The cave was accidentally discovered by a snorkeler in 1999.  The Ephorate of Paleoanthropology & Speleology undertook exploration of the cave in 2000 where the discovery of fossilized bones of elephants and dear were found.  The discovered skeleton parts of the elephant (tusk, teeth and vertebrae), could be argued that they belong to a new endemic species, which was named ‘elephas chaniensis’, after the region of Chania.  The fossils belong to three adults and two younger members.  These elephants were significantly different from the African or Indian elephant, as they were three feet high and had thicker bones and huskier bodies.  The age of the bones are estimated at 50,000-60,000 years old.

The deer bones are also interesting, as they belong to both a normal size deer and deer dwarfs (up to 30 cm).  It is believed that the excessive increase in deer population, significantly reduced food availability which lead to the extinction of the elephants in the area.