9 Amazing Fun Facts About Caves: Unearth the Secrets Beneath!

1. Party Central for Bats

Whoever said bats don't know how to party clearly hadn't been to Texas: Bracken Bat Cave, near San Antonio, is home to the world's largest shindig of winged creatures, harboring a whopping 20 million bat friends every summer who dine on copious amounts of night-flying insects and provide entertaining evening flight shows for tourists.
Source => nps.gov

2. Bathroom & Tool Shed for Early Humans

Talk about leaving a mark in history: Oregon's Paisley Caves not only housed natural human waste disposal units but also some of the earliest stone tools made in the Americas which date back to around 13,000 years, making them as old, or even older, than Clovis points. These artifacts, known as "western stemmed" points, are surprisingly distinct from their more famous cousins, the ostensibly first American stone tools.
Source => npr.org

Did you know the first Europeans to witness the Grand Canyon compared its rocks to the great tower of Seville? Discover more fascinating facts about this natural wonder!

=> Fun Facts about The-Grand-Canyon

3. Sea Gods' Swimming Hole

Beware of ancient skinny dippers and sea gods' playgrounds: The Blue Grotto in Capri, Italy is not only a mesmerizing sight of blue and silver reflections but was also a Roman swimming hole and marine temple decorated with Triton and Neptune statues, uncovered in 1964 and currently displayed in Anacapri's museum.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Prehistoric Upscale Art Gallery

Before cave art was "in vogue" or even considered "prehistorical pop-art," a group of Aurignacian Homo sapiens got their paintbrushes, ahem, stones, out, and turned Chauvet Cave into an upscale gallery 36,000 years ago: Discovered in France in 1994, Chauvet Cave boasts stunningly realistic depictions of animals like lions and woolly rhinoceroses, while access to the real deal is restricted, a $62.5 million replica named the Caverne du Pont d'Arc welcomes public visits and curious eyes.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

5. Nature's Frozen Margarita Machine

Much like nature's own frozen margarita machine, some caves naturally whip up a frigid, ice-cold wonderland: these ice caves form when cold air enters and traps water, causing it to freeze, creating a marvelous year-round frosty spectacle both above and below the ground.
Source => nerdfighteria.info

6. Dracula's Bizarre Housemates

In the darkest corners of Romania, where Dracula himself might fear to tread (or slither), there dwells a motley crew of bloodsuckers, creepy crawlies, and other nightmarish denizens: Welcome to the Movile Cave, where both the air and the water are toxic, yet it nurtures a thriving ecosystem of 57 strange and wonderful animal species, all dining on the delicious smorgasbord of chemosynthetic bacteria that makes life possible in this bizarre underworld kingdom!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Asymmetrical Goth Fish

In a world where looks don't matter, these blind Mexican cavefish decided to go for the asymmetrical goth look: their skulls are slightly bent to the left, helping them navigate dark caves by feeling the walls with the larger right side of their face, also boasting more and larger neuromasts for detecting water flow and vibrations.
Source => science.org

8. Gravity Defying Cave Decor

Caves can be quite the party pooper for gravity, hosting twisted and bizarre rock formations that make the laws of physics question their own existence: Enter helictites, unique formations crafted by water droplets navigating porous rock with no regard for direction, creating mind-bending helical shapes that will leave you saying "Gravity? Never heard of her."
Source => nps.gov

9. Underground Star Gazing

Ever secretly wished to star gaze from the depths of an underground lair like a whimsical villain? Well, look no further than New Zealand's Waitomo Glowworm Caves: Home to the enchanting Arachnocampa luminosa, these bioluminescent beings light up the caves with a blue-green glow, attracting adventure seekers for black water rafting and monitored by a scientific advisory board to ensure the protection of these natural wonders.
Source => iexplore.com