It is located in Costa Rica, and due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide, it is impossible for any organism to survive there for a long time.
The world has some places that are very difficult to impossible to visit in person. In some of them, in fact is prohibited and the entrance. One such is located in Costa Rica, about 80 kilometers outside of San Jose, the country’s capital. Its name says it all: the Cave of Death.
We are talking about a cave ten meters long and two meters deep, which has caused many animal deaths over the years. There were quite a few snakes, mice or birds that got in there and died within minutes. This has been going on for thousands of years, but it was only in the 20th century that these strange events that occurred in this small cavity began to be studied.
After the relevant studies, the scientists came to the conclusion that the fatal effect occurred due to the high amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) inside the cave. The origin of this concentration seems to come from volcanic activity which exists in the area of Costa Rica, with the Poás volcano.
It is located in the Recreo Verde area, a “paradise” surrounded by dense vegetation, but it hides this “trap» in which many animals have fallen. And, according to Meteoredit is estimated that the underground activity emits about 30 kilograms of carbon dioxide every hour, about the same as a car traveling 256 kilometers. Entry to it is obviously prohibited.
Also, since it is a small space without any other outlet, the gas accumulates at the bottom of the cave, making the oxygen level too low for living things. However, despite its danger, it has become a tourist attraction for them visitors.
Many of the hotels in the San Carlos area offer excursions at the cave entrance. In these a guide carries a lighted torch and places it at the cave entrance. When he brings it closer to the entry point, at the bottom of it, the fire goes out. There, at ground level, CO2 concentrations are close to 100%, causing the fire to go out almost immediately.
