In New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park, 700 feet below the surface, is a miraculous pool that has only recently been discovered.
The world’s largest and most well-known cave, Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, is where the seemingly “virgin” cave pool was discovered.
However, this strange discovery was made 213 meters below the cave’s entrance, which also happens to be one of the tallest (or deepest) in the world. This indicates that humans had never before entered the cave.
In a Facebook post on their official page, Carlsbad Caverns called the site “completely pristine” and noted that they believe the bacteria living in the water had “evolved entirely without human presence.”
The spotless pool that was found in the network of caves has white frosted rock surrounding it, giving it an almost otherworldly appearance. The color of the water may appear to be creamy and murky, but it is actually an optical illusion.
Geoscientist and expedition leader Max Wisshak explained that the water in the pool is actually “crystal clear” and is believed to have come from ancient rainwater that seeped through the limestone lying overhead and dropped or slid along the cave walls into the pool.
“This pool has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years and had never seen light before that day,” said Carlsbad Caverns natural and cultural resources chief Rodney Horrocks.
Nowadays, almost everything is contaminated by human pollution, which is why the clean pool is so crucial. Litter and other man-made products contaminate the environment even deep in Antarctica. An entirely pristine sample of nature is a rare treat for science.
Farida Chowdhury says
Simply amazing!
Hero says
Lovely but theres a guy walking round bare foot so…….. now it’s contaminated funky foot fungus??
Judie says
Such a beautiful place.I wonder if explorers should wear masks in order to not contaminate the pristine environment.
C says
Or to protect themselves from the microorganisms that show complete resistance to antibiotics!! Where is the next life threatening virus coming from??
Anita W. says
Answer: From animals deep in their habitat, and then humans come in contac with them, capture them, and/or become infected through zoonotic means.
With global warming and climate change, another mode of possible transmission is the melting f the permafrost -already occurinf- where age old viruses once trapped are released.
James landis says
Or even shoes!!! The bacteria coming off his feet are contaminating the cave!! Not very responsible
Anna says
Też zauważyłam. Grzyby na sto procent już w wodzie
Marcia Lindenschmidt says
or walk about in their bare feet?? really now, that one explorer is unaware?
leslie says
Leave it be. Never go back. Destroy all records of location.
Kerry Kirking says
Yes!
Hero says
Smartest thing ive heard this year
WillyBidle says
But yet there we (humans) are, messing around in it because we can …,…
Roberta Birch says
Please tell me that guy is not standing IN the pool contaminating the water.
penny a goethe says
been here .SO AWESOME !!!!!
Evelyn Velsink says
How can I send this to another?
Maurice says
I want to drink it
Cathy Barron says
The pool contains bacteria that no known antibiotic will kill. Gee, I wonder how long until the WHO gets their dirty hands on it?
Christopher Warner says
I love to see some of the comments from people who think they are right and every one else is dumb lol!! Honestly that’s what humans do we have to destroy nature too learn about things I guess that’s are nature!!
Glynn says
Before calling people dumb I suggest you check your punctuation and spelling!
Ter says
From the pictures,
I guess it now has bacteria from humans
Troy T.DICKERSON says
Man made it , I can prove it ..acouple pictures of the same details found there.. huge details I posted my details on my Facebook page ancient cartography America research by Troy T.DICKERSON watch announcements overwhelming
Deb says
You want a zombie apocalypse?? This is how you get it lol Messing around in a pool of antibiotic resistant bacteria!
Wayne says
Now that people know where it is, it’s only a matter of time before it is destroyed by people for the sake of “likes” on Tik Tok and Instagram. Better take lots of pictures now.
Kelly La Fountain says
From New Mexico and have been to the caverns many times. The cave system is vast. The areas open to the public are nowhere near the entirety of it. If you’ve never been, go, it’s amazing.
tom pisillo says
I wonder if there is the same space above ground for bats to fly around in. The proverbial rabbit hole. Mother nature’s womb. of imagination, I noticed it was filled with phallic symbols.
Terrie says
Places here on earth are meant to be discovered. Contaminated or not we’re all part of the same gene pool.
Fred ziphel says
If yall are so worried about contaminating something in nature, perhaps clean up your small piece of the environment?
Wayne Dethloff says
The food I ate in that cave years ago should have been considered unacceptable pollution for the body
roberta kavel says
I have been to the caverns on several occasions. I live in NM. Great that they are exploring unseen territory.
B Thompson says
That water is being cycled through and it has come from the surface where humans have already affected the ground above. It has been filtered through hundreds of feet of soil and rock . It seems incredibly well lit for a brand new discovery area so I am guessing the “discovery “ happened well before this fall. I did not see a date on this article but I may have missed that. Carlsbad Caverns is one of the most incredible national parks in America ! Thank you NPS for doing such a great job of preserving it for generations.
Albert says
Sheesh, take it easy you hard-core environmentalists. It’s just water with lime. The bacteria will be fine, they know not to touch growing structures. You act like it will be all destroyed and go dormant just because someone breathed in there. See “caverns of Sonora” it has been properly cared for many decades since its discovery in the 50s. Fantastic tour, they close doors to keep it humid as it was, all good and all great as they have tours for us regular folks all the time. By the way, COS is prettier than any cave you would be allowed it. Great thumbs up to them.
James Andrew says
If I had not read the article I would tend to agree with you.
Judy Cranston says
Not pure & prestine Anymore!!!
Catherine Burgos says
Get a grip, people.
Wow, how beautiful.
Maria says
It is indeed beautiful and awesome to think it wasn’t seen by anyone until now but it hasn’t been hermetically sealed, so will have been exposed to plenty. Crystal clear doesn’t mean sterile or safe.
gate.io says
Reading your article helped me a lot and I agree with you. But I still have some doubts, can you clarify for me? I’ll keep an eye out for your answers.