Ninga Miriango
-18.541111,34.918889
Description
Mazamba village, Massanza zone, Cheringoma district, Sofala province. 34°55'08"E: 18°32'28' N (GPS WGS84), ca. 200 m asl. Surveyed on 21 Aug 1998 by Artur Fernandes, Michael Laumanns and Giancarlo Zaccaria (BCRA-Grade 4b). Length: 610 m. Vertical range: -10 m. The entrances of Ninga Miriango are situated at the western bank of the Rio Mazamba about 500 m north where the main road between Inhaminga and Codzo cross the Rio Mazamba on a concrete bridge near the abandoned settlement of Campira. The 610 m long cave (currently the third longest cave known in Mozambique) is a linear structured subterranean river. During the wet season Ninga Miriango is a tributary to the Mazamba river and carries flowing water. The cave was completely dry during the survey in August. It is therefore regarded as a ,c)-type" cave, although in the entrance hall a relict of a calcitic cemented conglomerate can be observed. The cave passages are strictly joint controlled and follow tectonic clefts which were dissolved and widened by solution of corrosive water. The main cleft directions are SSE-NNW and SW-NE. The cave galleries are about 10 m below the plateau surface and several daylights (roof collapses) can be found. Ninga Miriango contains very nice white calcite formations like massive stalagmitic deposits, floor coverings and big gours in it’s northern parts. A colony of about 1.000 bats lives in the cave which has some guano deposits in it’s NW part where no flowing water occurs throughout the year. Besides many insects a small snake and frogs were seen. During the survey two rusty bicycles were found in the entrance series of Ninga Miriango, probably hidden during war times.
The temperature of the cave was 26.5° C and the relative humidity 98%. Inside the cave a big colony of bats of three different species were observed. The guano was completely covered of Blattidae and of larves of Trichoptera (Molannidae). In a fewer de Trichoptera (Moannidae). In a fewer quantity: Coleoptera and Isopoda, while on the walls many Orthoptera Raphidophoridae and Aracnídeos Amblypygi.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Ninga Manguenje | 188 | 10 |
| 4.1 | Smaller Eastern Codzo Cave | 40 | 10 |
| 4.2 | Western Codzo Cave | 612 | 33 |
| 4.9 | Eastern Codzo Cave | 156 | 22 |
| 5.9 | Ninga Niamabawa | 130 | 10 |
| 6.1 | Upper Codzo River Cave | 40 | |
| 6.1 | Ninga Cupicua | 4 | |
| 6.1 | Mazamba Valley Caves | ||
| 6.1 | Codzo River Cave [Grotte de la Rivière Codzo] | 942 | 33 |