As the crew started, they found the usual suspects: reef sharks, turtles, and giant corals. But as they pushed 90 meters, life started to vanish. The culprit was a thick layer of toxic hydrogen sulfide spanning the width of the entire sinkhole like a floating blanket.
Can you dive the Great Blue Hole? Even though it is an incredibly deep hole, the great visibility underwater allows divers to easily see its cave formations and marine wildlife, which has led to the site being consistently ranked as one of the top dive sites in the world. Yet, the dive notoriously disappoints many divers.
Then, Has anyone been to the bottom of Dean’s Blue Hole? The warm Atlantic sloshed in Nicholas Mevoli’s ears as he floated into the competition zone at Dean’s Blue Hole, the world’s deepest salt water sink hole, and the second largest underwater cavern. Only one diver, Jim King, has ever been to the bottom and made it back alive.
Who died in the Blue Hole? A notable death was that of Yuri Lipski, a 22-year-old Russian diving instructor on 28 April 2000 at a depth of 115 metres after an uncontrolled descent. Yuri carried a video camera, which filmed his death. This has made it the best known death at the site and one of the best known diving deaths in the world.
FAQ
What is inside the Blue Hole?
Researchers consider Great Blue Hole to be the largest of its kind and discovered huge stalactites, dripstone sheets as well as columns inside the blue hole. Water levels in the surrounding areas of the sinkhole are so shallow, where the coral often breaks the surface at low tide.
Is the Blue Hole dive worth it? While the ride is a long one, it is well worth it since this dive trip is not just one dive at the hole and return to land; this is a 3-tank dive with the two other sites being Half Moon Wall and Long Caye Aquarium – both also at Lighthouse Reef.
Is the Great Blue Hole worth it? A $300-350 shaped hole in your pocket is what you’ll be left with after scuba diving the Belize Blue Hole. That’s a big chunk of money just for a single day trip. In a single word YES! It’s totally worth the price tag for the Blue Hole diving experience.
How deep is the Belize Blue Hole dive? The Great Blue Hole sits just off Lighthouse Reef in Belize and is one of the most famous marine sinkholes in the world. It is 407 feet deep, with many stalactites to be seen. This is an advanced dive due to the depth and seemingly bottomless hole. It is easy to get too deep too fast, so watch your gauges!
Is the Great Blue Hole of Belize considered as a sinkhole?
The Great Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City.
What is the deepest blue hole? In the South China Sea, the Yongle blue hole was recently found to be the deepest blue hole on Earth, reaching 300 meters down—deep enough to submerge the Eiffel Tower.
Where is the deepest blue hole located?
Carbon more than 8,000 years old lies deep inside a yawning sinkhole in the South China Sea. Blue holes are underwater caverns carved into dissolving rock. The deepest known marine cavern is the Yongle blue hole, which measures roughly 300 metres from top to bottom.
How many bodies are in the Blue Hole? Famous for freediving for its easy access directly from the shore and the lack of current, the Blue Hole is known to have the highest diving fatalities in the world with an estimated death of 130 to 200 divers from recent years.
Are there bodies in the Blue Hole?
Two such adventurers were Irish technical divers Conor O’Regan and Martin Gara. The deep came calling before either turned 25. Their bodies were found locked in an embrace 102 metres deep into Dahab’s infamous Blue Hole. Their bodies were found locked in an embrace 102 metres deep into Dahab’s infamous Blue Hole.
What is the curse of the Blue Hole?
How deep is the Big Blue Hole? Roughly 300 meters (1,000 feet) across and 125 meters (400 feet) deep, the feature is known as the Great Blue Hole. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite captured this image of the Great Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef in the Caribbean Sea on March 24, 2009.
What is unique about the Great Blue Hole? The Great Blue Hole is circular, and is more than 984 feet across and 407 feet deep. A football field is 360 feet long, including both end zones. 2. It was first discovered by Jacques Cousteau, who brought his research vessel Calypso to investigate its depth in 1972.
What lives in the Great Blue Hole?
The Great Blue Hole is its varied marine life. Some species that you can come across include nurse sharks, Caribbean reef shark, butterfly fish, angel fish, midnight parrotfish and groupers. Turtles, parrotfish, angelfish, and butterfly fish.
Are there sharks in Belize? Sharks. Species of sharks present along Belize’s coastline include docile nurse sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, bull sharks, black tip sharks, lemon sharks, hammerheads, scalloped hammerheads (though rare), and the impressive, migratory whale sharks.
How long is the boat ride from San Pedro to the Blue Hole?
Most tours to the Blue Hole depart from San Pedro, Caye Caulker, or Belize City, and the boat ride takes about 2 hours each way.
How far is Blue Hole from San Pedro? It is approximately 81 km to get from San Pedro to Great Blue Hole.
Can you dive the Blue Hole from Belize City?
In past years diving The Great Blue Hole meant visiting Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, or Belize City. Now you can dive the pristine southern reef of Belize and include the Blue Hole as part of your vacation.
Why should I visit the Great Blue Hole? The hole itself is very dark and is a draw for divers who want to get a glimpse of the area’s ancient stalactites, rather than colorful plants and animals. The hole is also part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which was made a World Heritage Site of UNESCO due to its scientific and historical significance.
