The Lady of Orda Cave

January 28, 2013 8:50 PM

The Lady of Orda Cave Two-time world champion free diver Natalia Avseenko ventures deep into Ordynskaya Cave in Perm, Russia, one of the longest and biggest underwater gypsum caves in the world. She dressed as the mythical Lady of the Cave, a spirit who protects divers inside the “natural cathedral”. Orda Cave previously.
posted by apricot (13 comments total)

"PREVENT YOUR DEATH. GO NO FARTHER." More lovely, dangerous sites need a warning sign featuring the Grim Reaper (4 photos down, presumably on land)
posted by pernoctalian at 9:19 PM on January 28 [1 favorite]

The second shot is amazing. For some reason, the third shot looks incredibly fake to me. Not sure why, though. Perhaps because her right hand looks like it should be on the rock (which is probably further below her than it looks at first), but she's not casting a shadow?
posted by Alnedra at 9:26 PM on January 28

For some reason it reminds me of my favourite part from any movie.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:36 PM on January 28 [1 favorite]

pernoctalian: ""PREVENT YOUR DEATH. GO NO FARTHER." More lovely, dangerous sites need a warning sign featuring the Grim Reaper (4 photos down, presumably on land"

Her hair looks very much like it's not on land. I'm kind of curious about that sign, I can make out four "FACT:"s, but not the rest of the text.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 9:49 PM on January 28

Assuming it's like the one from this article, it says:

STOP
Prevent your death!
Go no further.

FACT: More than 300 divers, including open water scuba instructors, have died in caves just like this one.
FACT: You need training to dive. You need cave training and cave equipment to cave dive.
FACT: Without cave training and cave equipment, divers can die here.
FACT: It Can Happen to YOU!

There's nothing in this cave worth dying for!
Do Not Go Beyond This Point.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:56 PM on January 28 [7 favorites]

(4 photos down, presumably on land)

The previously link will take you to a gallery that has a photo (5th row, 2nd photo) that would seem to confirm rather conclusively that the sign is underwater.

Or someone is very, very good at jumping into the air while carrying a scuba tank. Over uncertain footing for the landing.
posted by Snowflake at 10:03 PM on January 28

Perhaps because her right hand looks like it should be on the rock (which is probably further below her than it looks at first), but she's not casting a shadow?

I think it IS casting a shadow, but because the light is exactly where the lens is, the shadow may be totally hidden by her hand.
posted by KathrynT at 10:07 PM on January 28

Natalie had series of freediving session inside one of the largest gypsum caves. There was dark and cold (the water temperature was around +5C, the outside temperature was -35C), there was no chance to get to the surface and took a breath, there was roof above her all the time.

And thankfully everyone made it out okay with some mildly interesting photos. Because it makes perfect sense to freedive a cave that needs a mythical spirit to protect those foolish enough to venture into it with full SCUBA gear.

Sorry, I just can't get over how claustrophobic, cold, and dark this is. I think these photographs are haunted more by the thought of what could have gone wrong than the ethereal scenes they capture.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 4:49 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]

If the cave and sign are in Russia, why is the grim reaper sign only on English?
posted by JiffyQ at 4:51 AM on January 29

Because Russian divers expect to drown in some bizarre cave diving accident someday, never be recovered, and spend forever in freezing cold and impenetrable darkness, and so are not dissuaded by the sign.

It's intended for American extreme experience junkies.
posted by Naberius at 5:31 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]

It's cool that they got Jemaine Clement to shoot the photos. That last picture of him is a good one.
posted by staccato signals of constant information at 5:38 AM on January 29

Cave divers are fucking crazy. Freediving without a proper insulated suit, with flowing clothes and a wig and having to hold still for just one more photo? That's beyond cave diver crazy.
posted by Nelson at 8:38 AM on January 29

there's another gallery on that site with her swimming naked with two white whales which looks very cold too
posted by sineater at 9:57 AM on January 29