The Earth Story

Color of water in the Blue Grotto cave, Malta

Boatmen singing inside the Blue Grotto, Malta

BLUE GROTTO—MALTA

The Blue Grotto, or Il-Hnejja in Maltese, is translated as “The Arch.” It was given its English name by British soldiers who thought it resembled the Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto) in Capri. The Blue Grotto in Malta is the largest of a sequence of six limestone caves created by sea weathering and erosion near the fishing village of Wied iz-Zurrieq, south of the town of Zurrieq, on the west coast of Malta. The caves can be reached by boat, and are a popular tourist attraction. The beauty of the Blue Grotto was pictured in the 2004 movie Troy.

The waters near some of the caves are a brilliant green-blue color. Other caves have waters with a deep, dark shade of blue. The Blue Grotto faces east, and when the sunlight hits the waters during the early morning, the beautiful colors of the water are the most visible and dramatic. Because of the clarity of the water, many fish are visible when you travel the area by boat. The Blue Grotto is 40 meters in circumference, is extended back a depth of 26 meters, and has an arch height of 42 meters.

The limestone that makes up the caves has cracks and crevices, or joints, in its walls. Waves force water into the rock faces, which places pressure on the already cracked rock. Eventually, when the bottom-most portions of the rocks are worn away, the top of the structure collapses into the sea. These fallen blocks are further picked up and are smashed against the standing cliffs. This process continually weathers the rock faces. The crashing waves have produced the caves and natural stone arches we see in the region.

-Jeanne K.

Photo courtesy of Sudika via Wikimedia Commons.

References: http://www.visitmalta.com/en/info/bluegrotto

http://www.topsightseeing.com/malta/malta/beachesandscenic/bluegrotto.htm

http://www.excursioncheck.com/en/europe/malta/island-of-malta/zurrieq/blue-grotto

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b3ee1d8b-6060-44d1-903a-f00c91ca690c

http://www.heartofmalta.com/en/malta/guide/places-of-interest.aspx

The Blue Grotto

Located on the southern coast of Malta is a set of beautiful caverns, including the “Blue Grotto”. The site got its name from a British Soldier who thought the caves looked similar to the “Grotta Azurra” (which translates to “Blue Grotto”) in Capri.

The location includes a massive arch and several caves that were carved out of the Coralline Limestone coast by the sea. In the mornings the sunlight creates a wonderful spectacle of colors. The bright cobalt color of the water is intensified by cyanobacteria while the water in the caves reflects the phosphorescent colors of the submerged flora and the various shades of blue of the sea.

The location can be reached by boat from the fishermen’s harbor Wied iz-Zurrieq and is a popular tourist attraction. It was also featured in several television shows and movies such as the film “Troy”.

Xandi

Image Credits: http://bit.ly/1Rztxgv http://bit.ly/291IzMw Sources: http://www.bluegrottomalta.com.mt/ http://www.malta.com/en/attraction/natural-sites/blue-grotto

The Blue Grotto in Malta is a series of eroded sea caves on the south side of the island.

Nothing but Blue

Venture here into arguably the bluest cave in the world. The Blue Grotto (also known as Modra Špilja) is a hidden gem. Located on a rocky Croatian island of Biševo, sunlight trickles through the cave’s mouth and reflects onto the interior walls. This reflection illuminates the cave into a glowing blue. The surrounding eroded limestone gives the interior of the cave a jagged and hauntingly beautiful appearance as the water below glows deep. Also contributing to this out-of-world experience is a large rock formation that stretches across a portion of the cave’s entrance, hinting at the water’s depths which reach 12 meters below. At those depths, white sand covers much of the cave’s floor, which helps reflect even more light into the cave’s interior.

The Blue Grotto is most likely a product of millions of years of erosion. It is believed that the constant interaction with the sea eventually carved out a 24 meter long underwater cave. Originally, the interior of the cave was much more secluded and the only entrance in was from under water. In 1884 however, a more accessible above-the-water entrance was created, offering easier access to the cave via small boats.

The uniqueness of the cave offers a look at our planet from a slightly different perspective. Under the belly of the Blue Grotto the incredible power of light, erosion, and water are all met to create one of the most unique places and natural ambiances in the world.

--Pete D

Photo Credit: Stjepan Tafra http://www.stjepantafra.com/

References: 1. http://www.academia.edu/278916/Submerged_Caves_of_Croatia_Distribution_Classification_and_Origin 2. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2012/entries/193603/view/ 3. http://openplac.es/trips/blue-cave-island-bisevo-in-croatia 4. http://www.argophilia.com/news/croatia-and-the-speleologists-wish-list/2738/