The Movile Cave

Movile Cave, located in Romania, near the Black Sea coast is probably one of the caves that have received the most attention during the last years, both from the mass media and from the scientific community.
What is the reason for such a high interest from such a diverse audience?
... it is a peculiar, practically unique environment, until now the only cave ecosystem completely driven by chemosynthesis (chemosynthesis = production of organic molecules using chemical energy rather than light)...
... it is an extremely small and fragile environment which deserves our protection
... it is one of the richest cave ecosystems regarding the number of species
... more than 30 new species for science were described from this cave,and all are endemic (i.e, they live only in this ecosystem)...
... it can serve as a valuable model for understanding how life can thrive even in the absence of light and under extreme conditions
... the history of its discovery and research is one of committment and dedication
While excavating for a major construction project in 1986, engineers happened to find a cave in which extraordinary conditions prevail. Named the Movile cave, it is the site of a hitherto unknown groundwater ecosystem that is rich in hydrogen sulfide (8-12 mg/l) and in contact with an atmosphere poor in oxygen (7-10%), rich in carbon dioxide (2-3.5%), and also containing significant amounts of methane (1-2%). Its exploration began in 1990.
Until research teams began exploring Movile Cave, its 12000 square meters were entirely sealed off. The cave had no natural entrance and was discovered by accident during some geological research in the area.
The radioactive isotopes common in Romanian soil since the 1986 Chernobyl accident were absent from the cave's sediment. The cave's water had a different chemical makeup than aboveground wells nearby.

Peştera Urşilor (The Bear`s Cave)

Peştera Urşilor means Bears' Cave. The cave was named so, as numerous cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) were found in this cave. The cave was visited by these large animals more than 15.000 years ago. But one day, a rock slide closed the entrance while more than 140 bears were still in the cave. Becoming hungry, the bears killed one another until all were dead. This story is told by their remains, tons of bear bones covering the floor of large parts of the cave with the marks of bear teeth.

Now the cave was undisturbed until 17-SEP-1983, when the cave was discovered during quarry works. The marble and limestone of this area was mined by the inhabitants of the nearby village Chişcãu. So the rediscovery of the cave after a blast, was only a matter of time. The first one who visited the cave was the quarry worker Curta Traian from Chişcãu.

Peştera Urşilor is the only modern show cave in Romania, with paved paths, banisters, and electric light. This was a sort of experiment, to test if show caves are interesting for tourists. But although this experiment worked very well - the cave attracts more than 200.000 visitors every year - it is still the only well developed show cave in Romania. And this may stay so for the next time, as Romania is probably the poorest country in Europe, still suffering from 40 years of socialist Ceaucescu regime.