The British Cave Research Association (BCRA) has discovered 22 new caves with a total length of 11.7 km during a recent cave survey in Quang Binh province.
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Management Board reported that after three weeks of exploration in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang area, Tuyen Hoa and Minh Hoa districts, Quang Binh, the BCRA and explorers from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand identified 22 new caves in western Quang Binh.
Beautiful lake inside the cave.
This survey, conducted by scientists from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, lasted three weeks and was divided into three phases across the two districts of Minh Hoa and Tuyen Hoa, with the assistance of local tour guides and residents.
In the Lam Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district, and the Hoa Son and Hoa Phuc communes in Minh Hoa district, scientists discovered 11 caves. During this expedition, the BCRA also found two more caves in Bo Trach district, part of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, bringing the total number of caves explored in this expedition to 22, with a total length of 11.7 km.
Of these, 20 caves were found in Lam Hoa commune (Tuyen Hoa district) and in Hoa Phuc and Hoa Son communes (Minh Hoa district). The remaining two caves were discovered in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang area.
Mr. Howard Limbert, the BCRA cave exploration team leader, stated: “Most of these caves are wet caves. They are small but quite interesting, especially compared to many caves we have found in Quang Binh.”
The team leader further noted that while Son Doong, En Cave, and many other caves typically have one main entrance, this new cave system has many different entrances and exits.
Some caves are interconnected, creating multiple horizontal pathways that make exploring inside very exciting.
However, to develop the newly discovered caves for tourism, explorers, scientists, and authorities in Quang Binh will assess the safety, water flow, topography, and geology of these caves.
It is expected that this summer, Mr. Howard Limbert and his colleagues at the BCRA will return to Lam Hoa to continue their research and surveying work.
It is known that the husband-and-wife team of experts Howard Limbert and the British Cave Research Association have been closely involved with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang for decades in the exploration, research, and discovery of caves here. They have made significant contributions to identifying and establishing records in Phong Nha-Ke Bang, which boasts over 300 caves, greatly benefiting the development of Quang Binh’s tourism sector.
Previously, from March 12 to March 16, the BCRA expedition team also discovered five wet caves and several dry branches with a total length of 3,349 meters in Lam Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province.
