The exact location of a huge cave recently discovered in Canada is being kept a secret to prevent it from being swarmed by visitors. The cavity was discovered by Ken Lancour, the pilot of a helicopter carrying a team surveying caribou populations over Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia.
The exact location of a huge cave recently discovered in Canada is being kept a secret to prevent it from being swarmed by visitors. Image: Royal Canadian Geographic Society
The survey, conducted by the BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, is carried out annually, but this was the first time the team had spotted a very deep, snow-filled pit that formed a prominent feature in the landscape. The pilot reported the sighting to geologist Catherine Hickson, who returned to the cave with archaeological surveyor John Pollack and a team of researchers once the snow was gone. They made a partial descent into the cave and estimated it to be at least 180m deep and 2.1 km long. They plan to return for more extensive explorations in 2020.
The survey, conducted by the BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, is carried out annually, but this feature had never been observed before. It is suspected to be the largest known stripe karst cave discovered in Canada, with karst being a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum. It is characterised by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves.
The huge cave was discovered over a park in British Columbia. Image: Royal Canadian Geographic Society
Earlier this month, the Government of British Columbia closed the area around the cave in the interests of preservation and public safety and to prevent environmental damage to the cave from visitors. The cave has yet to be formally named but was nicknamed “Sarlacc’s Pit” due to its similarity to the lair of Sarlacc, a creature from the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi.
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