Dragon's Breath Cave | Otjiwarongo

Dragon's Breath Cave is a flooded karst cavern located on Farm Harasib in the Otjozondjupa Region of northern Namibia, approximately 46 km northwest of Grootfontein. It contains the world's largest known non-subglacial underground lake.

Visual Characteristics

The cave entrance is a small, unassuming 40 x 60 cm hole in a dolomite outcrop. Below the surface, it opens into a massive cavern containing a 2-hectare lake of crystal-clear water. The air inside is characterized by high humidity and stable temperatures, which create a misty "breath" at the entrance when external barometric pressure drops.

Location & Access Logistics

Coordinates: $19^\circ 28' 05'' \text{S}$, $17^\circ 47' 08'' \text{E}$.

Access Status: Strictly restricted. The cave is on private farmland and is not open to the public. Access is granted only to professional diving expeditions and research teams with prior legal permission from the landowners.

Technical Entry: Entry requires advanced Single Rope Technique (SRT). Explorers must abseil through a narrow vertical shaft and several pitches, totaling a descent of approximately 60 meters to reach the water's surface.

Geological & Exploration History

Discovery: Found in 1986 by a South African Spelaeological Association (SASA) team led by Roger Ellis.

The Lake: The lake surface area covers roughly 2 hectares (4.9 acres).

Depth: For decades, the true depth remained unknown as human divers reached limits around 131 meters. In 2019, an expedition using the autonomous underwater vehicle SUNFISH mapped the cave to a total depth of 264 meters below the surface (a water depth of approximately 205 meters).

2024 Expedition: A German-led "Scapehander" team conducted a photographic dive in June 2024, reaching a human-dive depth of 157 meters.

Ecology & Biodiversity

Endemic Species: The cave supports a fragile ecosystem of cave-adapted invertebrates, including tiny translucent shrimps, worms, and amphipods.

Misconceptions: It is often reported that the critically endangered Golden Cave Catfish (Clarias cavernicola) lives here; however, this species is actually endemic to the nearby Aigamas Cave, not Dragon's Breath.

Infrastructure & Amenities

There is no infrastructure at the site.

Support: Expeditions must bring 100% of their equipment, including rope rigging, breathing gases (Trimix for deep dives), and lighting.

Water Quality: The water is exceptionally clear due to zero sunlight and lack of wave action, allowing visibility of up to 50 meters with high-powered dive lights.

Nearby Landmarks

Harasib Cave: Another deep flooded cave located on the same farm.

Ghaub Cave: A dry cave system located roughly 35 km away, which is open to guided tourist visits.

Grootfontein: 46 km Southeast.

Hoba Meteorite: 25 km South.