Explorers have discovered a pool in a deep cave in a US park. Pictures show the "wondrous" blue pool - never before been seen by human eyes - that was found in the depths of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, USA.
The alien-like pool contains milky aquamarine liquid, surrounded by white frosted rock, the Kansas City Star reports. According to the Daily Mirror, it is believed that the cave has evolved over thousands of years and has been completely untouched by humans.
Rodney Horrocks, chief of natural and cultural resources at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, said "This pool has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years and had never seen light before that day."
The eerie discovery was made 700ft below the entrance of Lechuguilla Cave, one of the 10 longest caves in the world. Although it was discovered in 1993, explorers only entered its "virgin" passages for the first time in October.
Posting news of the discovery on Facebook, geoscientist Max Wisshak said: "Exploration in caves sometimes yields wondrous sights. This cave pool, found in Lechuguilla Cave, appears to be completely pristine."
"The edges beneath this pool appear to be pool fingers, which could be bacterial colonies that have evolved entirely without human presence," he added. The expedition, led by Wisshak, involved mapping out 1.3 miles of passages and multiple rope drops. It is not known when the cave network was formed.
