Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Team
New Zealand has two well-known glowworm caves—one in Waitomo on the North Island, and the other being the Te Anau Glowworm Caves on the South Island. These types of ecological attractions typically offer a pre-tour briefing, around a 10-minute video explaining the site. Interestingly, although the narration is in English, subtitles in Chinese are provided. There are also models that illustrate how underground streams eroded limestone 250,000 years ago to form these subterranean caves, and how the insects living within, having long been deprived of sunlight, have developed a unique ecosystem.
The Te Anau Glowworm Cave is covered in blue luminescence, creating a romantic atmosphere. (Image source / elysefeaver)
After the briefing, visitors can board a boat to enter the glowworm cave. Two boats at a time, each carrying 12 people, are guided by a guide who pulls the boat along ropes fixed to the cave walls. The cave is pitch black, and the boat stops at several points along the way, allowing visitors to admire the countless tiny blue stars above. These “blue stars” are actually strands of sticky silk spun by local glowworms and hung from the cave ceiling. The worms use a chemical reaction in their bodies to emit a blue bioluminescent glow, which attracts insects from the underground streams. Drawn to the light, the insects get stuck on the blue threads and become the glowworms’ meal. As a result, the hungrier the glowworms are, the brighter their blue glow becomes.
The blue glowing threads in the Te Anau Glowworm Cave hang like beautiful tassels throughout the cavern. (Image source / elysefeaver)
It’s important to note that glowworms are extremely sensitive to noise, so all visitors must remain absolutely quiet in order to fully enjoy this dreamlike spectacle.
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