CHASING ROV helps reach 102.6 meters in Spanish cave lake exploration

A CHASING M2 PRO MAX underwater ROV helped an expedition in Atarfe, Spain, extend exploration of the Sima de Raja Santa thermal lake to 102.6 meters below the surface in September 2026. The project paired underwater robotics with 3D LiDAR mapping to create a digital record that could support future geological and seismic research.

Why it matters: - The expedition pushed documented underwater exploration in Sima de Raja Santa far beyond earlier dives and created a deeper baseline for future cave and fault studies. - The project matters for geology, because Raja Santa is linked to the tectonically active Atarfe area. - The combined 3D LiDAR and ROV survey produced a digital record that researchers can compare against future observations after seismic activity or other underground changes.

What happened: - A new expedition to Sima de Raja Santa in Atarfe, Granada, Spain, extended underwater exploration of the cave’s thermal lake to 102.6 meters. - The team used a CHASING M2 PRO MAX underwater ROV below the waterline and 3D LiDAR scanning in the dry sections of the cave. - The project was coordinated by speleologist Antonio Moreno with members of several Andalusian caving groups. - The lake sits about 120 meters below the cave entrance, bringing the expedition’s total vertical depth to about 222.6 meters.

The details: - Earlier documented dives at the site had reached about 43 meters below the lake surface. - In 2026, the ROV continued past that point until the fracture became too narrow to proceed further at 102.6 meters. - The team moved ropes, LiDAR gear and the ROV through narrow passages, irregular rock formations and vertical sections before reaching the lake. - The CHASING M2 PRO MAX was chosen in part because its compact size made transport and deployment practical in the limited space beside the lake. - The ROV’s eight vectored thrusters allowed omnidirectional movement, including forward, backward, vertical and lateral adjustments. - Between roughly 60 and 90 meters, the ROV navigated around large rock formations and tighter sections. - Near the deepest part of the dive, disturbed sediment reduced visibility and the narrowing fracture left less room to maneuver. - Water temperatures during the exploration ranged from about 30.7°C to 31.3°C. - The ROV recorded imagery of rock formations, fractures, sediment and passage conditions beyond the limits of previous documented dives. - The expedition’s imagery and mapping can be reviewed after the mission to help plan future dives, mapping or scientific work. - In September 2026, Telecinco reported on the Raja Santa project in the context of the Atarfe fault area and recent seismic activity in Granada. - CHASING was founded in 2016 and develops underwater robots and underwater imaging technologies used in more than 100 countries and regions.

Between the lines: - The technical value of the mission was not just depth. It was access to a confined, hazardous environment that is difficult to document with conventional methods. - The pairing of dry-cave LiDAR and submerged ROV footage turns a hard-to-enter cave system into a reusable dataset. - That digital record gives future teams a reference point for spotting structural changes if the cave is revisited after seismic events. - Moreno said in the expedition documentary: “We returned with new technology to reveal its secrets.”

What's next: - Future surveys may compare new observations against the current digital model if researchers return after geological or seismic change. - The expedition data can support continued study of the cave’s flooded section and the surrounding tectonic setting. - The Raja Santa project also adds to CHASING’s use cases in scientific research, underwater inspection and exploration.