Bala’a sinkhole (Baatara sinkhole) and waterfall

Jaj plateau

This natural wonder is located high in the mountains of Lebanon, at the end of a dry valley. This area – Jaj plateau – is formed from a thick layer of Jurassic limestone – Kesrouane Formation. Foreign and Lebanese speleologists have found in this area more than 20 caves and sinkholes.

Discovery

Some local people, of course, knew about this unusual waterfall and sinkhole. Nevertheless, the wider public learned about it only in 1952, when it was visited by French entomologist and speleologist Henri Coiffait (1907 – 1989). More thorough mapping of Bala’a sinkhole was made in 1980 by the Spéléo club du Liban.

Nowadays it is popular tourist destination, especially in March-April, when the melting snow forms the waterfall.

There is no fencing and one should be very careful not to fall from slippery rocks. Proper protection though would change this location or leave no possibility to access the sinkhole.

Description

Bala’a sinkhole starts with a large hole in the ground. This is some 70 m deep pitch, approximately 25 m wide.

This sinkhole though differs from others – one can look into it not only from the above but also from the northern side, where have formed three large "windows" and three natural bridges. The upper bridge is older than the others.

During the flood the limestone often is broken and large pieces fall down.

Total depth of this nearly vertical cave is 255 m. The entrance pitch is some 70 m tall but further below pits continue – the tallest one is 80 m tall. Thus the total height of the waterfall also is 255 m.

Further the cave disappears below the stream – it is nearly impossible to explore it any further.

Fluorescent dye test in 1988 showed that the stream emerges to the daylight in Dalleh Spring, Mgharet al-Ghaouaghir some 6 km northwest and 860 m below.