The deepest caves in the world. Photo

The topic of caves, as objects of research, is of interest to speleologists and scientists around the world. Whole complexes hidden under the Earth’s surface are a real geological miracle. There are many caves in the world, among which the deepest ones stand out.

How caves are formed

Caves are natural underground cavities formed as a result of various geological processes. They can be formed as a result of the impact of water on rocks or during tectonic movements of the earth’s crust.

The study of caves is of interest to speleologists and geologists who study their geological nature and the history of their formation, as well as to archaeologists, historians and paleontologists interested in finds in caves that allow a deeper study of the past of mankind, its culture and way of life.

The development of karstology, the science of the processes and forms of destruction of soluble rocks, is closely connected with the process of formation and study of caves. They allow us to better understand the geological processes taking place in the bowels of the Earth.

The deepest cave in the world as of 2024:

The deepest caves on the planet

Caves are characterized by a variety of shapes and sizes and may include wells, galleries and halls. The interior surfaces are often decorated with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. Depending on the composition of the rocks, various forms of calcareous formations and deposits can be found.

The cave named after him. Verevkina

In 1960, Tbilisi geographers organized the 1st research expedition, during which a crevice was discovered. It was a series of steep descents connected by galleries. They passed only 95 m of the cave.

However, it is officially believed that the cave was discovered in 1968 by Krasnoyarsk speleologists. Their predecessors, the participants of the 1960 expedition, were not noticed by the scientific community. Krasnoyarsk speleologists assigned the name C-115 to the crevice. In 1982, it was investigated by Moscow speleologists under the guidance of A. Ivanov.

In 1986, V. Reisner’s group explored new depths of the cave up to 440 m, then it was named in honor of Alexander Verevkin. In the 2000s, the study of the crevice was continued by speleologists from the Perovo club. In 2016, the marks of 630, 1010 and 1350 m were passed.

In August 2017, the teams of the Perovsk Speleoclub and Perovo-Speleo were able to reach a depth of 2,151 m. In 2018, a lake with a depth of 9 m was discovered in the cave, it was named “Nemo’s Last Stand”.

The deepest cave in the world has not yet been fully explored, and data on its depth of 2,212 m may be inaccurate. Organisms that are several million years old have been discovered in the crevice.

In total, more than 20 species of unknown species have been found, such as:

• leeches;
• millipedes;
• spiders;
• false scorpions.

The entrance to the cave is a 32 m deep well located in the Gagra district in Abkhazia, about 15 km from the city of Gagra. Excursions to this cave are not conducted, visits are possible only for speleologists and scientists. Anyone can explore the surroundings and enter — the best time to visit is from mid-May to the end of October.

There is a legend about a terrible monster that lives at the bottom of the cave. According to her, the scary inhabitant is a huge monster with burning eyes and sharp teeth. It exudes a stench, and its presence can be determined by the liquid dripping from the vaults of the cave.

Locals also consider it a haven of dark forces. It is said that in the depths of the cave, strange mournful sounds are heard, resembling mournful moans and crying.

It is believed that these sounds are made by the souls of people who died once in this cave. There is a belief that anyone who dares to go deeper into the cave risks not coming back. To encounter a monster or ghosts is certain death.

Kruber

The deepest cave in the world was called Krubera from 2013 to 2018. Its depth is 2,199 m, and its length is more than 20 km. It is located in the Arabica mountain range in Abkhazia. The cave is very difficult to access, and in order to get into the halls and tunnels, you need professional equipment and experience in caving.

There is no consensus on the origin of the cave system. Researchers suggest that the cave began to form millions of years ago due to the dissolution of limestone rocks by groundwater.

The result of this process were numerous tunnels, which today make up its unique structure. Other speleologists believe that the main growth began only about 300-400 thousand years ago.

The tunnels of the cave are a complex system:

• galleries;
• meanders;
• wells;
• siphons.

Starting from a depth of 200 m and up to 1679 m there is 1 branch — Nekuibyshevskoye. The main branch, extending to a depth of 2199 m, branches into 8 tunnels (siphons) at a depth of 1300 m. The total length of these tunnels is more than 16 km.

In 1960, the cave was discovered by a group of Georgian speleologists who were researching underground corridors in the region.

Initially, these were caves with a small depth. But the team found significant voids filled with water and connected to the main one. They managed to descend to a depth of over 90 m. They named the cave after the Soviet geographer A. A. Kruber.

In 1968, speleologists from Krasnoyarsk reached a depth of 210 m, and named this site the Siberian Cave. In the 1980s, the team descended to a depth of 340 m, calling it the Raven. On August 10, 2013, speleologist Gennady Samokhin reached the lowest point known for 2024.

It’s cold and humid in the cave. The temperature here ranges from 0 °C to +12 °C. The humidity at the lower level reaches 100%. Water continuously drips from the vaults, forming cascades of stalactites and stalagmites.

Previously unknown organisms belonging to the following species were found in the cave:

• arthropods;
• sponges;
• worms;
• infusoria.

New species of vertebrate fish and a tailed amphibian have also been discovered.

Despite the discoveries and research that are carried out in this cave, visiting it is a difficult and dangerous process that requires special training and equipment. Excursions are currently not available. The visit is possible only with an expedition group. The cave is located 15 km from the city of Gagra.

Sarma

The deepest cave in the world was called Sarma from 2012 to 2013. It is located in one of the most picturesque areas of Abkhazia — in Gagra. The entrance is located on the slope of the Arabica mountain range, at an altitude of about 2000 m above sea level.

The cave got its name because of the features of the structure: sarma is called a strong north-westerly wind near Lake Baikal. The structure of the cave tunnels is complex and diverse.

There are:

• vertical wells and inclined galleries;
• narrow and wide passages;
• blockages;
• underground lakes.

Such a branched structure is typical for a karst cave. The tunnels and galleries form 3 levels: upper (depth 420 m), middle (900 m) and lower (1830 m).

The main difficulty of the cave is that it constantly changes its appearance. With each new visit, speleologists note that new wells appear, and old passages are blocked due to landslides. Tunnels are often blocked.

A unique feature is the abundance of sinter formations created by water and minerals, for which the cave is called one of the most beautiful.

It is not known exactly when the Sarma cave was discovered. Archaeologists and speleologists suggest that the first people visited the cave at the end of the XIX century. The research was conducted in the 90s of the XX century. Then it was possible to penetrate to a depth of no more than 250 m.

At the time of 2012, the cave was explored by Krasnoyarsk Pavel Rudko to a depth of 1830 m, and research is still ongoing. The cave is not equipped for tourists to visit, only professional speleologists study it.

Snowy

The Snezhnaya cave system is located 12 km from the city of Gudauta in Abkhazia. This is one of the deepest caves in the world with a large number of passages and branches, the length of which is 42 km. The depth for 2024 is 1760 m.

The cave has 6 entrances located in the Khypsta mountain range at an altitude of 1318 m above sea level. The height difference between the uppermost and lowest entrances is about 1500 m.

The cave entrances have the following names:

• The illusion;
• Inter – level;
• Snowy;
• Pot;
• The fucking pit;
• Fantasy.

The cave has more than 60 halls and galleries. There is no exact topography of Snezhnaya, the underground system has not been fully studied, so the number of halls and the height difference may differ from one source to another.

The tunnels of the Snezhnaya system have several parallel galleries with a wide passage. But they somehow converge in 1 of the main tunnels. Streams flow along the bottom of the galleries. The height difference between the galleries often exceeds 100 m.

There are impressive objects in the Snow Cave:

• the deepest well “7 Seconds” with a depth of 270 m;
• the largest hall is the Throne Room, with a length of 309 m and a width of 109 m;
• Diamond gallery with stalagmites;
• Corallite well with corallites;
• Flower move;
• halls of the University, Hope, Victory, EGAN and others.

There are also siphons in the cave — places where the vault falls below the groundwater level. The cave was formed in Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous limestones, dolomites and conglomerates.

Along the way, researchers encounter various sintering formations: stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates. The average temperature range of the cave is from 0 to +6 °C.

An underground river with a length of more than 7 km has been discovered in the cave, which forms waterfalls (for example, Irkutsk with a height of 45 m. Of particular interest is Lake Morozova (25 m long and over 19 m deep).

There are unique representatives of flora and fauna:

• false scorpions;
• brooks;
• woodlice;
• cave spiders and other species.

The study of the cave began in the 1970s and continues to this day. But it is only in recent years that it has been actively explored. By 2024, fewer than 100 people had been inside the cave.

Lamprechtsofen

The deepest cave in the world was called Lamprechtsofen in 1998. This is a system of karst caves located in the Northern Limestone Alps. Part of it is under the water of Lake Bocksee. The cave has 4 entrances, but only 1 has been explored at an altitude of 664 m. The depth of the cave is 1632 m, the total length is about 32 thousand meters.

The first methodical investigations of the Lamprechtsofen cave began only in the 1st half of the XX century. In 1979, a group of scientists climbed an underground river and were able to explore a small section of the cave with a length of 1 km. In 24 years, Polish speleologists conducted 30 expeditions and determined its depth using topographic maps.

On August 14, 2018, a team led by Andrei Chishevsky combined the CL-3 cave with Lamprechtsofen. The total depth was 1,735 m. However, there are insufficient scientific grounds to confirm these results, so information about its magnitude varies in the sources.

One theory suggests that the system was formed 250 thousand years ago under the influence of groundwater. After prolonged contact with rocks, the water dissolved minerals in itself, which then settled on the ceiling of the cave. So gradually bizarre patterns of various sizes were formed.

Lamprechthofen Cave is incredibly picturesque due to the numerous underground currents, waterfalls and lakes that create a unique atmosphere of this natural monument.

Lamprechtsofen has been known to people since ancient times, so many amazing legends are associated with it. Its name literally translates as “the cave of the Venerable Lamprecht”. There is an opinion that they hid their treasures in it. The knight Lamprecht visited here, who returned from a Crusade with untold treasures and left them to his daughters.

After the death of the knight, one of the daughters (the legend does not specify their names) succumbed to temptation and decided to take the treasure. But, in order not to arouse suspicion from her sister, she could not take everything. Therefore, she left most of the gold, and hid the smaller one in a cave.

A route with a length of about 600 m is available for tourists. The entrance fee varies from 3 to 9 €.

Mirolda

It is a unique natural formation located in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie in France. It is part of a complex system of karst caves and is a little-branched system of galleries and bends of different levels with small wells. The height difference is 50-200 m, and the length is 9 km.

Mirolda was formed mainly from limestones and other sedimentary rocks, which were subject to karst formation processes due to the gradual dissolution and leaching of rocks by water. Because of this, the cave has a complex system of tunnels and halls.

A special feature of the Mirold cave is a network of passages, many of which lead to siphons. Some of the flooded passages are so long and difficult to traverse that they seem impassable, although their study continues.

The microclimate of the cave is also worth exploring. The relative humidity inside is almost 100%, the air composition is stable.

It took more than 30 years to study it. Speleologists claim that its depth is 1733 m, and further progress was blocked by a siphon. What is behind it remains unknown.

The entrance to the cave is located at an altitude of 2336 m above sea level. Topographic survey showed that the minimum mark of water discharge in this cave should be at least 710 m, that is, the error in measuring the depth is more than 100 m, since the depth cannot exceed 1626 m (based on the calculation: 2336-710).

Since the measurement error may have played a role in determining the depth of the cave, the Mirold may be even deeper than indicated on maps and in most sources.

Jean-Bernard

The cave, which until 1998 was considered the deepest in the Alps, is located in the Haute-Savoie region of France. Formed in limestone deposits, it is an underground labyrinth with unique geological formations and a peculiar underground world.

The length of the corridors open to the public is about 20536 m. The cave has a complex structure consisting of passages and galleries located on different levels.

Inside the cave, you can see a variety of karst formations and bizarrely shaped growths, stalactites and stalagmites formed as a result of exposure to water that seeps through limestone rocks.

The cave was discovered in 1959 by the speleologists of the Vulcan group, Bernard Raffi and Jean Dupont. These 2 explorers were enthusiasts, both died in 1963, after which the cave was named after them.

In 2024, the cave has 13 entrances on different levels, which makes it accessible to speleologists. The most famous and accessible entrance is at 2,264 m above sea level.

The temperature inside is about 10 °C, and the humidity can reach 100%. This creates unique conditions for the development of microorganisms and plants that do not resemble representatives of the usual flora and fauna. The cave is open to professionals with the appropriate experience and equipment.

Torca del Cerro

It is a cave system located in Picos de Europa in northern Spain. The total length is about 7,060 m and the depth is 1,589 m. It was achieved by researchers in 1998.

Below this mark, the cave passes into a subhorizontal underground collector, which ends with a siphon — a completely water-filled area where no path has yet been found for further movement deeper.

In the cave, you can see various natural flow formations.

The simplest entrance is located at an altitude of about 2019 m above sea level, the 2nd less convenient is 1590 m. To get inside, you need to go through a narrow passage.

It is a complex and extensive system that consists of 2 vertical caves: Torca del Cerro del Cuevón (T-33) and Torca de las Saxifragas (TR-2), which joined together in 2001.

There are several halls and passages in the Torca del Cerro cave. In one of them you can see a small underground lake with crystal clear water. The other one has a waterfall about 20 m high. The largest well in the system has a depth of 134 m.

This section of the cave is particularly beautiful: due to the variety of mineral deposits, you can see unusual formations of various shapes here.

Visiting the cave is possible only with a licensed guide and only as part of an organized professional group.

Khirlatskhele

This is a unique cave system in Austria, located in the Dachstein karst massif. It has 6 entrances, the most accessible of which is located at an altitude of 2003 m. It is located on the side of a mountain, and to get to it, you need to overcome a steep climb.

The cave was declared a natural monument in 1971. Since 1949, it has been conducting research aimed at studying its geological features and biological diversity. There is a version that the 1st expedition was here earlier – in 1927.

In 2018, the Hirlatskhele was connected to the Schmelzwasserhele karst mine, which has a depth of over 800 m and a length of 7 km. As a result of this connection, its depth increased to 1,560 m.

The cave is a system of underground passages and halls, the total length of which is about 116 km. Here you can see various geological formations that have been formed for more than 100 thousand years.

The cave maintains a constant temperature of about +8 °C and high humidity all year round. There are a lot of natural light sources in a variety of shades, and this creates magical and mysterious effects. In 2024, the cave is only available for passage along a specially laid route – it is extremely dangerous to go hiking on your own.

Watla

It is located in the municipality of Houtla de Jimenez in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is part of the karst region of the country, known for underground formations. The entrance to the cave is a vertical shaft with a depth of about 30 m. Its total length is estimated at about 100 km. The cave was formed in limestone rocks.

Groundwater played a role in its formation, which continues to change it. Here you can see incredible natural sculptures created by water and time.

The stone decoration of Huatla includes:

• columns;
• grottoes;
• waterfalls;
• lakes.

There is a mountain among the bizarre formations of the cave. The name Huatla in Nahuatl means “place of power” or “place of power”. It could have served as a refuge in the distant past. In 2020, speleologists discovered new halls and corridors in the cave, so the study of this natural masterpiece is still far from complete.

Descending into it can be dangerous for untrained travelers, since the depth of some gorges reaches 100 m and there is a risk of collapses.

The underground spaces are striking in their grandeur and serve as a source of inspiration for scientists and speleology. Exploring caves, especially the deepest ones, helps to uncover many secrets of the underworld, as well as gain new knowledge about the formation of the earth’s crust.

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