As we have been showing you for the past few weeks, the planet is full of fascinating places. The colorful mountains of Zhangye (China) or the strange Fly geyser in Nevada (United States) are two examples of the wonders that the Earth can offer us, either with or without human help. Today we want to show you another one of those magical places that will leave you speechless.
Under the green hills of Waitomo, in New Zealand, you can find a labyrinth of caves and underground rivers in which in addition to being able to see the most common formations of the bowels of the planet, such as stalagmites, stalactites or calcareous deposits, you can see a curious tenant: the larva glowworm (luminous worms). And you may wonder, what's so special about it? Well, it shines through bioluminescence! More details? Then!
The luminescent larva
Also called luminous arachnocampa It is a larva that lives hanging on the roofs of some caves in New Zealand (the wettest). Specifically, they are located in a kind of almost invisible thread. To attract the mosquitoes that will become their food, they produce light chemically.
You will be able to see these luminous animals up close through a boat silent that passes through an underground river.
Waitomo training
Like so many other caves on the planet, Waitomo's were created by a movement of the earth that caused the rock to be exposed to the air, separating and creating cracks and weaknesses that allowed the flow of water through them. The dissolution of the limestone and the passage of millions of years did the rest.
Then we leave you with some beautiful images of this magical place. Do not miss it!
Glow Worm Caves of New Zealand in 360° | National Geographic (April 2024)
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