THE BEAUTY OF BRAZIL'S "INVISIBLE" POOL IN THE POCO AZUL CAVE - Mystical lake has waters so crystal clear that in sunlight it seems to disappear - Remains of extinct animals were found at the bottom

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Photographer Marcio Duranc, 40, captured the sheer magnificence of this vast, 16-metre deep underground cave

Its transparent crystalline blue water and submerged trees make it difficult to tell where water ends and rocks begin

And tourists who visit the Poco Azul cavern in Chapada Diamantina National Park are encouraged to take a dip 

The otherworldly cave is situated at the bottom of a sinkhole near the Paraguaçu River in Nova Redenção, on the eastern front of Chapada Diamantina.

In the 1990s, it was explored by cave diver and film maker Tulio Shargel, who found a large bone hidden in the sediment at the bottom of the pool.

The bone was later identified as part of the skeleton of a giant five tonne sloth, which became extinct during the Pleistocene period, more than 11,000 years ago.

Remarkably, a team of 30 aerologists then returned to the site to discover the remains of about forty different species of animals, most of them extinct.

Continue reading and see additional images

These azure images of what appears to a mystical cave pool almost certainly require viewers to do a double take.

 

In the depths of the Poco Azul cavern, in Chapada Diamantina National Park in Brazil, it's difficult to tell where the water ends and the rocks begin.

 

But one thing's for sure: its transparent crystalline blue water and submerged trees offer a truly breathtaking sight. 

 

Photographer Marcio Duranc, 40, captured the sheer magnificence of the vast, 16-metre deep underground cave, which was first discovered by a prospector who was looking for diamonds in the region in the 1920s.  

 

The pool's 'invisibility' is caused by natural light seeping through a hole in the cavern wall.   Sun rays then radiate the blue waters, which remain 75 degrees Fahrenheit all year round, forming a spectacle of rare beauty.

 

And best of all, visitors to the electric blue pool, which is located on the outskirts of Igatu, are able to take a once-in-a-lifetime dip - giving the impression that they are all but floating in space.

 

  

Marcio said: 'A kind of place like this is not easily found, there are other lookalikes, but Poco Azul, with it crystal clear water and the deep blue colour, is something to enjoy and contemplate.

 

'The fact you can get into the water to snorkel and float make it even more special.  Only small groups are allowed to get in so it never gets crowded or ruined by tourism.  It's a very controlled place, mostly because of preservation.' 

 

Source

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086176/The-beauty-Brazil-s-invisible-pool-Mystical-cave-lake-waters-crystal-clear-sunlight-disappear.html

More articles and photos of beautiful caves

 around the world on this blog

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/Geology%20-%20Caves

 

 

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