This cave is 5.5 miles long, has its own climate, its own jungle (with random species of animals), waterfalls and river.
Researchers also said that you can even fit a 40-story skyscraper or a Boeing 747 inside of it! That’s how big this world’s largest cave is that you can only find in Vietnam.
The Hang Son Doong or more popularly known as the Son Doong cave was first discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1991.
Khanh didn’t explore the cave further because the entrance he found had too steep a drop and he doesn’t have any tools or the capabilities to do so at that moment.
It was only after two decades (2009) that the cave was explored further.
A group of hardcore British cavers (British Cave Research Association) conducted a survey inside the cave and they are truly mesmerized by what they saw.
At their first expedition, they covered two and a half miles of Hang Son Doong.
The exploration was put on halt after encountering a towering 200-foot muddy calcite wall that they eventually named as the Great Wall of Vietnam.
A year later, the explorers returned bringing with them seven hard-core British cavers, a few scientists, and a crew of porters-to climb the wall. This is the time when the team finally reached the end of the cave passage.
Among the teams activities, discoveries and achievements around Son Doong cave are as follows:
- The roof of the cave collapsed centuries ago which allows light to pass that made a lush jungle to grow.
There are monkeys, flying foxes and other kinds of unique animals that live in the jungle that explorers named the Garden of Edam.
- On their first night inside the cave, the explorers and visitors camp near a humongous stalagmite that looks like a dog’s paw.
The stalagmite formation is popularly known as the “Hand of Dog”.
- There are fields of algae from ancient pools that cover most of the cave’s interior.
- Son Doong is rich with cave pearls that are quite rare.
These pearls are formed when a drop of water from the ceiling hits the limestone floor and throws up a speck of rock. The Son Doong cave pearls are the size of baseballs, larger than any the cavers have ever seen.
- The cave is large enough to fit a Boeing 747 in its biggest cavern. Imagine how big is Boeing 747!
- Scientists have discovered new plant species around Son Doong’s river and waterfalls.
For more breathtaking photos of Son Doong cave, you can check out this picture gallery from The Telegraph website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKAXw4mzgIo
