This extraordinary underground world, also known as Waitomo Caves, is located on the North Island of New Zealand. It is an articulated and immense network of caves, illuminated by an entire population of small bio-luminescent insects, very similar to fireflies. Small creatures have transformed the dark vaults of these caves into a fantastic starry sky.
As big as mosquitoes, they are called “titiwai” (magical inhabitants), but their scientific name is Arachnocampa bright, a species belonging to the order of Diptera, whose larvae feed on long webs impregnated with a sticky liquid. During this process, to attract their prey, they produce an intense light that can vary from emerald green to deep blue, a magical effect similar to the stars’ glow, and that no artificial lighting would be able to recreate.
LeThe Waitomo Glowworms Caves, known as “The Waitomo caves of luminescent worms”, consisted of 400 caves, made up of massive limestone walls mixed with fossil fragments of corals, shells, fish bones, and many other small organisms, which form the backdrop among enormous stalactites, stalagmites, and small underground lakes. First explored in 1887, by a Maori chief and an English surveyor, they are now the country’s most famous habitat for this insect, an attraction with a modern visitor center that includes romantic boat tours, inside a fairy world illuminated only by the glow of fireflies.
The Glowworm Caves, in addition to enchanting thousands of tourists from all over the world, are also famous for their perfect acoustics, in fact, they are often the scene of famous opera performances and important concerts.
