It’s called Cavern of Lost Souls (Cave of Lost Souls, in Portuguese), is located in the Corris Uchaf region, in Wales and has attracted the attention of hundreds of curious people attracted by the beauty of a place that has remained frozen in time.
The cave is part of an old slate mine, in Gwynedd disused quarry and after its closure it became a true “cemetery” where they began accumulate cars, appliances and other objects that were no longer useful and were “forgotten” there. One video on YouTube, With 6 million views, it ended up going viral and spreading to other social networks through the testimonies of the most recent visitors.
In addition to the photographs and videos, those who visited the cave made a point of leaving their mark on the site: rubbish, graffiti and remains of inflatable boats, used to cross the cave, were left behind. In an interview with the BBC, a speleologist involved in cleaning abandoned mines, accuses “influencers” and “instagrammers” of destroying the cave just so they can share their experience on social media.
“Instagram seems to be the killer of many things. People show up, take a photo and then leave.”, said Anthony Taylor. A strangeness of the place seems to be what most fascinates those who dare to descend approximately 20 meters deep and crossing the lake that surrounds the “mountain” of objects that were left there dozens of years ago. Rust from cars, household appliances and televisions ended up contaminating the stagnant waters of the cave. It is estimated that more than 100 cars were thrown inside.
While cleaning the cave, the caver found several disposable garbage bags that were used by visitors to keep their feet dry, as well as sticks used to light the place. Around 30 inflatable boats used to cross the lake were collected by Anthony Taylor’s group.
“When we got to the end, it was just a sea of inflatable boats everywhere”. The people who go to these places, influencers as they call themselves… they go because these places mean something to them. So why destroy them for other visitors?”
O hard access inside the cave means that not just anyone dares to explore the depths of that place. The “influencers”, to whom Anthony Taylor refers, are often people who explore abandoned places – the famous “Urbex” – and tend to share their discoveries through videos on social media.
Article by Mariana Jerónimo, edited by João Miguel Salvador.
