Most frequently asked questions:

What’s a cave?

A cave is a subterranean cavity or hole whit total darkness. This holes can be natural, done by nature, or artificial, made by man (most frequently, mines, tunnels). From a human point of view, we define caves and caverns as a place we can enter to explore.

In Costa Rica, "cueva" usually is a small cave, "caverna" (cavern) is a cavern, horizontal cave and "pozo" or "sima" means it goes down (pit). A small cave is also a "gruta" (grotto) or "spelunca". In some countries cavers have categories based on length: grotto, cave cavern, big cavern, subterranean system. But there is noting like an agreement and meanings change from one country to another, but "cueva" or "caverna" are generic

In what materials do caves form?

Costa Rican caves are found in karstic regions. Karstic physiographic is found in limestone rock, a sedimentary rock which is naturally dissolved by "acid rain", thus synthesizing carbonic acid (diluted). Around the world, it’s on limestone where we find more caves, being these largest and most spectacular. Never the lees, there are caves formed in other type of rocks, such as sandstone, sea-side caves, which open in any type of rock, and volcanic lava formed caves, known as "lava tubes". And also, there are ice-caves, wherever we find glaciers

How are caves in C.R formed?

" Speleogenesis is the word used by those who study caves to refer to the origin or way the caves were formed. As we said, most causes in C.R happen to develop in limestone rock. As said, limestone, is the consequence of deposition, in shallow seas, of billons of sediments, bones and marine shells of all type, from microscopical to corals, large fish, etc, when C.R haven't even been formed. The largest mineral present was calcite, that is, CACO3, that is, limestone. Eventually, this layers emerged (were pushed out) out of the sea-bed by tectonic action. (the Earths surface is composed of large "blocks" that float and move, and their interaction is called tectonism, largely associated with earth quakes).

 In C.R, we have limestone as old as the upper Cretaceous (Sta. Elena Peninsula and near byes of Golfito, higher than 80.000.000 years old. But the majority of our limestone lies between upper Eocene (South + Central Pacific) and Eocene-Oligocene (Barra Honda and Tempisque area ) and Miocene (Venado), in between 34 and 6 million years old.

 When this type of rock is exposed a above sea level, it becomes exposed to "acid rain", that is, to carbonic acid (diluted ), naturally synthesized by the unit of rain fall (H2O) and the CO2 present in the atmosphere (Carbonic acid) , as explained. This acid has the capacity to dissolve the limestone, every thing depending on concentration.

 The tropics are particularly "positive" to these phenomena: lots of rain and lots of decomposing materials in the forests, plus the forests themselves, which at night time "breath" CO2. This creates “aggressive water”, which slowly attacks the rock and molds it.

Since this "acid waters" go towards "least resistance sections", it goes into cracks, fractures and faults , thus acting quicker. This produces the widening of "least" resistance rock-zones" and the birth of caves, which are later also affected by mechanical erosion, earth quakes (tectonism) and even the wind.

 In areas of high-rain standards, the phenomena implies that most surface rain-water is channeled underground and has a "un-natural behavior", that is, flows back guard: the surface says one thing, but inner-earth physiography says another!. Put a few thousand years in between and you will have a large "river-cave", such as the Bruja- Rectangle- Tururum- Corredores Cave (12km).

Just like the mountains pick-up the rain-water that the rivers take to the sea, the dolines, caves and in-surgences collect the rain water that falls on the rocky surface and sends it into the underground rivers and aquifers .

 Karstic regions can be compared with a huge sponge, where the water is contained in its pores. The more the water flowing into it , the bigger the cave will have to be. Let’s remember that the Speleo-genesis of caves is the dissolution of the rock by the water-borne carbonic acid .

Its good to point out that  the age of the caves is not the same as the mother-rock ; the caves are much, much younger.

Where do we find caves in C.R ?

Eight percent of C.R is limestone country, so we have caves in many locations, but the main places are Tempisque area (Guanacaste), Venado de San Carlos (Alajuela), the fila costeña sur and the parrita-savegre zone (puntarenas). This two last are the most important and the largest. There are also caves in the caribbean side.

How many caves are there in C.R?

The "Grupo Espeleologico Anthros" (GEA) is working on the National Cave Registry (RKN), an inventory that would have 150 to 200 know caves in our country. We can say hundreds, even thousands of caves, but up to now there isn’t a complete list; that means there’s a lot of exploration to be done.

What’s inside a cave?

Inside a cave there are many different things. One of the most noticeable are speoleothems, that have lost of shapes (see what are speleothems?). Another is forms of life, from bats to organic decomposers, an aspect that’s studied by biologists (see who lives in the caves?).

There’s pre-history, both human (Speleo-archeology) and animals (Speleo- paleontology) caves due to its relative climatic stability through thousands of years, are a natural laboratory that holds large amounts of valuable information to natural sciences, such as chemistry, geology, paleo-sismology and many others.

In many caves around the world has been found large number of archeological and paleonthologycal materials. The bones of Australopithecus robustus and homo erectus, primitive and direct ancestor of homo sapiens were found in caves. That indicates that our ancestors used them as shelters and homes. Primitive paintings, weapons, tools and other were also found.

In CR cavers found a large quantity of archeological material in caves (Nicoa and Chorotega, Barra Honda National Park. All of it is part of our patrimony, and yet, this is the chapter of caving the least worked in C.R.

At a paleonthological level (the science that studies animal fossils), its in caves that specimens are best preserved, fossils help us to reconstruct the fauna that inhabited our country (such as the extinct large reptiles and mammals) and also to understand the changes then the ages and the possible reasons for their extinction. This is still another reason to protect and preserve our caves.

What are Speleothems?

Speleothems is the generalizing name given to describe all (or any) of the natural formations found in caves, also named secondary formations. They are natural sculptures deposited by water with high amounts of calcite, a mineral. Speleothems in CR (and all our the word) consist of calcite and not of quartz, as some people think. Speleothems are formed when acid water that dissolved the rock and is thus rich in calcite reached the cave atmosphere and it is then deposited on the ceiling, the walls, the floor, all over.

These concretions are extremely fragile, just like crystals and may take thousands of years to be formed but only a second to be destroyed. Whenever you are close to them, be careful and protect them.

Formations within a cave have been classified with many names the common ones are stalactites(hanging from the ceiling), stalagmites, (rising from the floor) and when they both meet in a "Speleo-kiss" they are called columns.

Excentric speleothems, or helictites, are those that assume various shapes and forms, very weird always defying gravity. This happens because of the cave wind, or because the rock it grows on changed level (moved) or because it was once below water. Flowstone is large masses of calcite, very crystallized (flat crystals) and at specific angles of inclination on walls. Many times they form "gours" (rim stone dams), that are beautiful pools on the rock, like the, steps on a stair. Other names are: curtains straws, cave pearls, bacon, pop-corn and you name them. Calcite shapes and forms defy the mind and the imagination.

Who (or what) lives in caves?

Bio-speleology, the study of life inside the caves, not only deals with plants and animals, but takes notice of the environment and how it affects them. Beyond the entrance there’s a twilight zone and further in, total darkness, the caves most obvious characteristic. A certain similarity is shared by species that live way down in the abysm of the oceans or by bacteria and parasites that well within the animals.

Another exclusivity of caves is that its microclimate is uniform (even), a very important factor for species that can not regulate their body temperatures. Also, caves are generally very humid (relatively), keeping permanent water deposits, vital for the organisms that dwell within. There are very few caves that are totally dry (dry zone) and then, they generally are lifeless (no permanent life) they may be used as occasional shelters. Biologists deal mainly with humid caves, since they contain many organisms.

Organisms that have spent all of its life inside of a cave have adapted to total darkness, high humidity and a constant temperature throughout the year. To adapt to those conditions, those organisms have developed, generally, long feet and antennas that allow there to "feel" the cave .

But not all of the organisms that dwell all their life in cave do it in total darkness; there are those that dwell in the twilight, and so, they’re differently adapted.

There are species that can live either in or out of the cave, but they like to live within darkness and humidity; those species are known as troglophiles. Some of them are the cave cockroach, some crickets, crabs, scorpions, amongst others

At cave entrances and around the twilight are, there are animals that inhibit it just temporaneously, looking for refuge, or nesting, or looking for food, such as crickets, frogs, snakes etc, and others come to reproduce (bats do both things). This group is known as trogloxenes; they partially use caves in their life-cycle.

Lastly we have a group of individuals that can only live inside caves: they are known as troglobites. As said, they survive trough adaptation extremely long legs and antennas, high sensitive and a slowed-down metabolism. They have lost sight and pigmentation, absolutely needless down there.

We have in C.R an urgent necessity of producing more and more biological research, since, there’s practically very few, and each day passed-by we could be loosing species still undescribed since underground eco-systems are very delicate.

Why are caves important?... Why do we have to protect them?

Caves are important for many reasons. Everything that exists naturally has its purpose. Everything that is a live (biotic) or not a live (abiotic) is inter-related and inter-dependent, and the unim of both form nature, which was formed than long geologic periods. Nature maintains a vital balance, which allows the existence of all living organisms, including man. Thus nature constitutes our most important infrastructure.

The first reason for caves to be important is that they are a part of nature, were created by the laws of nature and thus have an intrinsic value, independently from whatever use man may assign them.

Secondly, they are the home (habitat) of many organisms, including our friends the bats. When they are located on forested karts areas, they become part of larger eco-systems, Costa Rican karts is home for a grand bio-diversity of flora and fauna. Part of it is endangered, in a vulnerable state or even in danger of extinction.

Thirdly, they act as ducts or tubes that conduct subterranean. Waters that form our aquifers, our grand water deposits. Their protection assures us that the areas they serve will be preservation assures us that the areas they serve will be preserved forever. All of the towns in between the Pan-American Highway and the top of the fila costeña sur, all the way from Palmar Sur to the Chiriqui River (Panama) are dependant on the underground waters of the Karst of the South pacific.

Fourth caves contain large amounts of information for those who study natural and social sciences; in other words, they are natural laboratories that allow us to know of and understand many natural events that are unique to science and knowledge whenever a cave is altered or destroyed by human action, that information is lost or deterred forever .

For all of what we’ve learned, it becomes a must to protect and preserve them, since they are non-renewable resources. Once a caves is damaged or even worse, destroyed, the damage is non-reversible and it may be lost forever.