Explore Chattanooga Fall 2023

Spotlight | WHAT TO DO

TENNESSEE AQUARIUM IMAX 3D THEATER ANCIENT CAVES 3D

D escending deep beneath the surface or submerged far below the waves lie extraordinary secrets hidden in the sprawl ing caverns and claustrophobic crannies of cave systems. These remarkable — and often alien — environments are unlike any other location on the planet and serve as the focal point for the Tennes see Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater’s latest feature Ancient Caves 3D , which explores how these subterranean habitats hold the key to better understanding climatic changes on the surface. “These deep underwater caves are other-worldly, like something straight out of a sci-fi film, and viewers can expect to see things they’ve never seen before,” says director and Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Jonathan Bird. “The film has something for everyone, whether it’s adventure, science, or just pure beauty.” Audiences plunge into a spelunking adventure with paleoclimatologist Dr. Gina Moseley as she ventures into the expansive underground worlds above and below the water in France, Iceland, the Bahamas, the U.S., and Mexico. Few humans have visited these remote caves, but Ancient Caves 3D offers audiences a rare chance to experience their majesty through stunning footage that captures their full breadth and scale.

Through the incredible resolution and sound of the theater’s IMAX with Laser audio-visual system, viewers will feel like they’re exploring these caves: SCUBA diving, climbing, crawling — and occasionally getting stuck — in search of geological clues to our planet’s distant past. For residents of the Tennessee Valley, in particular, this film touches on a geological fact of life. Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, an aquatic biologist with the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, has described this part of the country as “living atop a block of Swiss cheese.” “We live above a vast cave and karst region that is amazing to explore,” says Kuhajda. In addition to experiencing their spectacular geological formations, Kuhajda has snorkeled many cave systems to study aquatic animals that only can be found in these subterranean locales and whose existence can directly reflect the health of our water.

Photo courtesy of MacGillivray Freeman Films

Fall 2023