Vrelo at Matka is the deepest explored underwater cave in the world: 338 metres and three world records

The deepest explored underwater cave in the world isn't in France, or in Italy. It's at Matka, on Skopje's doorstep. Vrelo has been explored to a depth of 338 metres, taking first place on the world list - ahead of Font Estramar in France (312 metres) and Elefante Bianco in Italy (292 metres).

The record is the result of the "Vrelo 2026" expedition, which ran from 10 to 17 October. An international team of 15 divers from Macedonia, Poland and Italy pushed the limit 51 metres beyond the previous 287 metres, reached last October. According to the Vrelo cave diving club, three world records were set: the deepest cave explored by a human, the deepest cave dive, and the deepest open-water deep dive.

Nine hours for a single dive

The record dive was made by Polish cave diver Bartłomiej Pitala, who also held the previous mark. The whole operation lasted nine hours, and his return from the depths was monitored by 12 safety divers positioned at different levels. On the surface, a hyperbaric chamber, the interior ministry's helicopter unit, divers from the Tigar special unit, speedboats and an emergency medical team were on standby.

The Macedonian contribution wasn't just playing host. For the first time, our divers independently built and installed an underwater air chamber - a so-called habitat - at a depth of eight to nine metres, about 130 metres from the cave entrance. The divers stayed in it during the long decompression stops. More than 30 cylinders with different gas mixtures, as well as spare batteries for heating and lighting, had been placed in the cave beforehand.

New channels, a new map

The expedition didn't just bring depth. Two previously unknown underwater channels were discovered. The first is about 300 metres from the entrance, at a depth of 33 metres, around 100 metres long, and connects to a part of the cave explored in 2000. The second is at a depth of 170 metres, around 30 metres long, and links to the main deep channel at 185 metres. In total, the map of the system has grown by more than 150 new metres.

This is rare news in which Macedonia is first on a world list, and the credit is undeniable. One cave diving club, with partners from Poland and Italy, put Matka ahead of the famous caves in France and Italy. The question is whether the state will know how to make use of it - for science, for protecting the canyon, for serious tourism - or whether Vrelo will remain a record only divers know about.