fastened to avoid losing it when colliding with some kind of obstacle. Be sure to have a knife and a sling cutter. And one of the main rules of cave divers is that when unexpected situations arise, it is especially important to maintain control and not give in to panic.
A reliable reference point. - Caves rarely have direct entrances. To quickly navigate during such an underwater dive, it is necessary to use reliable reference lines, which will allow you to quickly and easily find a way out if necessary. The guide rope must be strong and not tangled. For diving in underwater caves, you take one main reel with a drive and three spare ones.
The 1/3 rule and air control. – When diving in caves, it is important to constantly monitor the remaining gas supply, which for such dives should be calculated according to the 1/3 rule: a third for the forward passage, a third for the return trip and a third as an emergency reserve in case of problems.
Additional lighting sources. – Diving into underwater caves and grottoes usually involves walking through a tight, enclosed space, bounded by the arches of these voids, and often with difficult terrain. There is no sunlight coming through here and darkness reigns here. Therefore, to pass such underwater tunnels, several light sources are required, the action of which should be sufficient for the duration of the entire route.
Nitrogen narcosis and safety. - When diving into underwater or flooded land caves, it is worth remembering the specifics of such diving: nitrogen narcosis in this case is felt more acutely than in open water. “Nitrogen intoxication” can cause disorientation in space, therefore, when cave diving, diving in caves to a depth of more than 40 m is prohibited.
Cave diving is an excellent option for transitioning from simple forms of diving to more complex ones with the opportunity to improve professional skills. Such dives allow you to admire the unique landscapes of underwater caves and grottoes, meet rare species of marine life and, perhaps, become a discoverer of previously unknown grottoes. And, although this is considered potentially dangerous, with a competent approach and compliance with all safety rules, cave diving can give one of the most vivid impressions of contact with the mysterious underwater world.
