STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES

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…flowing mud. They form ledges and are very strong. One important thing that I learned from this trip is to never touch a formation. As I said earlier, it takes thousands of years for a stalactite or a stalagmite to form and the touch from a hand only takes seconds to destroy one of these beautiful, fragile wonders. The oils and dirt on your finger will stain and damage the formation, ruining the natural color.