You know all about the ancient wonders of the world, like the pyramids, the Great Wall, Machu Picchu and Stonehenge. You’ve probably even seen at least a couple as you’ve globe-trotted in your private jet. But, what do you know about the planet’s natural wonders? The strange formations are the results of dramatic shifts in conditions or the work of pressure and time working against the earth..
Waitomo Glowworm Caves | Waikato, New Zealand
Located in New Zealand’s Waikato region, on the North Island, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves will dazzle you with constellations of turquoise lights that dangle from the ceiling. New Zealand is the only place in the world where you’ll find the Arachnocampa luminosa species of glowworm, which is about the size of a mosquito. The glowworms produce sticky fishing line-like traps that glow like fiber optic lights to attract and catch other insects. (http://www.waitomocaves.com/)
Cave of the Crystals | Naica, Mexico
Ever wish you could visit Superman’s Fortress of Solitude? The Cave of the Crystals in Mexico is the next best thing. The cave is thousands of feet under a working silver and lead mine in Chihuahua, and it wasn’t discovered until 2000. Temperatures in the cave can reach up to 150 degrees with 100 percent humidity because of the volcano-heated waters below, so only the most experienced spelunkers with special suits are allowed to explore the formations for about 10 to 30 minutes at a time. The formations consist of opaque gypsum crystals that reach up to 50 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter. (http://www.naica.com.mx/english/index.htm)
Blood Falls | Victoria Land, Antarctica
When you visit Antarctica’s Taylor Valley in your private charter jet, you may see something unexpected flowing from the tongue of Taylor Glacier—a cascade of blood-red water. The red hue that occasionally flows from the glacier comes from a pool that’s 1,300 feet under the ice. The high iron levels give the water its macabre shade. (http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/contenthandler.cfm?id=1409)
Caño Cristales River | Serranía de la Macarena, Colombia
From September to November, when the water levels are just right, the plant Macarenia clavigera on the Caño Cristales River floor bloom into a rainbow of colors like red, pink, blue, yellow and green. If you get the chance to see the river at the right time, you’ll see why others call it the “Liquid Rainbow,” “River of Five Colors” or “the river that ran away from paradise.” (http://www.colombia.travel/en/official-bloggers/entry/jose-luis-pastor-y-marcela-mariscal-en/5-places-in-colombia-you-have-to-travel-to-before-everyone-else)
Sailing Stones | Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, CA
The sailing stones at Racetrack Playa are the perfect pet rocks because they walk themselves. The marvel about these stones, which can weigh hundreds of pounds, is that they’ve left evidence of their travels along the dry lake bed in the form of long trails that extend up to 700 feet. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how the rocks travel on their own, but they think that it happens when the ground is slightly muddy and the winds are strong enough to push the stones. (http://geology.com/articles/racetrack-playa-sliding-rocks.shtml)
Eye of the Sahara (Richat Structure) | Mauritania
In the otherwise featureless and flat Mauritania desert in the Sahara is a series of concentric circles that stretch 25 miles in diameter. The bull’s-eye in the desert formed when winds eroded different layers in the sediment at varying depths, exposing rocks like quartzite, volcanic rocks, gabbros, kimberlites and carbonatites. Because the Eye of the Sahara is visible from space, astronauts use it as a landmark. (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2561)
About Solairus Aviation:
Solairus is a US-based private aviation services company whose core business is assisting aircraft owners with the safe, reliable, and efficient management and operation of their aircraft. Our services are customized to meet the client’s individual travel and financial requirements, and to support their flight operation with the highest standards of safety and personalized service, regardless of the location of the aircraft.
Solairus was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Solairus has over twenty-five base locations across the United States, Europe and Asia, employing more than two hundred flight crew and support personnel to operate a fleet currently numbering over fifty aircraft. Solairus is an Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-Rated and Wyvern Wingman certified charter operator. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO stage two certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, visit www.solairus.aero or call 800-359-7861.