Dragon’s Breath Cave: Namibia has the worlds largest underground lake

No place on earth is so unique yet so unfamiliar as Namibia. Dragon’s Breath Cave is a surprise to many. 

Nambia is often dubbed as the skeleton coast. The renowned bushmen even describe the Namib desert as ‘The Land God Made in Anger.’

Portuguese sailors and explorers who made voyages dating back to the 1400s described the place as ‘The Gates of Hell.’ No place on earth has a dynamic wildlife and climate ecosystem as Namibia. Images of desert lions stalking seals along the white sands of the harsh Namib desert close to the Atlantic Ocean are one-in-a-million. 

The iconic Dragon’s Breath Cave was unraveled in 1989 by the South African Speleological Association. It is actually a cavern slanting 5 meters downward opening up a beautiful view of the lake.

What makes this wonder of nature unique is the fact that it opens up a deep underwater lake not formed by a glacier. Anyone approaching the entrance can feel a moist air at the entrance. Stretching about 2 hectares, the world’s largest subglacial lake hosts 16 invertebrate species such as the golden catfish, amphipods, and a bat species. 

There are two other impressive geographical cages in Namibia: the Arnhem Cave and the Ghuab Cave.

Despite their marvel, they are much harder to access when compared to the Dragon’s Breath Cave. Accurate measurements of the cave’s depth are yet to be established but estimates throw it at 100 meters. An AI guided plunge down the cave an autonomous drone, Sunfish, using a sonar mapping sensor was sent to traverse uncharted territory. The drone established a 670 feet below level. 

A good number of the world’s best divers have attempted to scale the depths of the cave without much success. The only way to access the cave and the lake requires a climbing rope through the narrow tunnels and ledge including a drop from a roof cavern.