Al Hoota Cave, Natural cave in Ad Dakhiliyah, Oman.
Al Hoota Cave is a cave system in Ad Dakhiliyah featuring kilometers of passages through limestone formations with underground lakes and mineral deposits shaped by geological processes over millions of years. The cave displays a variety of rock formations and water features that developed naturally throughout this extended timeframe.
Local people discovered the cave centuries ago, gradually learning about its passages and features through exploration and oral knowledge. In 2006, it became the first show cave on the Arabian Peninsula, marking the beginning of its development as a visitor destination.
Local residents have named many rock formations throughout the cave, seeing shapes like a Chinese cat, an old man, and a lion's head in the natural sculptures. This way of recognizing familiar images in stone reflects how people connect with the underground landscape and make it part of their own experience.
Visitors can walk through 860 meters of accessible passages with guided tours available in multiple languages and daily visitor limits in place. Wear sturdy footwear as the ground inside can be slippery, and allow time for your eyes to adjust to the dim lighting throughout your visit.
The cave system hosts over 100 animal species, including the rare Omani blind cave fish that evolved to survive in perpetual darkness within the underground water system. These eyeless fish represent a remarkable adaptation to life without sunlight and depend entirely on the cave's ecology.
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