Vrtare Male

Vrtare Male is a pit cave located near Dramalj, a seaside village in Croatia. Its depth is believed to be 39 metres (128 ft), with around 10 metres (33 ft) submerged. It was first explored in 1966 by the Mountaineering Society Velebit. In 1996, Dragan Pelić, a photographer and spelaeologist from nearby Crikvenica, descended into the cave and found a rare Decapoda specimen, which was confirmed by Croatian spelaeologist Branko Jalžić. This prompted further cave expeditions, starting in 2005, and the establishment of a protected area around Vrtare Male.

The cave is home to the freshwater cave prawn (Troglocaris anophthalmus), endemic to Dinaric karst. Vrtare Male is part of the National Ecological Network of Croatia. It is registered under the code HR3000257, and potential for inclusion in Natura 2000. In 2009, it was proclaimed a geological-palaeontological natural monument. The area under protection covers around 310 square metres (3,300 sq ft).