Furnia de Catanamatias


The Furnia de Catanamatias, also known as El Respiradero del Diablo, is the deepest cave in Dominican Republic, located near Las Matas de Farfán, San Juan, in the Sierra de Neiba mountain range. The cave was discovered in 1988 by a group of Italian cavers who wrote that they explored it to a depth of 380 meters.[1][2] A later expedition in 2023 by cavers from USA, Mexico and Costa Rica explored the cave down to 195m and stopped due to unbreathable air with high CO2 level.[3] The cave floods significantly during the wet season, and as a result the passages are often muddy, featureless, filled with mud and decomposing organic matter, which causes dangers such as unbreathable air and leptospirosis. Future expeditions to Catanamatias will need failproof respirator technology to continue exploration into regions of the cave with unbreathable air. [4]

Furnia de Catanamatias
El Respiradero del Diablo
Map showing the location of Furnia de Catanamatias
Map showing the location of Furnia de Catanamatias
LocationLas Matas de Farfán, Dominican Republic
Coordinates19°03′01″N 71°25′02″W
Depth380 metres (1,250 ft)
Discovery1988
GeologyLimestone

The cave entrance is huge, and gives access to a gallery with an inclination of 47°. The section of this gallery is 30m wide and 20m high. In this gallery, a noise similar to a deep and rythmic breathing can be heard, which accounts for the name of the cave.[5]

Plan map of Catanamatias Cave by Lukas Eddy
The entrance to Catanamatias Cave
The interior of Catanamatias Cave
Satellite Overlay of Catanamatias Cave, produced by Lukas Eddy
Profile map of Catanamatias Cave by Lukas Eddy

References
  1. Muscio, Giuseppe; Sello, Umberto (October 1989). "Speleological Research in the Dominican Republic". NSS News: 242–248.
  2. Gilbert, Alain (1994). "Echo des profondeurs - République Dominicaine". Spelunca (55): 11–14.
  3. Eddy, Lukas. "Furnia de Catanamatias". Dominican Republic Speleological Society. Dominican Republic Speleological Society. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. Eddy, Lukas. "Catanamatias: Deepest Cave in the Dominican Republic". Lukas Eddy. Lukas Eddy. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  5. Bozzer, Luigino; Muscio, Giuseppe (1989). "Haitises 1988". mondo sotterraneo. XIII: 11–28.


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