Incredible Photos Taken Deep Inside Caves That Show Another Side Of Life

Iceland’s incredible Breiðamerkurjökull ice cave is a jaw-dropping space spanning around 6.5 square miles and descending nearly 1,000 feet below sea level. Its name literally translates from Icelandic to mean “wide, woodland glaciers,” which gives you a little sense of just how special this place is. You can explore ice caves such as this one, but it’s all dependent on the temperature. Providing it’s chilly enough, you should be able to join a tour!

To say that Sơn Đoòng is big would be a bit of an understatement; it’s considered the largest cave in the world. To put its size in perspective, it’s said to be big enough for a Boeing 747 to fly through without getting damaged. And inside, some of its stalagmites have been measured at close to 230 feet. Hang Sơn Đoòng, which means Mountain River Cave, is an entire world below the ground, with spectacular subterranean rivers, ancient fossils, and trees growing up towards the pools of sunlight streaming in through holes like this one.

No, this photo hasn’t been edited: the water really is that color. Known as the Grotta Azzurra — or the Blue Grotto — this stunning cave has a small entry-point that just about allows the Sun’s rays to sneak their way in; this sunlight then illuminates the water, giving it its signature blue hue. It’s an amazing sight, and you can experience it first-hand should you ever travel to the island of Capri in southern Italy. Just be aware that it’s a tight squeeze! You’ve actually got to lie down in your boat to make it through the opening.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this was a shot of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. But what you’re actually looking at here is a very real space found in Naica, Mexico, and it’s called the Cave of Crystals. Remarkably, it was only discovered back in the year 2000 when a two brothers inadvertently found their way in. Due to the conditions inside, though, the public isn’t allowed to explore it. That’s no surprise: the internal temperature can reach a very chilly 150°F!

Have you ever seen stalactites quite like this? This wondrous shot comes from inside Cuevas del Drach in Mallorca, Spain, which translates as the Dragon Caves. But rest assured, you won’t find any fire-breathing beasts down here. Instead, this space, spanning close to 4,000 feet, harbors a huge bed of water called Lake Martel. The boat tours are pretty spectacular.

While it may look like a shot from Jurassic Park, this is actually a real photograph taken inside a cenote in Mexico. Cenotes — derived from the Mayan word for “sinkhole” — are breathtaking natural wonders created when a limestone rock surface collapses to reveal a pool of water underneath. In the tiny Mexican community of Homun, there are more than 20 cenotes scattered around like this one, which is called Tza Ujun Kat. If you’re getting prehistoric vibes here, it might be because these cenotes were formed following the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago.

Prior to 1878 no one outside of the local communities really knew about the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. But that changed when zoologist and conservationist William Temple Hornaday stumbled across them. An expert in natural history, the American traveler shared his findings with the wider public, and today the caves are a popular tourist attraction and a pilgrimage site for Tamil Hindus. You’ll have to climb nearly 300 steps to reach the entryway, but it’s well worth the effort. Inside, you’ll find stunning Hindu temples and shrines such as this one.

This explorer looks utterly mesmerized by the walls of this ice cave, and we don’t blame him. This stunning blue natural wonder is found inside the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland. You can visit yourself during the winter months — usually between November and March — as long as you’re accompanied by a tour guide; these beautiful caverns can be pretty dangerous if you don’t know them inside out.

Is this a scene from one of the Avatar movies? Nope, what you’re looking at here is a photograph taken inside the Waipu Caves on New Zealand’s North Island. The magical galaxy of turquoise lights is created by glow worms hanging from the cave’s ceiling. After wading through water in total blackness, you’ll reach this truly unique phenomenon of twinkling blue. And best of all, it’s completely free to visit.

With bright lights illuminating its walls, the Reed Flute Cave in Guangxi, China, is a kaleidoscope of color. It gets its name from the weeds that can be found all around the entrance. But this spectacular space isn’t just famous for its crazy illumination: etchings that are hundreds of years old also dominate the rocky surfaces. No wonder the cave’s nickname is the Palace of the Natural Arts.

Should you ever find yourself in Brazil’s Terra Ronca State Park, you’ve got to check out this otherworldly cave. Known as Caverna Terra Ronca, this limestone space is absolutely stunning, with stalactites peppering the ceiling. It was actually split in two a millennium ago when the ceiling, um, caved in; you can explore the separated areas today. But you’ll need an escort for one of them.

From the shimmering ceiling to the massive boulder sitting inside, this shot of the Blackcomb Glacier ice cave in Whistler is something else. Thanks to the scary power of mother nature, though, it’s a sight that no one else will get to experience at the moment. You see, a recent avalanche swamped the cave, making it impossible to reach now.

No matter how many times you look at it, it’s still hard to believe that Antelope Canyon is a real place. Trust us, the swirling rock faces in this picture aren’t fake! The stunning space can be found in Arizona, and it’s a huge hit with travelers visiting the state. Its unique appearance has come as a result of wind and water erosion across millions of years.

Back in 1828 Pope Leo XII gave the green-light to construct a new church in the mouth of some caves in Marche. And the beautiful Tempio del Valadier is still standing today, as shown in this photo. But incredibly, the caves themselves weren’t fully uncovered until 1971. Now, the Frasassi Caves are among the country’s most notable natural sights.

These Pacific islands are a great vacation spot: who wouldn’t want to sit back and relax there? But in addition to the picturesque surroundings, there are some stunning underwater caves in the area as well, such as this one. The most spectacular of the lot is a cave called The Grotto, which is filled with aquatic creatures ranging from parrotfish to turtles.

At first glance, it’d be easy to mistake this photo for a painting. Just look at the colors on display! These eye-catching spaces are the result of 6,000 years-worth of water erosion. Given its beauty, we’re not shocked that some have gone so far as to dub the area the “Marble Cathedral.”

There’s something almost beautifully spooky about Fingal’s Cave. It’s a sea cave found on the Scottish island of Staffa; its rock formations have taken on hexagonal forms. It was first uncovered back in 1772 and has been fascinating people ever since. The noise of the water hitting the rocks is said to emit an otherworldly sound! Would you go down there?

While there are a host of wonderful beaches to visit in Portugal, it could be argued that none top this one. It’s located inside the Benagil Sea Cave, which boasts a huge opening at the summit. As you can see from this snap, once the Sun shines through it, you’ll have the perfect spot to soak in some rays! But you can’t just walk to this Algarve cavern: the only way to reach it is via boat.

Chichen Itza is without doubt one of the most iconic historical landmarks in all of Mexico. But just a short distance away, another remarkable area lies in wait to blow your socks off. Yes, Ik-Kil Cenote is a stunning space, boasting a pool of water that’s over 130 feet deep! Folks love swimming there, as this picture highlights. The Mayans deemed this place sacred: judging by its beauty we’re not surprised.

If you’re planning a trip to Armenia, then the Geghard Monastery is an absolute must. This amazing wonder was literally sculpted into the rock of the Azat Valley, with some features dating all the way back to 300 AD. But the most eye-catching buildings of the lot didn’t appear until the 1400s. It wouldn’t shock us if Indiana Jones was hiding behind one of the pillars in this photo!

Incredibly, Nohoch Nah Chich was only explored for the first time in the 1980s. How does such a huge place remain a mystery for so long? These caverns below Tulum, Mexico, stretch for more than 40 miles, making this one of the largest underwater cave systems on the planet. Only the most experienced aquatic adventurers are advised to explore it, though.

From the trees at the entrance to the stalactites lining the ceiling, Thailand’s Tham Lod is a wondrous river tunnel that’ll take you on an epic cave journey. The rocks stretch up over 65 feet in height, and the cavern can take a couple of hours to explore. On top of that, you can also watch roughly 300,000 birds entering the cave each night, too: that must be an astounding sight.

This jaw-dropping cavern isn’t embedded in a snowy mountain along Iceland’s coast. Instead, it’s found near the bottom of a volcano named Katla. Due to that, its icy walls have a layer of ash on top, giving it an unmatched appearance compared to other caves.

With sunlight filtering through an opening in the rock and flooding a beautiful building in a golden glow, this might just be one of the most spectacular caving sights in the world. Back in 1890, King Chulalongkorn of Thailand became bewitched by this wondrous place and was inspired to order the construction of a building within the cave. And this was the result: the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion. It takes your breath away.

Your local swimming baths can’t compete with this kind of scenery. Suytun Cenote is one of many stunning underground openings in Mexico. With a handy round platform installed in the middle and amazing rock formations adorning the walls, you could snap some incredible pictures down there while chilling in the water. It’s not nicknamed the “Instagrammable cenote” for nothing.

This adventurer is standing inside the Langjökull glacier in Iceland. To give you an idea of just how big this cave is, only one other Iceland glacier trumps its size. Believe it or not, this guy is nearly 100 feet below the entrance! It’s as hair-raising as it is remarkable.

Sunbeams filtering into a cenote in Mexico light up this diver exploring crystal-clear waters, almost making it look as though they’re floating in air. In reality, this is just one of the extraordinary underwater worlds found in Mexico that’s begging to be explored and photographed. There’s an eeriness and wonder to this scene; you get the feeling that anything could be down there!

Finding it tough to wrap your head around this shot? We don’t blame you! It’s unlike anything most of us have ever seen before. Yet this mesmerizing formation can be found inside the appropriately named Crystal Ice Cave. The color blue dominates the ceiling and walls, while a steady flow of water moves through the cave. Nope, it isn’t frozen.

While they might look spectacular from a distance, cave stalactites can get pretty scary if you stand too close to them. You wouldn’t want one of these falling on top of you! But the guy in this photo had no such fear, gazing up at a mighty stalactite. It’s an amazing shot that further highlights just how mind-boggling the subterranean world can be.

Starting out life as a mining pit centuries ago, the Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes have since become quite the crowd-pleaser in Germany. Visitors can now explore the subterranean space as part of a tourist attraction that covers the whole area. Such is their unique appearance, the Guinness Book of Records even proclaimed the caverns to be the “most colorful grottoes of the world.”

Experts made their way to Georgia’s Krubera cave in the 1980s. When they arrived, they found a very creepy sight — crows nesting all around the entryway. And yet, somehow, that’s not the scariest part of this geological wonder tucked into the country’s Abkhazia region. Just past the crows, the Krubera cave drops more than 7,200 feet into the Earth. As such, it’s the planet’s deepest cave. Ukrainian speleologists mapped the expanse in 2001, and they found that the cave ends in a siphon underwater. Alarmingly, it took them two weeks to get down far enough to reach this part of the cave.

In 1897 Robert Noffsinger, a farmhand from West Liberty, Ohio, noticed a sinkhole slowly filling up with rainwater throughout a downpour. Somehow, though, all of the water was gone the next day. This led to the discovery of an underground river, which carved out an extensive network of caverns beneath Noffsinger’s feet. This underground network became Mt. Tabor Cave Tours, a going concern that took the time to remove mud from the far reaches of the Ohio Caverns, lengthening the walkable distance from a quarter-mile to two miles. The biggest treasure discovered in the depths was the so-called Crystal King — a nearly five-foot-long stalactite that's reckoned to be 200,000 years old.

A single bat swooping through the sky can be scary enough. Now, imagine two million of them flocking together and taking off into the night. You can see it for yourself, if you wish, on Samal Island in the southern Philippines, where the world’s largest population of Geoffrey’s rousette fruit bats reside in the Monfort Bat Cave. All two million of these megabats — as they are sometimes known — reside within the 245-foot cave, the only one that’s protected on Samal Island. There are more than 70 such caverns on the island, and experts have found evidence that large groups of bats once lived within them, too.

Researchers discovered a new species in Indonesia in 2003 called the Homo floresiensis, and the one-meter-tall beings confused them. They carbon-dated these uncovered “hobbit” remains to approximately 11,000 years ago. This timeline would signify that they had coexisted with modern humans for thousands of years, which scientists couldn’t see happening. However, in 2016, researchers found further evidence to clarify the story. In a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, where the hobbits once lived, they uncovered a pair of human teeth. The 46,000-year-old chompers put humans on-site, and updated dating techniques placed the hobbits’ extinction to about 50,000 years ago.

Walking into a dark cave is already a scary leap of faith. But imagine walking inside, shining your flashlight onto the walls and seeing them ooze with a thick slime. Researcher Diana Northrup discovered a pulsating, gooey substance sliding down a the walls of a cave in Tabasco, Mexico — but, surprisingly, she wasn’t spooked. Instead, Northrup and her colleague, Penny Boston, considered the slimy substance to be an incredible feat of evolution. Indeed, cave-dwelling bacteria often form a gooey “biofilm” to protect themselves from environments where toxic elements like sulfuric acid fills the air.