Vrelo Cave – One of the Deepest Underwater Caves in the World

One of the Deepest Underwater Caves in the World, Diving in Vrelo Matka, September, Macedonia 2016

Vrelo’s entrance is hidden along the Matka Canyon, about 1.5 km from the Matka Dam. It forms a canyon lake covering about 5,000 ha. There is also a ground section above the cave’s entrance, called Suva, famous for its stalactites and stalagmites.

Vrelo Cave has many stalactites including a large one in the middle of the cave, known as the Pine Cone, due to its shape. There are two lakes at the end of the cave, one larger than the other. The smaller lake is 8 m (26.2 feet) at its longest length and 15 m (49.2 feet) in depth at its deepest point. The larger lake is 35 m (114.8 feet) long and 18 m (59 feet) deep. Though the exact depth of the cave is unknown, some speculate that it could be the deepest underwater cave in the world.

The cave is located in the Matka Canyon, near Vodno and city of Skopje, which boasts 1,000 plant species, 20% of which are endemic, as well as various butterfly species not found anywhere else in Europe. The canyon is also home to vultures, and occasionally bald eagles, which are protected by law to preserve them from extinction.

The Italian cave diver Luigi Casati, who is part of an international team of explorers, tried to prove that the cave is at least 500 m (1,650 feet) deep. During the first dive, Casati reached a depth of 140 m (462 feet). He discovered several tunnels that branch off in different directions at a depth of 125 m (412 feet). After several attempts, Casati reached 205 m (676 feet), setting a new world record for cold water re-breather cave diving.

The total penetration so far has been around 280 m (924 feet), according to the diving team