The "Gourgouthakas-Liontari 2025" speleological expedition has been successfully completed. 

The mission lasted 13 days (August 1–13) and involved 40 cave explorers from Greece, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Spain, the USA, and Ukraine.In the Gourgouthakas and Liontari caves, underground base camps were established at depths of 650 m and 500 m, respectively, to accommodate the team. 

Once again, the expedition broke new ground by deploying telephone communications at these extreme depths. Notably, in Gourgouthakas, telephone connectivity reached 770 m, while Wi-Fi was available at 650 m.

This year’s expedition marks a historic milestone for Greek speleology. At Gourgouthakas, an underwater cave exploration was conducted at -1100 m, extending the depth of the cave to -1129 m and 80 m in length. This represents the first-ever cave dive to such depths in Greece and ranks among the deepest globally.

In Liontari, exploration advanced to 700 m, though adverse weather conditions complicated efforts. Surface rain makes exploration below 500 m impossible due to flooding risks. This year’s weather forced the team to evacuate the Liontari cave for two days.

New for 2025, the expedition expanded to include Cave LOC-81, meticulously explored and mapped by the Sheffield University Speleological Society (SUSS). 

The cave approaches 405 m in depth, with promising leads suggesting further extensions.

The organizing committee extends deep gratitude to all supporters, especially:• Region of Crete• Municipality of Apokoronas• Pemonia Cultural Association• Melidoni Cultural Society "To Apanó Neró"Special thanks to the Hellenic Speleological Federation and clubs:• EOS Chania• SELAS• Proteas• Cheiron• Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research