Let me preface this post by saying I believe this is a GoPro advert. That being said, it’s pretty incredible footage from the vantage point from inside the cave as millions of bats fly out of it. I think I can forgive this being an advertisement because I actually learned something with this one. The cave the bats are flying out of is called Bracken Cave and it’s located in southern Comal County, Texas.

Bracken Cave is the summer home of the world’s largest bat colony. With millions of Mexican free-tailed bats living in the cave from March thru October, Bracken holds one of the largest concentration of mammals on earth.

The emergence of these millions of bats, as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunt, is an unforgettable sight.

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From March to October, the bats at Bracken Cave emerge between 6 and 8 p.m. flying southeast on a collision course with bugs such as cotton bollworm moths and army cutworm moths being pushed away from crops southwest by winds.

The bats consume several tons of insects per night, which according to research conducted in 2006, saves cotton farmers in south central Texas about $740,000 a year.

According to studies, there’s an estimated roost of 30 million bats. Incredible. 

 
via Geekologie