Mysterious pool ‘stuffed with milk’ by no means earlier than seen by people discovered deep under floor

Although we’ve conquered most of the surface of the planet, once in a while explorers stumble across something that’s never been seen before.

One such occasion happened when a group found a remarkable pool way down in the depths of a cave a colossal 700ft underground. It was described as a “virgin” pool that had never been seen by humans before and which appeared to be flowing with milk.

The eerie blue pool was dubbed a “wonderous sight” by park employees at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, US, who went on to say the discovery was “completely pristine”.

The pool was surrounded by white frosted rock. Although the water looks murky with a creamy tint, there wasn’t actually any magic milk. Instead, it was an optical illusion, with the water actually being crystal clear, reported Earthly Mission.

Expedition leader Max Wisshak said the water is thought to have come from ancient rainwater that had seeped through the limestone roof.

The remarkable discovery happened 700ft below Carlsbad Caverns in Lechuguilla Cave, which is one of the world’s largest and deepest known caves. The team at Carlsbad Caverns announced the discovery from 2019.

In a post, the staff said: “Exploration in caves sometimes yields small yet wondrous sights. This cave pool, found in Lechuguilla Cave, appears to be completely pristine.

“The edges beneath this pool appear to be ‘pool fingers’, which could be bacterial colonies that have evolved entirely without human presence.”

The find happened when “a team of specialised explorers received permission to explore beyond a body of water known as the Lake of Liquid Sky”, employees added. Plans for the expedition had taken a long time to formulate, with the Lake of the Liquid Sky first discovered in 1993.

Carlsbad Caverns’ Rodney Horrocks said: “This pool has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years and had never seen light before that day.”

Mr Wisshak added: “Such untouched pools are scientifically important because water samples are relatively free of contaminants and the microbial organisms that may live in those pools are only those that belong there.”

“Contamination can occur from the surface above the cave, but in case of Lechuguilla Cave, that’s not a big issue, since it is situated in a well-protected wilderness area. It can also occur via aerosols in the air. However, a newly discovered pool in Lechuguilla Cave is about as pristine as it gets.”

Carlsbad Caverns has been a source of exploration for decades. New areas are still often being discovered. Explorers in 2012 found a whole new network of connecting tunnels leading to a giant room, almost 600ft long and 150ft high.

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