Hang Son Doong or “River Mountain Cave” was the largest unexplored cave in the world, until now. Filmmaker Ryan Deboodt used his trusty drone to take us on an otherworldly journey through the subterranean wonder. The biggest cavern in Vietnam’s River Mountain Cave is so massive it could accommodate a Boeing 747. The mesmerizing flight takes viewers through the cave’s extensive cavern systems, where the cave walls reach 500 feet floor to ceiling.
The subterranean wonder is so large, it’s been documented to harbor its own weather patterns including clouds, fog and wind currents that drift through the cavernous halls.
The film itself is beautiful in it’s own right, but Deboodt has an ulterior motive behind the movie.
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Deboodt is passionate about wildlife and nature conservation. It so happens that the land around the River Mountain Cave is being brutalized for natural goods and minerals.
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The unregulated harvesting has ravaged a once pristine area and is slowly turning it into a wasteland. There is a native people group in the area that depends on the land for farming. Their way of life and livelihood is also in jeopardy.
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That is why Deboobt made this film, to raise awareness for the beauty of nature in general and to the plight of the native people groups living near River Mountain Cave.
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He spoke with National Geographic about his experience and motivation in making the film.
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“That’s one of the things I wanted to do with this video: to show how beautiful it is, and how it should be protected.”
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Experience the incredible journey in the drone video below and share if you were inspired by the grandeur of nature!
