A Gorgeous Ice Cave in Kamchatka

This surreal-looking ice cave is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. The almost kilometer long tunnel was formed by a hot water spring flowing beneath the glacial ice fields on the flanks of the nearby Mutnovsky volcano. Because glaciers on Kamchatka volcanoes have been melting in recent years, the roof of this cave is now so thin that sunlight penetrates through it, eerily illuminating the icy structures within.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, in the far east of Russia, is a region of exceptional natural beauty with its large symmetrical volcanoes, lakes, wild rivers and spectacular coastline. The peninsula has only been recently explored due to it remaining off-limits to foreigners until the 1990s. The modest human exploitation has kept the peninsula and its flora in largely pristine condition.

via EPOD and Denis Bud'ko