Žan Kafol Aerial & cave photographer SL
Journal

Photo story

ALL THE FACES OF LAKE CERKNICA

Lake Cerknica

I submitted several photographs to a competition organised by Notranjska Regional Park. Some were selected and will be displayed in the new information centre at Dolenje Jezero.

Benetek

High aerial panorama over Benetek towards Cerknica, with patchwork fields, lake water and a broad bank of clouds.
Straight-down aerial view of Benetek, where dark water, pale sediment and reeds form abstract patterns.

Boating on Lake Cerknica

Top-down aerial view of two loaded kayaks tucked among dense green aquatic plants on Cerkniško jezero.
Straight-down drone view of two people in a narrow canoe weaving among dense water lilies on Lake Cerknica.

Grahovščica

Late-winter aerial view across fields towards Grahovo, with Grahovščica winding through bare trees and patches of snow.
Wide aerial panorama of flooded fields near Grahovo, with reflective water stretching toward low blue hills.
Aerial panorama of Grahovo, its clustered roofs surrounded by winter fields, sinkholes and wooded hills.
Winter aerial panorama of Grahovo and Grahovščica, with clustered roofs, pale fields and wooded hills.
Aerial view of the Grahovščica channel cutting through winter fields toward the red-roofed village of Grahovo.

Lake Cerknica at full water

High aerial view of full Lake Cerknica reveals flooded fields, wooded islands and broken cloud shadows across the karst basin.
Paraglider's cockpit view over the flooded mosaic of Cerkniško polje, with dark forested hills on the horizon.
High aerial panorama of Cerkniško jezero, where winding channels divide green marshland and broad flooded areas.
Broad aerial panorama of flooded Lake Cerknica spreading through fields beneath a hazy mountain horizon.

Levišča – Lovišča

Aerial view of the dark Levišča channel winding through pale reeds and green-blue water on Cerkniško jezero.
Top-down aerial view of a dark branching water channel forming an abstract shape in dry Cerkniško jezero marshland.

Mala Karlovica

High winter water reaches the dark entrance of Mala Karlovica, surrounded by snow-dusted trees and pale limestone.
Green floodwater reaches the low limestone entrance of Mala Karlovica, bordered by leafless woodland and a pale rock wall.

Martinjski Obrh

Aerial view of a dark spring pool and narrow channel winding through leafless woodland beside Martinjski obrh.
Clear water pours from low concrete openings at Martinjski spring, forming a small waterfall among mossy rocks.
Water pours over the low mossy ledge of Martinjski obrh into a clear pool below.
Clear water cascades over a low rocky ledge at Martinjski obrh, surrounded by moss and sunlit woodland.
Vertical drone view of Martinjski Obrh shows a clear spring channel, footbridge, grassy banks and adjoining road.
Straight-down view of clear shallow water flowing through Martinjski obrh, crossed by a narrow footbridge and long shadows.

Otoški Obrh

Aerial view of Otoški obrh meandering in tight curves through bright green wetland beside forest.
Straight-down aerial of the Otoški spring winding through pale grass before entering dense woodland.
The calm Otoški obrh channel reflects bare trees and winter reeds beneath a soft grey sky.
Aerial view of Otoški obrh winding in bright green curves through shallow flooded marsh and dark forest.

Rešeto Sinkhole during flooding

Wide winter panorama of flooded Rešeto at Lake Cerknica, with retreating snow, intense sun and Slivnica beyond.
A single low rock protrudes from calm floodwater on Cerkniško jezero, with wooded hills reflected beneath a cloudy sky.
Floodwater covers Rešeto in a broad dark sheet, seen from above with wooded hills and villages beyond.

Skadulca Cave (Suhadolica)

Turquoise water fills the dark entrance pool of Skadulca, edged by bare winter trees and limestone.
The low entrance to Suhadolica cave opens at water level in a pale limestone wall.
High water fills the rectangular rocky entrance of Suhadolica Cave beneath bare winter woodland.

Šteberški Obrh

Straight-down aerial view of the dark turquoise Šteberški Obrh spring pool enclosed by bare and evergreen trees.
Top-down aerial view of Šteberški obrh winding in deep shade between leafless woodland, sunlit fields and evergreen trees.
Top-down aerial view of Šteberški obrh as a clear turquoise pool enclosed by bare winter woodland.
Aerial view of the round blue-green Šteberški spring pool tucked among leafless forest and pale grass.

Tresenec

Aerial view of the Tresenec channel meandering from open wet meadows into dense forest.
Aerial view across blue floodwater and pale reed beds at Tresenec on Cerkniško jezero.
Aerial view of Tresenec shows shallow water channels winding through broad golden grassland towards distant Slivnica.
Wide aerial view of Tresenec and flooded Cerkniško jezero, patterned with golden reed beds, channels and wooded islands.

Veselova Cave

A helmeted caver emerges through a small rocky opening among damp leaves at Veselova Cave.
A helmeted caver peers from the tight rocky entrance of Veselova jama, headlamp shining beneath tangled roots.
The small, low entrance to Veselova jama lies beneath moss-covered rocks in the forest.

Vranja Cave near Cerknica (Špajna Cave)
The cave is protected because frogs hibernate inside it.

A small dark cave opening sits in a pale limestone hollow amid leafless woodland near Cerknica.
Steep overhead view into the rocky, leaf-strewn entrance of Vranja Cave, also known as Špajna Jama.
The rocky entrance of Vranja jama opens at the end of a pale, dry streambed beneath dense woodland.
A low, rubble-floored limestone entrance recedes into darkness at Vranja Cave near Cerknica.
A metal gate bars the shadowed limestone entrance shared by Vranja jama and Špajna jama.

Zadnji kraj

Aerial view of flooded Zadnji kraj, with channels surrounding a wooded peninsula on Cerkniško polje.
Aerial view of Cerkniško jezero's flooded channels and wooded peninsula, with turquoise shallows patterned by vegetation.
Broad aerial panorama of flooded Cerkniško jezero, patterned by channels and reed islands beneath Slivnica.
Aerial view of Zadnji Kraj shows a broad dark lake enclosed by dense forest and rounded hills.
Aerial panorama of Zadnji kraj during flooding, where green forested land forms a peninsula between broad grey-blue waters.