World’s Deepest Underwater Cave Found

A team of explorers located the world’s deepest underwater cave in the Czech Republic.

The cave, found near the eastern town of Hranice, was originally thought to be at least 204 meters, or 1,325 feet deep; however, it may end up being even deeper. Either way, it reigns as the world’s deepest.

Polish cave diver Krzysztof Starnawski, who led the expedition, dived 200 meters and used a remotely operated robot to reach 204 meters. That was as far as the cord on the robot would reach, and the device hadn’t located the cave’s bottom at that point.

The Guardian spoke with Starnawski who said cave divers have been exploring for decades. This cave was 12 meters deeper than the previous record holder, a sinkhole in Italy called Pozzo del Merro.

“It [the robot] was as deep as its rope could go, but the bottom was still nowhere in sight,” the The Czech Speleological Society said in a statement.

The cave is difficult to explore because it’s deep, dark and muddy. The water temperature is a chilly 15 degrees Celsius (about 59 degrees Fahrenheit), which makes diving difficult too. The water’s mineral composition damage equipment and exposed skin, but Starnawski said, “That is the only price to be paid for this discovery and it was worth paying.”