Bright and early Saturday, July 28, Carlsbad Caverns National Park staff hosted their 50th annual Bat Flight Breakfast. Approximately 630 visitors were treated to tasty breakfast burritos, an awesome inflight of Carlsbad Cavern's infamous Brazilian (aka Mexican) free-tail bat colony, and a beautiful sunrise over the cave entrance.
The Bat Flight Breakfast was started by park employees in 1957 as a way to encourage visitors to watch the spectacular morning return flight of the bats to Carlsbad Cavern. Unlike its evening counterpart, where more than 1,000 visitors might watch as several hundred thousand bats exit the the cave in search of their dinner, very few people watch as they fly back into the cave.
Breakfast participants received free entry to the self-guided portions of Carlsbad Cavern. A variety of ranger programs, including climbing demonstrations and guided lantern tours were also available to visitors.
This year's breakfast was sponsored by the Caverns Activity Association, the Carlsbad Community Kitchen, and Cavern Supply Company.
