Matka Vrelo 2026 – World Record deep cave dive: -338m

Between 10 and 17 October 2026, our team returned to Matka Vrelo in Macedonia to continue the exploration of one of Europe's deepest underwater caves. The previous expedition, in 2025, had reached a depth of -287 metres, where a steep, wide passage continued into the unknown. This time, our objective was to go beyond -300 metres and find out how far the cave continued. On 16 October 2026, during the final exploration dive, I reached -338 metres below the surface. At that depth, the passage was still descending steeply.

Matka Vrelo had become the deepest underwater cave explored by a human diver.

Preparing for the unknown

The final dive was the culmination of several months of preparation involving our team in Poland, Macedonia and Italy. During the week spent at Matka Canyon, we carried out four preparatory dives, reaching depths of -150, -190, -240 and -290 metres. These dives allowed us to inspect the existing guidelines, stage bailout cylinders, refine the final dive plan and assess my condition at depth, including my response to high-pressure neurological syndrome (HPNS). We also reviewed our decompression strategy and tested the equipment under the conditions expected during the exploration.

The expedition was carried out in cooperation with Dive Club "Vrelo" – Matka and received the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, H. E. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. With the support of our Macedonian partners and local authorities, we were able to organise an exceptional level of logistical and emergency support. More than 25 safety cylinders were staged inside the cave, at depths down to -180 metres. A warm, air-filled habitat was prepared at -8 metres to make the final stages of decompression more comfortable. I also had a third rebreather available as a contingency, delivered by a support diver at -140 metres.

Seven support divers participated in the final dive, positioned at predetermined depths along the ascent route. On the surface, a helicopter was on standby for potential evacuation to a decompression chamber in Skopje, supported by speedboats, emergency personnel, an ambulance and a hyperbaric medicine specialist. This was not an undertaking by a single diver. It was a team effort built around extensive preparation, carefully planned procedures and support at every stage.

The final exploration dive

The dive began shortly after 10 a.m. on 16 October 2026. I left our base camp on the shore of Matka Lake with Tomek, Michał and Zdziebeł. Together, we reached a point approximately 350 metres inside the cave, at a depth of -24 metres. From there, I continued alone towards the deepest sections, while the support divers followed according to the agreed schedule. The descent through the main shaft to its bottom at -212 metres took less than five minutes. I then crossed the next 100 metres of horizontal passage in approximately a minute and a half, reaching the entrance to the steep terminal passage at -255 metres. Around 20 seconds later, I reached the reel left at the end of line during the previous year's expedition. Beyond it, the passage continued sharply downwards.

I soon arrived at the edge of a vertical drop into a large chamber. Several dark openings led away from its walls, and I had only seconds to assess which one offered the most promising continuation. The best option was directly below me, slightly to the left. A few seconds later, I passed the -300-metre mark. Matka Vrelo had become only the second underwater cave in the world to be explored beyond that depth by a human diver.

I felt good. I experienced no visual or other impairment from HPNS, and gas density was not causing me any noticeable problems. Ahead of me, the cave continued down into darkness. I had been in the newly discovered passage for only around 15 seconds. The exploration was progressing well, and I still had time within the limits established before the dive. I decided to continue.

Beyond 315 metres

Using two Seacraft Ghost DPVs, I moved rapidly through the descending passage. Within seconds, the depth reached -315 metres. At that point, Matka Vrelo became the deepest underwater cave explored by a human diver. But the passage was still dropping steeply. Before the dive, our calculations had allowed up to 45 seconds of exploration in the new section, with the intention of keeping the total dive within a planned limit of approximately eight hours. I still had roughly 20 seconds available.

I remember thinking that the cave was offering an opportunity that might never come again. I felt ready to continue, and the passage ahead was unmistakable. The limits of both human exploration and the equipment were now part of the same question. I had previously discussed with Witek and Damian from Seacraft the capabilities of the Ghost DPVs at pressures equivalent to depths of 300–350 metres. At -338 metres, I decided not to push the equipment any further. The passage was still descending steeply. There was no visible end, no obvious obstacle and no sign that the cave was about to level out. I dropped the reel to the sloping floor, took one last look into the darkness beyond the beam of my light, and turned back.

The cave was still going down.

The real challenge: decompression

The exploration had lasted only a short time. The return was a very different matter.

The dive required more than eight hours of decompression, making the ascent the longest and most demanding part of the operation. My approach was informed by the experience of established cave explorers, including Gigi Casati and Xavier Méniscus, as well as published accounts of other extreme-depth dives and my own experience beyond -250 metres. For this dive, I developed an individual strategy for the deepest part of the ascent, intended to improve safety and reduce the risk of in-water decompression problems.

After leaving the newly explored passage, I stopped the rapid ascent at -210 metres and continued upwards very slowly, despite the first planned decompression stop being at -150 metres. This added approximately an hour and a half to the decompression obligation while I gradually approached the actual decompression ceiling. The support team was essential throughout this phase. From the moment I met the first support diver - Tomek, I was accompanied continuously until the end of the decompression. The team monitored my condition and remaining decompression time, while communication with the surface was maintained throughout the ascent.

I eventually left the water under my own power. I experienced no decompression problems during the dive or after surfacing.

A new milestone – and more unexplored cave

Our objective had been to take Matka Vrelo beyond -300 metres. Even reaching that depth would have represented a major milestone. Before the expedition, I had considered several possible outcomes: the cave might become horizontal around 305–315 metres, or further progress might be blocked by a massive rockfall. Instead, the passage continued far beyond our initial expectations: at -338 metres, I had not reached the end of the cave. The newly explored section was still descending steeply, leaving the next stage of exploration open.

The dive also placed Matka Vrelo among the very small number of underwater caves explored beyond -300 metres by a human diver. As the youngest person known to have crossed that depth threshold, I felt an enormous sense of gratitude to be part of a team continuing the work of explorers whose achievements had inspired us for years.

For me, exploration has never been only about reaching a number. It is about following curiosity into the unknown, learning what we and our equipment can do, and discovering where the limits we once accepted might lie.

The cave sets the direction. We decide how carefully we follow it.

A team effort

An expedition of this scale would not have been possible without the extraordinary support we received in Macedonia. Our thanks go to:

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia, H. E. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova;
Dive Club "Vrelo" – Matka;
SAE TIGAR and the Helicopter Unit of the Ministry of Interior;
the emergency medical services in Skopje;
Riste Balevski, the hyperbaric medicine specialist who was on standby.

We are equally grateful to everyone else who contributed to the preparations, logistics and safety arrangements, including Maciek Kogut of TK Diving Team, who prepared more than 20 cylinders of breathing gases for the expedition, including the mixes used below -300 metres. Special thanks also go to our equipment partners: Seacraft, for the Ghost DPVs; SANTI Diving, for exposure protection and heating equipment; and GRALmarine, for lighting equipment used in extreme-depth exploration.

Finally, we would like to thank every person who helped make the expedition possible, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes. The support and hospitality we received in Macedonia were exceptional, and we are proud that this exploration took place with our Macedonian partners at Matka Vrelo.

What comes next?

The expedition has concluded, but the work is not finished. We will publish further materials from the exploration, including video footage, updated cave mapping and a 3D visualisation of the newly explored sections.

These materials will provide a closer look at the cave's extraordinary structure and the passage that took us to -338 metres.

Matka Vrelo, −338 metres. And the cave is still going down.

BAD Exploration Team x Dive Club "Vrelo" - Matka:
Bartłomiej Pitala

Tomasz Wciórka

Slobodanka Jakimovska
Hristijan Milanoski
Goce Dimitrievski
Bojan Angeleski
Andrea Mescalchin
Luca Cavicchioli
Bartosz Zdziebłowski
Michał Sojka