Amazing “Virgin” Pool Discovered in a New Mexico Cave That Has Never Been Seen by Humans
Only recently has a remarkable pool been uncovered 700 feet below the surface of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
The supposedly “virgin” cave lake was found in Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, the biggest and most well-known grotto in the world.
That being said, this peculiar finding was made 213 meters below the cave’s entrance—which also happens to be one of the world’s highest (or deepest). This suggests that no person had ever entered the cave before.
Lechuguilla Cave and its unique microorganisms have attracted interest from microbiologists because, despite several million years of isolation from the terrestrial environment, they display widespread resistance to modern clinical antibiotic drugs.
Carlsbad Caverns described the location as “completely pristine” and stated that they think the bacteria in the water have “evolved entirely without human presence” in a Facebook post on their official page.
The white frosted rock around the immaculate lake that was discovered in the cavern network gives it an almost surreal appearance. Though it looks creamy and gloomy, the color of the water is merely an optical illusion.
The water in the pool is truly “crystal clear,” according to geoscientist and expedition leader Max Wisshak. It is thought to have originated from ancient rains that slid or flowed down the cave walls after penetrating through the limestone above.
The amazing ‘virgin’ pool recently discovered in the Lechuguilla Cave of New Mexico is perfectly pristine. MAX WISSHAK PHOTO/CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK
“Until that day, this pool had never seen light and had been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years,” stated Rodney Horrocks, chief of natural and cultural resources at Carlsbad Caverns.
This cave is located in New Mexico and is 203 km long.
These days, human pollution has tainted practically everything, which is why having a clean pool is so important. Even far into Antarctica, the environment is contaminated by litter and other man-made goods. For science, a perfect example of the natural world is a rare treat.
A July 2019 map of Lechuguilla Cave
No one knows when the cave system actually formed. Photo: Dave Bunnell
