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[Jordi Fabre]

Bill Larson (Pala International) sent this message announcing a new documentary about the “lost” crystal caves at Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Considering its interest I would like share it here.

Thanks Bill!

Special Notice – This Thursday, October 14 National Geographic Channel Presents: Into the Lost Crystal Caves
Naica Caves documentary to air twice more this Thursday

National Geographic Channel will air a new documentary about the “lost” crystal caves at Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, twice on Thursday, October 14. (Check times here -> https://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/text-tv , be sure to set your time zone.) The two-hour program premiered last night, and from what we’ve seen, it deals with a multidisciplinary interest in the caves, from microbiology to space travel, beyond the danger, danger, danger tattoo that is the lure of such television programming.

Naica’s famous selenite crystals were created in a stable environment of warm, mineral-rich water (as discussed in this 2006 Geology article -> https://geology.gsapubs.org/content/35/4/327.abstract ), and discovered by accident as miners looked for lead, zinc, and silver. The crystals, now available for study as water has been removed from their caves, are the size of telephone poles, weighing up to 55 tons. (Other crystal caves, covered in the documentary, exhibit other features.) The caves are not hospitable, however, with their ambient temperature of 113°F and 90% humidity. Expeditions into the caves have been facilitated by the donning of “ice suits” and respirators that cool the skin, lungs, and eyes. Think “poached eggs” and you’ll have an idea of what five minutes of unmitigated cave exploration can do to the human body.

The documentary, Into the Lost Crystal Caves ( https://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/into-the-lost-crystal-caves-4636#tab-Overview ), is a co-production of Canada and Mexico, distributed by National Geographic (NG). “For more than five years,” director Gonzalo Infante of Speleoresearch & Films “has tirelessly worked to share the wonders of Naica with the world and to preserve them for future generations,” a reference to the fact that the caves likely will not remain drained, as explained by Paul Williams, who visited one cave for another NG series -> https://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/how-the-earth-changed-history/4439/02#tab-blog-2

See also the Naica Project website -> https://www.naica.com.mx/english/index.htm