Modern Cave Discoveries

Even today, explorers are still finding new caves around the world. Some of these caves are enormous, with rooms big enough to fit buildings inside. Modern tools like drones and laser scanners help cavers explore deeper than ever before. Each new cave teaches us something about our planet.

Son Doong Cave

Son Doong Cave in Vietnam was found in 2009. It is the largest cave passage in the world. Parts of it are so big that a 40-story building could fit inside. The cave has its own river, jungle, and clouds. Only a small number of visitors are allowed in each year to protect it.

Other Recent Finds

In Mexico, the Cave of Crystals was discovered in 2000. It holds giant crystals as long as school buses. In China, explorers have found huge underground chambers in recent years. New caves are found every year, showing that there is still so much to discover beneath our feet.

Fun Facts

• Son Doong Cave is more than 5 miles long.
• The crystals in Mexico's Cave of Crystals can be up to 39 feet long.
• Some newly discovered caves contain species of animals never seen before.

Did You Know?

A local farmer first noticed the entrance to Son Doong Cave in 1991, but it was not fully explored until 2009.