New Zealand: photographer discovers strange creatures in cave

An almost surreal discovery. But it is pure reality. A spectacle of strange creatures that a photographer discovered, by chance, in a cave in New Zealand.

New Zealand: photographer discovers strange creatures in cave

Who among you has never wanted to take a trip to New Zealand? A faraway land where uncontaminated and primitive nature reigns. It is a very popular destination for tourists, especially since the filming of the famous “Lord of the Rings” saga.

But beyond the most popular itineraries, few people know, on the other hand, a more secluded but definitely suggestive and rich in uniqueness natural space. An area almost completely covered with caves. We are in the Waitomo district. Here, the photographer Shaun Jeffers ventured inside these caves to explore them and see what they had hidden inside. And he was literally “kidnapped”. The reason? We tell you now.

The photographer’s discovery

The Waitomo Caves are completely covered with transparent spider webs hanging from the ceiling. While venturing into these cavities, Shaun found himself as if he were under a starry sky, but in the heart of the earth. The lights also create magical reflections, thanks to the flowing water. The effect is that of thousands of LED lights hanging from the. Instead, it is a completely natural phenomenon. The protagonists are a kind of glow worms, a special type of mosquito that, in the dark, become luminescent.

The phenomenon in question is called bioluminescence and is a biochemical reaction that occurs in both adults and larvae.

Unfortunately, Shaun, incredulous and eager to capture this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, had to deal with a technical problem. As the light quality was very low, he had to wait a long time before he could take a photo that would do justice to this miracle of nature.

Shaun, therefore, spent 6 to 8 hours, every day and in the cold water, in the company of his camera to be able to take the images that we propose here. The project took him a full year of work. But it was an effort that, given the final result, was well worth it.

The Waitomo Caves

The Waitomo Caves are located in New Zealand, on the North Island, and are home to a truly extraordinary phenomenon. These caves are intensely populated by bioluminescent insects that glow in the dark, like fireflies.

In English, they are called fireflies. And there are thousands of them. The tiny creatures, specifically, emit glows that range from green to blue. Worldwide, they are present only in New Zealand.

The caves were first explored in 1887 by an expedition led by local Maori chief Tane Tinorau and English surveyor Fred Mace.

THE Maori have always known about the existence of caves, but had never before attempted to reach their depths. And the only way they succeeded was aboard a raft, the only means that could float along the stream that flows into the caves and continues its course underground.

In these caves you will also be able to discover interesting and suggestive limestone formations. In addition, through later explorations, the upper access, which is the present entrance, was discovered. Since 1906, the administration of the cave has been in the hands of the New Zealand government.