Novel proposals at the Bellamar´s Caves.

Among the most innovative proposals of the Bellamar Caves tourist complex is the projection of a collection of 3-D images of its protected areas and the reestablishment of the sponge tour.

Owen Cabrera Zangroniz, speleologist of the famous Yumurino cave system, stated that the sponge tour is a very popular adventure tourism option. Its name is due to the presence of elliptites that resemble the sea sponge.

In this tour, the water deposits present secondary formations that are not normally found in the rest of the cave, such as calcite sand and cinolite.

«We have at the moment more than 24 kilometers of caves, you have to swim, you have to dive, go up and down by ropes nine different levels of galleries. In the year 1991 we found some of these galleries, we have not stopped working on them and between February and March 2015 we also found new gallery halls.

«In fact, in August last year we dived and found approximately 1,000 meters more between flooded galleries and that when you come out on the other side they were also above the water level,» the specialist pointed out.

When a cave begins to be visited by tourists, it is very difficult to avoid damage. The temperature given off by the light bulbs so that the client can see the cave dries out the formations. In addition, the carbon dioxide emitted by man does not allow the calcium carbonate to solidify quickly.

The Gran Paleocaverna Bellamar is a complex network of galleries of extraordinary beauty integrated by several cavities that in the geological past constituted a single one. They house crystalline forms composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, among which there are unique specimens in the world.

Written by Daniela Licort Prieto and Liz Yanet Rojo Corrales, Journalism students.