Anatakitaki Cave facts for kids

Anatakitaki Cave, also called the Cave of the Kopekas, is a special type of cave found on Atiu island in the Cook Islands. It's located in the northeast part of the island. This cave is very large and has many different rooms and tunnels. It's famous for its unique features, including a hidden freshwater lake and a special kind of bird that lives inside.

Discovering Anatakitaki Cave

Anatakitaki Cave is a natural wonder formed over thousands of years. It's a type of cave known as a karst cave. This means it was created when water, slightly acidic, dissolved soft rocks like limestone.

How Caves Like This Form

• Rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide in the air and soil.
• This creates a weak acid that seeps into cracks in the rock.
• Over a very long time, this acidic water slowly dissolves the rock.
• This process carves out large underground passages and chambers.
• Anatakitaki is also a solutional cave, which means it was formed mainly by this dissolving action of water.

Inside the Cave

The cave stretches for about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles). As you explore, you'll see many amazing rock formations. These are called speleothems.

Amazing Speleothems

Speleothems are like natural sculptures found in caves. They form when water drips and leaves behind minerals.

• Stalactites hang down from the cave ceiling, like icicles.
• Stalagmites grow up from the cave floor.
• Sometimes, stalactites and stalagmites meet to form columns.
• You might also see flowstones, cave curtains, and other beautiful shapes.

The Hidden Lake and Tunnel

Deep inside Anatakitaki Cave, there's a freshwater lake. This lake is connected to the Pacific Ocean by a passage called the Tiroto Tunnel.

• You can walk through most of the tunnel.
• However, the very last part of the tunnel is completely underwater.
• This unique connection makes the cave even more mysterious.

The Kopekas: Special Cave Birds

The cave's other name, "Cave of the Kopekas," comes from the thousands of Atiu swiftlets that live there. These small birds are truly amazing!

Life of the Atiu Swiftlet

• Atiu swiftlets are unique because they spend almost their entire lives inside the cave.
• They never land outside the cave, even to rest.
• They fly in and out of the cave entrances to find food.

How Swiftlets Navigate in the Dark

Just like bats, these swiftlets use echolocation to find their way around in the dark cave.

• They make high-pitched clicking sounds.
• These sounds bounce off objects in the cave.
• The birds listen to the echoes that return.
• By interpreting these echoes, they can create a sound map of their surroundings.
• This allows them to fly quickly and safely through the dark tunnels without bumping into walls or other birds.

Nature's Reach: Banyan Roots

Another interesting feature of Anatakitaki Cave is the presence of tree roots. Roots, especially from large banyan trees, grow down from the surface. They reach deep into the cave, sometimes all the way to its furthest parts. These roots add to the cave's natural beauty and show how connected the underground world is to the world above.