Ice Cave Kamchatka, The Most Magical Cave in the World

The majestic ice cave is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. The Kamchatka Peninsula, is a region of exceptional natural beauty with its large symmetrical volcanoes, lakes, wild rivers and spectacular coastline. The Ice cave is about 1 KM long tunnel was formed by a hot water spring flowing beneath the glacial ice fields on the flanks of the nearby Mutnovsky volcano. Hence, with multicolored lights gently glowing from a translucent ceiling, a stream rippling through rocks beneath and a bright light in the distance, this tunnel looks like a passage to fairytale world. The breathtaking cave carved out of the living rock and ice of this world albeit on a remote fringe show ice caves carved by volcano-fed hot springs through the glaciers of Kamchatka. The magical caves lights shining purple, blue, green and yellow are no computer trickery as they are the result of sunlight streaming through the glacial ice into the hidden world below.

The cave was carved out of the glacier by an underground river that is sourced in a hot spring gushing from the Mutnovsky volcano itself, as this volcano is the heart of Kamchatka. And the heart is literally beating and you can feel it while the earth is slightly moving under your feet'. The glaciers on Kamchatka volcanoes have been melting in recent years, result in roof of this cave is so thin that sunlight penetrates through it, strangely illuminating the icy structures within. The magical place has only been explored due to its remaining off-limits to outsiders until the 1990s. The modest human exploitation has kept the peninsula and its flora in largely pristine condition. Outside, the glacier was very dirty and grey. But inside, everything was different. As the melting snow and light passed through the thin walls, reflecting surprisingly bright colors and walls and ceiling of the frozen world are made up of layers of compacted snow, with the river softly gurgling through a long chamber illuminated by light glinting through windows made of ice. It is hard to find such places without a guide at the moment, it is impossible to get there as half of snow covering everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gruner See Park Turns into Lake in Summer

Grüner See, is also called “Green Lake”, is a strange lake in Styria, Austria, near the town of Tragoss, located at the foot of the snow-capped Hochschwab Mountains. In the winter season, green lake is only 1 to 2 meter deep and the surrounding area is available to use as a county park. But as the temperature begins rising in spring/summer, the ice and snow on the mountaintops starts to melt and runs down into the basin of land below. The green lake swells up to overwhelm the whole area including the park. Moreover in the summer season, the lake reaches its extreme depth of around 12 meter and is appealed to look the most majestic site at this time. The green lake supports a variety of fauna such as snails, water fleas, small crabs, fly larvae, and different species of trout. The whole year, visitors enjoy the majestic beauty of green lake, and can leisurely stroll around the picturesque lagoon, enjoying the fabulous landscape from one of the benches set near the water's edge.

Furthermore, the green lake gets its unique green coloring, and the name, from the grass and foliage beneath, and many thanks to the fresh snow melting the ice-cold water is crystal clear. Though, the lake temperature is rather cold at 4 to 8 °C, yet it’s an admired place among divers who can feel the essence of green meadows in the edge zone of the lake chiefly in June when the water is at its highest. The alpine grasses and flowers of the meadow are visible in full bloom under the water. Therefore, you can even see benches, a bridge and walking trails. It is a particular favorite place for hikers; they love to hike at here. Starting July, the lake starts to recede and by winter, the lake is back to its original size and the park is comeback once more to the hikers. Due to heavy load of tourist, that has occurred and expected damage of this sensitive environment, the all watersports activities have been prohibited since 1 January 2016. Swimming, boats and dogs will also be prohibited to limit the pollution of the lake. Hence, the below incredible images show a lake that floods every year, covering everything in the surrounding area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiver Tree Forest, Namibia

The Quiver Tree Forest is located about 14 km north-east of the town of Keetmanshoop, on the road to the small village of Koës, in southern Namibia. Here grows, on a private farm, about 250 specimens of the quiver tree, or aloe dichotoma, which is a tall, branching species of aloe, indigenous to the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia. This area is popular attraction due to unique shape of aloe dichotoma. The quiver tree is classified as a vulnerable species, because its biggest threat is the global rising temperature, and decreasing the rainfall. However, the trees are fighting back by gradually shifting its distribution in the direction of the cooler regions in higher latitudes and higher altitudes. That in itself is a way of escaping the worst of the devastating heat and reducing the amount of moisture inevitably lost by evaporation from the surface of their leaves. The tree is protected by law in South Africa, and the Quiver Tree Forest is a national monument of Namibia.

The quiver tree is in-fact not a tree, rather a plant of the genus aloe, as evident from its scientific name, and one of the some species of aloe that approaches tree proportions. The tree can grow 7 to 9 meters high. It has a stout stem that may grow to one meter in diameter, and is covered with beautiful golden brown scales with sharp edges. The uncommon crown contains of various forked branches, which gives the species its name “dichotoma”, which means forked. Moreover, at the tip of each branch is a spiral rosette of pointed, thickly-succulent leaves, typical of all aloe plants. Contrasting the scaled trunk, the branches are even and are covered with a thin layer of whitish powder that supports to reflect the sun’s rays. Furthermore, somewhere June and August, which is wintertime in the Southern Hemisphere, bright yellow flowers bloom drawing both birds and human visitors. The "quiver tree" has a long history of beliefs that it will bring good luck to anybody that worships a tree and nurtures it. Like most other aloe species, quiver trees are not hard to grow from seed. They will grow best in regions with a climate close to that of their native deserts  not too cold, and not too wet.

The quiver tree named assigned when native Bushmen used to make quivers from the branches of the tree. Aloe “dichotoma” doesn't have real wood but a soft pulpy tissue that can be hollowed out with no trouble. Thus, one end of the hollow section is closed off with a piece of leather and used by the Bushmen to hold arrows. The natives Bushmen also used big hollowed out trunks to store food and water. Moreover, the fibrous tissue of the trunk has a preservation effect as air passes through, letting the natives to store perishables for longer durations. Apart from their historical habit by humans for arrow-quivers, these trees hold wonderful ecological value. Therefore, many insects, animals and birds are captivated to the plentiful nectar of the flowers. The quiver tree is also a key nesting site for massive numbers of sociable weavers. The bird builds their nests between the branches, which gives the nestlings protection in the high temperatures, as well as from predators. Aloe dichotoma is cultivated in for use in landscaping. The slow growth rate and relative rarity of the plant make it a predominantly expensive specimen.

Bay of Fires, Tasmania in Australia

The Bay of Fires, on the northeastern coast of Tasmania in Australia, is a big bay that stretches for about 30 km from Binalong Bay in the south to Eddystone Point in the north. In 1773, the British navigator and explorer Captain Tobias Furneaux noticed various fires along the coast, which led him to trust that the country was densely populated. Evidence of settlement by aboriginal people can still be seen along the coast. The name Bay of Fires is associated by him, when he saw bay is characterized by white beaches, blue water and enormous granite blocks that are colored bright orange by lichens. The Bay of Fires is famous for its crystal-clear waters, white sandy beaches and orange lichen-covered granite boulders, the most popular conservation reserves. The conservation area is divided into three sections, with Anson's Bay dividing the southern and northern ends. A scenic view of the bay can be glimpsed by driving along the coast to The Gardens.

Perhaps, he named the bay after these fiery red rocks, no one knows? Moreover lichens are a mixture of algae and fungus that live together in a symbiotic relationship. The alga provides food by photosynthesis, though the fungus offers a protected environment for the algae. Thus, the combined life form has properties that are very distinct from the properties of its component organisms. Moreover, lichens are classified by their fungal component and are given the same scientific name as the fungus species in the lichen, regardless of what alga lives in the fungus.

The lichens responsible for the orange hue in the rocks of Bay of Fires belong to the family Hymeneliaceae. The beautiful color is contained in their thallus, which is the vegetative part of the body. Lichens are grouped by thallus type, since the thallus is generally the most visually protuberant part of the lichen. However in some lichens, the thallus is hard to distinguish. Which in result many lichens are remain unclassified? Aside from lichens, there’s a wealth of local wildlife to discover around the bay area, including corals birds, and the rich marine diversity that the reefs attract. Moreover, a wide range of activities are able to be pursued in the Bay of Fires area, including camping, beach activities, boating, bird watching, fishing, swimming, surfing, relaxing, walking, boat ramps, and rich marine biodiversity. But, be aware that Aboriginal middens “shell and bone deposits” are found in the sand dunes, hence do not disturb these protected sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devil's Den Cave in Florida

Devil's Den is a karst window, in which the roof over a subterranean river has collapsed, exposing the water to the open surface, near Williston, Florida. It is privately owned and operated as a SCUBA diving training and recreational facility. The cave was opened to the public as a dive site in the early 1990s. The water in the underground river is a constant 22 °C degree, cold weather water vapor rising from the surface of the river forms a noticeable plume above the entrance to the cave. It is suggested a chimney from Hell to early settlers. The opening to the surface was originally a small solution hole, through which visitors had to squeeze to reach the water. However, the opening was distended in the 1990’s to ease access. The cave shape is described as an “inverted mushroom” where water level expands up to 200 feet across. Thus, the water level in the cave has fallen along with the water table in the area.

The Devil’s Den is an awesome place that people have been using for thousands of years, as evidence by the many artifacts and fossils that have been found there. Moreover, there’re four underwater passages extend from the pool under the opening, from 5 feet to 90 feet under the surface of the water. The passage called chamber 3, 70 feet under water, contained animal and human remains and artifacts. The animal remains, which appeared to be associated with the human remains and artifacts, were from extinct (Pleistocene) species, including mastodons, ground sloths, camels, horses, dire wolves, bog lemmings, Florida spectacled bears, saber-toothed cats, and peccaries. Although, the water is clear and filled with fish, and loads of small minnow-like fish that are all around you. Hence, while snorkeling and look down deeper you can see larger fish swimming around water scorpion, and a snake trying to stay away from the humans.