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Tight Squeeze: The Claustrophobia-Inducing World Of Caving Yields Epic Rewards

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Sonia Meyer rappels down from Chocolate High in Carlsbad Caverns National Park after surveying (Photo by Derek Bristol)
Sonia Meyer rappels down from Chocolate High in Carlsbad Caverns National Park after surveying (Photo by Derek Bristol)

You might not think about caves in the same breath as you do the deep ocean or outer space, but you probably should. There are approximately 70,000 caves in the United States alone, but the vast majority are inaccessible to the public. That means rare, delicate ecosystems have developed for tens of thousands of years in complete isolation from human contact. That is, until cavers travel deep underground through impossibly small spaces to find them. Join the Endless Thread team as we dive into the claustrophobia-inducing world of caving.

Thanks to the National Speleological Society, Adam Weaver, Amanda Willis, and George Veni for their help with this episode.

Sonia Meyer inches through a belly crawl in a California cave (photo by Joey Meyer)
Sonia Meyer inches through a belly crawl in a California cave (photo by Joey Meyer)

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Headshot of Josh Crane

Josh Crane Producer, Podcasts & New Programs
Josh is a producer for podcasts and new programs at WBUR.

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