Some 10 underwater caves were discovered beneath Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Gunung Rapat, Ipoh by cave divers.

Professional cave divers Eric Tan and Lee Kian Le who made the discovery on Jan 5, were invited by non-governmental organisation Kinta Valley Watch (KVW) to explore the lake.

Tan said the main intention of exploring the underwater world was to find underwater cave systems.

“World famous underwater caves and tunnels were found in Mexico, Thailand and Indonesia but none were discovered in Malaysia until now.

“We managed to find 10 caves of various sizes.

“Most were about 3m wide while another was about 10m in depth, ” he said, adding that the exploration took about three hours.

“We could not find any underwater tunnels though.

“And due to low visibility, we could not explore further.”

Tasik Cermin, a hotspot for nature lovers, is nestled amid limestone karst in Gunung Rapat.

Situated in a quarry area which is no longer operating, it is accessible through a man-made tunnel.

StarMetro reported last month that the lake was among several sites included as part of the Kinta Valley National Geopark.

The former iron mine site is said to be geologically rich in flora and fauna and further research would be done by the Perak Mineral and Geoscience Department.

Lee hoped the government and landowners could help facilitate their exploration work further.

“With more research, these areas can be developed into tourism products, ” he said.

Lee, however, cautioned that the lake was not for recreational divers.

“It is considered a high-risk diving area where divers need rope guiding, ” he said.

“It could be fatal if inexperienced divers lose their way or any accidents were to happen. Such things can lead to closure of the lake.”

KVW spokesman Ching Boon Tat said aside from Tasik Cermin, there were many undiscovered beautiful spots, located some 100m from the lake.

These, he said, included Skull Rock Cave, Horse Cave, V Valley and Green Stone Cave.

“Skull Rock Cave is named after rock formations in the cave resembling skulls while Horse Cave is named after a rock formation that resembles a horse.

“As for V Valley, it is about 30m long and 28m wide and can accommodate 20 parked cars, ” he said.

“Nestled within the valley itself is Green Stone Cave, which comes in two tiers for rock climbing. Abandoned mining tools are found there and the chamber is also full of bats.”

Ching opined that the caves could be turned into tourism products for Perak.

“Perhaps, a cave trail can be created.

“I also hope to get sponsorship for two ladders to be placed in Skull Rock Cave to give the public easy access, ” he added.