Niah Cave is one of the largest limestone caves in the world, and is of major historical significant as it hold the drawings dating as back as 40,000 years ago. Archaeologists and historians believe that its inhabitants were among the earliest settlers in eastern Malaysia.
The caves are also a popular tourist destination the birds’ nest industry, as all the birds that roost in the caves are privately owned and the owner has the right to collect the nests. Collection is usually done in January and in June.
Caves of Ancient Death
If you’re into adventure movies of the Indiana Jones variety, or have ever wondered if the prehistoric tribal stories of human sacrifice are true, a cave located in Northern Ireland will certainly pique your interest. It holds relics suggestive of human sacrifice that have been preserved up to this day.
Locked in its dark chambers are human bones, creepy sights of human heads on pikes, and other rarities. A rather common sight, as you traverse the cave’s winding ways, are pits full of discarded human remains. Charming. These caves are part of the larger Smoo Cave, and getting there requires the full suite of adventuring and spelunking skills. The terrain is hard to navigate and, human sacrifices aside, may not be for everyone.
The Aquatic Salamander
Scientists say the creatures that thrive underground are much harder to distinguish from each other compared to those that live on the surface. With less variety in their conditions, the distinctions they have evolved aren’t as sharp. They tend to be unusually shaped, and their features develop according to the extreme conditions of subterranean environment, so the deeper a cave goes, the weirder they get.
The aquatic salamander is one weird creature that lives in the caves of Slovenia and Croatia. It is blind, breeds and swims underwater, a palish pink critter. It uses its electro-sensation to master its environment, and it can live for more than a hundred years.
Caves Filled With Poison
While they may be dark and alien to us surface-dwellers, caves can be inviting. Some are even made tourist attractions by governments, with a range of activities designed to appeal to professional spelunkers and day-trippers alike. But don’t count Movile Cave in. If you dare to enter this cave, located in Constanta, it could quite possibly be the last site you ever visit in your life, with all the danger it poses.
As folklore would have it, vampires, ghosts, and ghouls aren’t the only things to fear in Romania. Constanta, which is located near the Black Sea, has many “poisonous caves,” named for the deadly creatures that crawl through their depths. Centipedes, spiders, scorpions: Movile Cave has them all. Traversing its narrow limestone tunnels will eventually lead you to a cavernous opening in which you will find a lake. If you’re picturing the kind of pristine waterways we humans love to relax by on the surface, think again. Movile’s lake gives off the rotten egg smell of sulfur, and the atmosphere in its amphitheater is thick with a variety of gases. Disturbing the tranquility of its surface with a skipped rock would cause it to emit poisonous hydrogen sulfide. So maybe leave it off your list of lakes to visit!
Caves Filled With Poison: Part II
Movile isn’t the only poisonous cave Constanta has to offer. In fact, it is home to many such caves that are extremely dangerous and require careful planning and safety equipment to explore. Some scientists, of course, are willing to try their luck. One of the most intense caves they’ve uncovered requires climbers to drop down into its depths where the oxygen level of the atmosphere is reduced by half.
Once the descent has been made, wading through its poisonous waters adds an extra layer of danger to its already hostile environment. Being fitted with a breathing apparatus is essential. Otherwise, adventurers would quickly develop a headache, become hypoxic, and die on the spot. This cave is home to numerous species that scientists are dying to study.