- If you've never thought
of holes as mysterious, wait until you hear about these. On the property of Caynton Hall in Shropshire England there are a number of small openings that look like ordinary rabbit holes. But if we've learned anything from Alice, it's that there's never
just a rabbit down there. The holes actually lead
to an underground series of chambers know as the Caynton caves. But these are no natural phenomenon. The caves are actually man made and were hollowed out from sandstone to create arched hallways,
chambers, columns, and alcoves. It's not known for sure
who built the caves or why. Historic England has listed the caves as being from the 18th or 19th century, but local legend has it that the caves could be nearly 700 years old. Some believe that they may have even been used as a secret meeting place for members of the Knights Templar. In more recent decades, the caves seem to draw
visitors practicing black magic which has led to the caves being sealed from the public in 2012. Located off the I-205
outside of Portland Oregon, is maybe one of the most bizarre roadside attractions that there is. You'll be able to spot
the mystery deluxe hole by the giant sculpture
of a red eyed rodent with a shovel set up behind it. The hole itself isn't
much bigger in diameter than a sewer manhole and is equipped with a ladder that leads down a tunnel into the earth. The hole was discovered
by the property owner who goes by the amazing
name of Barron Mind. You'll need permission
to go exploring, though, since it's in Barron's backyard. No one knows how the hole got there or even how deep it goes. But most experts agree that it didn't happen naturally. Visitors can explore the tunnels but you have to sign
a safety waiver first. But once inside, the mystery hole is said to be full of healing powers which have been dubbed the enchanting vapors of encouragement. Well, seems like an odd title but whatever sells. Cenote Esqueleto, also known as the temple of doom, is one of the most dangerous scuba diving spots in the entire world. It's located just outside of Tulum Mexico near the Caribbean coast and is part of the white caves system that was formed over 12,000 years ago. For those brave enough to enter, the only way in is
through a 25 foot diameter hole in the earth. And there's no easy way down. So, the best way in is to just jump into the water 20 feet below. But then once inside, you can start exploring the massive cave system which measures over 143 miles and is part of the world's largest underground river. And these aren't just your average awe inspiring underwater caves. During an exploration
mission in March of 2008, divers found the remains of a mastodon that measured 141 feet long and the bones of a teenage girl from the paleo Indian period which are the oldest evidence of humans living in the Americas. Who knows what else is down there. Go find out for yourself, if you're brave enough. Located near Rock Springs
in Edwards county Texas, the devil's sinkhole is a massive chasm made of limestone. The hole itself is
approximately 40 by 60 feet and opens to the largest
single chamber cave in Texas 400 feet below. Local residents officially
discovered it in 1876 but experts believe that
evidence found around the site suggests that nomadic
tribes were using the area between 4500 and 2500 BC. Archeologists also believe
it may have originally been a sacred place for native peoples hundreds of years ago. Unfortunately, most of the artifacts were taken by explorers
or treasure hunters or simply destroyed when
the cave was briefly used for mining bat guano for fertilizer. Visitors are no longer allowed inside but that's probably a good thing. The sinkhole is home to the largest colony of Mexican free
tail bats in the world and as dusk sets in during the summer, nearly three million bats take flight through the opening. Okay that would not be fun just having bats flying around you. Oh, mama no. Ain't nobody got time for that. On May 30 2010 a massive sinkhole opened up in Guatemala City
during hurricane Agatha. The enormous sinkhole was 65 feet wide and 300 feet deep. And it was so big, it took out an entire city block including a three story factory. 15 people were killed and another 300 local
residents were evacuated. Experts believe that
the ground had actually been eroding for years but a number of factors
leading up to that day caused the disaster including huge amounts of
rain from the hurricane, the eruption of the Pacaya volcano only a few days before, and leaking and unstable sewer pipes. But this wasn't the first time that a sinkhole struck the city. Only three years earlier, on February 23 2007, a sinkhole collapsed in the northeast of the city killing five people. That hole was 330 feet deep and cost the city $2.7 million to repair the damage and fill the hole. Located in Catawba Virginia, the ominously named murder hole, is a thing of local legend. The murder hole is on the
34 acre private property of Marian and Dan McConnell who are avid cave divers and even built their house in view of the cave entry. The Appalachian trail runs
through this part of Virginia so the area is full of
deep and mysterious caves. The hole is 100 feet wide and 120 feet deep and is the entry way
into the daylight cave. But there are lower levels that go 234 feet into the earth. And even led to a chamber
with a 75 foot high ceiling. The cave has attracted
explorers for decades but not all have made it out alive. In 1958, a student from Virginia Tech's rope snapped causing him
to fall to his death. And rumor has it that a deserter during the civil war was thrown into the hole by angry fellow soldiers and other rumors of
those who commit suicide by throwing themselves in. The Siberian mystery craters have also been referred to as gateways to the underworld. The giant craters started
appearing throughout Siberia Russia in 2013. The three main craters have been found in the Yamal and Taymyr peninsulas in the Taz district. And measure up to almost
100 feet in diameter each. When reindeer herders
discovered the first crater there was a lot of speculation on how it was formed. With theories ranging from asteroids, stray missiles to aliens. But the debris that's been found spread around the holes indicates that it was actually an explosion from inside the earth that left these massive craters. Experts believe that as
the climate has warmed, the permafrost in these remote locations has been melting causing
a buildup of methane gas. And over time all that
pressure from the gas had to go somewhere and bam giant craters everywhere. Located near Derweze Turkmenistan, satan's supposed front door is officially known as the Darvaza gas crater. Found in a natural gas
field in the Karakum desert, the gas crater measures
226 feet in diameter and almost 100 feet deep. It was formed in 1971
when Soviet engineers began drilling in what they thought was a huge oil field. But they had set their equipment up over a natural gas pocket with the plan to determine just how much oil they were sitting on. But instead the earth collapsed into the underground cavern below them completely destroying the rig and camp. Despite its nickname, the crater wasn't always
a fiery pit of doom. After the collapse, scientists were worried
that all the poisonous gas that had been trapped would spread to the nearby towns. So, they set it on fire thinking it would all burn off within weeks. But over 40 years later it's still burning. Blue holes are one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. And the great blue hole is no exception. Located 60 miles off the coast of Belize, the hole is actually a
massive underwater sinkhole at the center of the lighthouse reef. And it's the largest of it's kind measuring nearly 1000 feet wide and 400 feet deep. The hole was formed
during the last ice age over 1000 years ago. It was originally a limestone cave but as the sea levels rose the cave flooded and became part of what
is now the Caribbean sea. The cave itself is full of stalactites which are rock formations that look like they are dripping. This and the clear blue water massive reef and scores of tropical fish has made the great blue hole a major tourist destination. It's also one of the most popular spots for experienced scuba divers. Thanks in large part to the
explorer Jacques Cousteau who in 1971 set out to study what the hole was made out of. The Xiaozhai Tiankeng also known as the heavenly pit, is located in the Fengjie County Chongqing City China. And it looks like something straight out of Pandora. It's the world's largest sinkhole with an opening 2053 feet wide and nearly 2171 feet deep. Despite being absolutely ginormous, it wasn't discovered until 1994 when British explorers from the Royal Geographic Society just happened to find it. The heavenly pit is surrounded by thousands of different plants that cascade down its sloped walls. It's also home to many
different animal species including rare geckos and the snow leopard. And in the rainy season
there's even a natural waterfall that forms at
the sinkhole opening. The cave is also connected
to a five mile long underground river that
runs from the Tianjing fissure gorge to the Migong River. And if you're ever up for a hike, there's a 2800 step staircase and wooden walkway that lead through the caves below. That's pretty intense. Better get your hiking boots on. Thank you so much for watching this. And just a reminder that
my brand new limited edition t-shirt is only available for a couple more days until June 5th and once they're gone, they're gone forever, so make sure you get yours now, before they sell out by clicking the I on your screen now or the link under this video. And don't forget I'll
have a brand new video for you tomorrow at three
Eastern Standard Time. I'll see you then.
