Cave of Swallows
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The Cave of Swallows, also called Cave of the Swallows (Spanish: Sótano de las Golondrinas), is an enormous pit cave situated in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The entrance lies along a sloped section of karst, is elliptical in shape, and measures approximately 160 by 205 feet (49 by 62 m).[1] The entrance is undercut around its entire perimeter, and the pit opens up to a room that measures approximately 995 by 440 feet (303 by 134 m).[1] The low point of the entrance provides a 1094 feet (333 m) freefall drop to the bottom of the cave while the high point provides a 1220 feet (372 m) freefall drop. [1] These measures make it the largest cave shaft in the world, second deepest pit in Mexico and the 11th deepest in the world.[2]
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[edit] History
The cave is known to have been shaped by the erosion of water in a fault of an impermeable limestone plain, and is roughly conical in overall shape. The cave was discovered on 27 December 1966 by T. R. Evans, Charles Borland, and Randy Sterns.[1][verification needed]
[edit] Etymology
The cave is known by the native name of Sótano de las Golondrinas, which means Basement of the Swallows, because of the large number of birds living in holes in the cave's walls. [3] These birds are white-collared swifts, called vencejos in Spanish and parrots called green conures, locally known as the periquillo quila. To free themselves from the cave, the birds fly in circles around the cave, gradually flying upwards until they are able to reach the surface and the sky. The birds do this each morning, and the exodus has become part of the tourist attraction.
In the evenings, a large group of swifts will circle the entrance to the cave. About once a minute, a group of perhaps fifty will break off and head straight for the entrance. Once they cross the edge, they pull in their wings and free-fall into the cave. They extend their wings and pull out of the dive once they reach the height of their nests.
[edit] Tourism
The cave's depth draws many tourists to the area. It is deep enough to allow BASE jumping from the mouth, and a person without a parachute would take approximately 12 seconds to fall from the top of the cave to the bottom. [4] As a result, many extreme sporting enthusiasts accept the challenge to base jump from the mouth of the cave. [5] There also has been a recorded instance when an average-sized hot air balloon was navigated inside of the 160 foot wide mouth of the cave.[6]
The cave is also a popular Vertical Caving destination. Rappelling to the bottom of the cave typically takes a few minutes, and ascending back out an hour or more. The high side of the entrance is covered in heavy foliage, so cavers will typically fix their rope on the low side, which is clear of obstructions and easily accessed.
[edit] Description
Inside the cave, temperatures can become cold. However, around the mouth of the cave, vegetation grows thickly.[7] Rains can become problematic for people, as the cave's mouth becomes like a waterfall as rivers of water cascade into the cave.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Russell, William H.; Terry W. Raines (1967). Caves of the Inter-American Highway. Association of Mexican Cave Studies.
- ^ Hunker, Louisa. Pits in Potosi. The Leader. National Outdoor Leadership School. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.
- ^ www.showcaves.com. Retrieved on 8 April, 2007.
- ^ Troy Hartman.com. Retrieved on 8 April, 2007.
- ^ Base Jumpers. Retrieved on 8 April, 2007.
- ^ www.lumika.org. Retrieved on 8 April, 2007.
- ^ a b redescolar.ilce.edu.mx (Spanish). Retrieved on 8 April, 2007.
