Stretching an impressive 20km, Khe Ry Cave in Quang Binh province’s
Phong Nha – Ke Bang Complex has been officially declared the world’s
longest river cave.
The announcement was made on May 26 by Howard
Limbert who has led experts from the British Caving Association on a
study project lasting several years.
Surrounded by the huge
limestone walls, Khe Ry Cave was discovered in 1997. At that time,
Limbert’s team only discovered a 13.5km part of the cave. In subsequent
years, the expedition continued exploration and mapping of the cave,
concluding that the total length reaches over 20km.
The cave
ceiling is 120m high, allowing boats to pass comfortably through several
stages. The experts described Khe Ry as a world of colourful
stalactites in many different shapes and sizes.
The first water
source of Khe Ry River is a stream trickling into the cave at an
altitude of 1,300m. This forms the long river, which runs to En Cave
before diving down into Son Doong Cave and feeding into the
Phong Nha water system.
Khe Ry is a huge and significant cave
both in terms of its appearance and ecological system. Due to the
darkness inside, the cave is home to species such as bats, blind
scorpions, fish and amphibians. Scientists said it would take many years
to categorise the fauna because many species had never been found
before.-VNA