Every so often, a story pops up praising a lucky, young couple who happen to discover cobwebbed WWII relics, uniforms, or photos in a hidden, dusty drawer of their newly purchased house. History buffs may equate this with winning the lottery, as they can put their detective hats on to dig up the answers to questions of historical importance and questions of the private lives of soldiers, often questions that were never asked.
Not as often, a discovery that registers merely a faint blip on the radar will raise the eyebrows of our world’s natural historians, sparking the interest of these artists who paint the fluid picture of the creatures that once crawled our planet.
Three kilometers into the black depths of a seawater cave of Satun province in Southern Thailand, one of these discoveries was made – and you can see it for yourself!
“Tham Le Stegodon” is designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark and is the home to the Stegodon fossils that date back over a million years. These Stegodons were large mammals that were strikingly similar to the modern-day elephant. Replicas now stand guard at the entrance. The cave is open for guided tours. Not only is it a fun trip but a deeply humbling one that makes you contemplate Earth’s history.
Check out my video below! If you go, make sure you pay more attention to the guides than I did! Shoutout to my guide Karoon who had a knack for spotting a newly discovered crab species living in the cave!