Gallery

The base of the 500m shaft in Miao Keng, Tian Xing, Wulong, Chongqing, China. (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Dave Appleing in the main passage of Omongongo Pot, Kaokoland, Namibia, Africa(Photographer Mark Tringham)

Christoph Spötl and Gina Moseley collect sample of sediment from a cave in Greenland (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

John Whiteley floating in the entrance to Garfish Cave, Berry Head, Torbay, Devon, UK(Photographer: Pete Glanville)

Thach Sinh Linh Dong, Quang Binh province, Vietnam (Photographer: Alan Jackson)

Chris Blakeley, Mark Wright and Gina Moseley look at a note left in a cave in Greenland in 1960 by the original explorers (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

John Middleton in the main streamway of Lancaster Hole, part of the Three Counties Cave System in the Yorkshire Dales karst (Photographer: Tony Waltham)

Dr Gina Moseley collects samples of sediment from cricket muds in Racer Cave in Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Diane Arthurs and Simon Cornhill squeezing through tight holes in Cueva Risco., Matienzo Spain. (Photographer: Paul Dold)

Moel Fferna Bridge, North Wales, UK. (Photographer: Brendan Marris)

Pristine formations in “Where Are All the Spiders?” chamber in Cueva Risco, Matienzo Spain. (Photographer: Paul Dold)

Difeng (entrance shaft 220m), Sichuan Province, China. (Photographer: Gavin Newman)

Surveying for surface-to-cave water tracing, Gibraltar (Photographer: Tim Atkinson)

Grotte de Pousselieres, Huat-Languedoc, France. (Photographer: Chris Howes)

Grotte de Gournier Streamway, Vercors, France. (Photographer: Stuart Gardiner)

Boxhead Pot, Leck Fell, Yorkshire Dales, UK. (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Dr Gina Moseley weighs samples of calcite for dating in the clean lab at the University of Bristol (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Greg Brock decending Ammonite Shaft,Sima Pumacocha, Peru (Photographer: Martin Holroyd)

Alum Pot, Yorkshire Dales. UK. (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Down stream main Streamway Krem sakwa, Megalaya, India (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Diane Athurs in a remote grotto in Torca la Vaca, Matienzo Spain. (Photographer: Tom Howard)

Nick Sharp searching for Porrhomma rosenhaueri in Ogof y Ci, Wales,UK (Photographer: Julian Carter)

The top of giant stalagmite in Doline 1 with Doline 2 1km away in background Hang Son Doong, Vietnam (Photographer: Ryan Deboodt)

Passage Near Hall of Thirty , Otter Hole, Forest of Dean, Wales, UK (Photogapher: Mark Burkey)

Perfect tube cutting through beds of limestone Hang Son Doong, Vietnam (Photographer: Ryan Deboodt)

Preparing diving equipment on a platform above the first underwater tunnel 840m below the surface,San Agustin, Mexico (Photographer Jarvist Moore Frost)

Gaping Gill Main Chamber, Yorkshire Dales, UK. (Photographer: Dave Ryall)

Sir Francis Level, Swaldale, England, UK. (Photographer: Mark Shinwell)

Cave Pearls in Pearslian Gulf, Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, USA. (Photographer: Gavin Newman)

Madphil gazing at the impressive formations in Topdog, San Wan Dong, Houping, Wulong, Chongqing,China (Photographer: Josh Bratchley)

Jon Bevan in the newly discovered Pinocchio Pot, Gragareth., Yorkshire Dales, UK. (Photographer: Frank Pearson)

Formations towards the end of Hang Son Doong. (Photographer: John Spies)

Ashley Hiscock & Rick van dijk in the first sump pool during the 2017 expedition to push the far reaches of Izor Licanke, Croatia. (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Hauling Dive Gear To Sump 2 Along Main Stream Passage. Izor Licanke, Croatia. (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Approaching cave monitoring site, Ragged Staff Cave, Gibraltar (Photographer Tim Atkinson)

The Bush, Where the sun don’t shine, Daren Cilau, South Wales, UK. (Photographer: Mark ‘ Gonzo’ Lumley)

Boreham Cave, Yorkshire Dales, UK. (Photographer: Clive Westlake)

Cat Hulse and Luke Cafferty look at the worlds longest straw Wonder Cave, Mulu,Borneo,Malaysia (Photographer: Jeff Wade)

Sunbeams in Doline 1 Hang Son Doong, Vietnam. (Photographer: Ryan Deboodt)

Devils Eye Spring, Ginnie Springs, Florida, USA. (Photographer: Gavin Newman)

Straw Grotto, Upper Travertine passage, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon. South Wales (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Grand Cenote, System Tulum, Mexico. (Photographer: Gavin Newman)

Chris Blakeley admires hoar frost in the Crystal Palace, Greenland (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

The porter team leaving Hang En in the distance, Vietnam (Photographer: Ryan Deboodt)

‘The Balcony’ looking out in to Alum Pot, Yorkshire Dales, UK. (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Soureces de la Douch, Haut-Languedoc, France. (Photographer: Chris Howes)

Krem Liat Prah, Meghalaya, India. (Photographer: Hugh Penney)

Aven es Pebres, Gard, France. (Photographer: Mark Shinwell)

Deer Cave, Mulu, Borneo, Malaysia. (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Bakerloo Straight, Dan Yr Ogof, South Wales, UK. (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Corinne Arnold collecting a sample of biofilm for microbiological analysis from Cromford Sough, Derbyshire, UK (Photographer: John Gunn)

Asfawossan Asrat in the chamber at the end of Goda Mea, Mechara, Ethiopia, Africa (Photographer John Gunn)

Pearslian Gulf, Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, USA. (Photographer: Gavin Newman)

Dr. Gina Moseley works on the mass spectrometer dating samples of stalagmites at the University of Minnesota (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Chris Blakeley and Gina Moseley collect samples of bone and feather from a cave in Greenland (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Charles Waldack – Pioneer cave photographers experimented with any light source they could find, as here in 1866 by burning magnesium that produced clouds of fumes. (Photographer: Charles Waldack)

Whiterock, Mulu, Borneo, Malaysia. (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

The Tube, Peak Cavern, Peak District, England, UK. (Photographer: Rob Eavis)

Streamway in Rako Barzala, Magartu, Ethiopia, Africa (Photographer Bernard Lips)

Myotis pilosus, Rickett’s big-footed bat. Taken during species analysis in Krem Phlang Karun, Northern India (Photographer: Mark Burkey)

Tim Allen, Joe Giblin, Geoff Yeadon and Geoff Crossley about to descend a pitch in Perilous Pot on Leck Fell, Yorkshire Dales, UK. (Photographer: Frank Pearson)

Sunbeams in Hang En, Vietnam (Photographer: Ryan Deboodt)

Modern cave photographers have a comparatively easy time of things, with purpose-made equipment and adapted light sources. Krem Sakwa in Meghalaya, India (Photographer: Chris Howes)

Hayley Clark admiring Manjangul Lava Tube, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea (Photographer: Ed Waters)

Waterfall Shadow, OFD, South Wales, UK. (Photographer: Rob Eavis)

Hayley Clark sitting next to a lava plunge pool in Kazamura Cave, Hawaii (Photographer: Ed Waters)

Titan, Peak District, UK. (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Climbing up to first doline with camp in background 500m away Hang Son Doong, Vietnam. (Photographer: Ryan Deboodt)

Temperature measurements are taken in the back of a cave in Greenland (Photographer: Robbie Shone)

Valerie Middleton at the top entrance to Porcupine Cave, Mauritania, Africa (Photographer Tony Middleton)