Great Blue Hole Facts That You Never Knew About!

Being a popular diving zone, Great Blue Hole near Belize city forms a perfect circle among coral reefs, commonly known as Lighthouse Reef.

Researchers have put forth a suggestion that this sinkhole formed as a result of a limestone cave that was flooded after an increase in sea levels, eventually forming a circular hole. The roof of the cavern is speculated to have caved in while the inner portion remained intact.

The name 'Great Blue Hole of Belize' was given to this breathtaking phenomenon, in the book 'Ten Years Underwater', by Ned Middleton, a British diver and an author. This natural wonder is visible even from space and can be easily identified by the unique shape of this phenomenon and its location within Belize Barrier Reef.

Discovery And Ecosystem

Jacques Yves-Cousteau, an explorer, was the one who brought the uniqueness of this hole to light in the '70s through his television series, 'The Undersea World Of Jaques-Cousteau'.

He and his crew discovered evidence suggesting that the Great Blue Hole in Belize city was a limestone cavern formed in the glacial era, during the Ice Age, as a result of the shallowness of the water.

Researchers have found evidence of stalactites in the interior of Great Blue Hole of Belize. These stalactites confirmed the postulation that Great Blue Hole of Belize had indeed formed above sea level.

It further suggested that there have been instances of geological shift and underlying plateau tilt in this region.

The depth of this Great Blue Hole of Belize was measured to be 407 ft (124 m) during an expedition conducted in the year 1997 by Cambrian Foundation. Furthermore, Great Blue Hole provided researchers with evidence regarding the mystery associated with the fall of Mayan civilization.

Blue Hole in Belize is a popular scuba diving site and is one of the top 10 zones in the world for scuba diving enthusiasts. Normal average temperature of Blue Hole is 76°F (24.4°C) at 130 ft (39.6 m), with not so significant differences throughout the year. 

Various divers have reported that the water becomes increasingly clear as one goes deeper. Moreover, only scuba divers with adequate experience can enter Great Blue Hole as only divers with experience will be able to maintain stability and bring themselves to the surface as and when necessary.

Great Blue hole in Belize serves as home to different types of exotic fish, including nurse sharks, blacktip sharks, and reef sharks. Sightings of other species, including parrotfish and bull sharks, have been reported; however, since life inside Blue Hole of Belize is comparatively low, most of the fish simply pass through. 

Furthermore, Blue Hole of Belize lies near the center of the famous Lighthouse Reef atoll, which has a rich diversity of marine species.

Tourism

Jacques Cousteau, famous explorer of the world, aided in popularizing Blue Hole as a top scuba diving spot with his expedition to chart the depth of this natural formation. Now, the world considers this Blue Hole of Belize as one of the best places for scuba diving. 

Being one of the largest geological formations and a natural wonder has helped the Great Blue Hole gain global attention. This increase in popularity was assisted by the beauty of the marine life of Belize.

Stalactites hanging from the ceiling, offering a breathtaking view similar to chandeliers, along with the high level of visibility, have earned the Blue Hole of Belize a spot on the bucket list of most divers.

City of Belize along the Caribbean Sea boasts spectacular site-seeing opportunities due to its Blue Hole. The stunning Lighthouse Reef is considered to be one of the most remarkable reefs in the entire Caribbean. Additionally, Great Blue Hole of Belize is one of UNESCO's many World Heritage Sites. This declaration was made in the year 1996. 

Day trips to the Great Blue Hole constitute a full-day trip from the city of Belize. In the year 2012, Discovery channel ranked the Great Blue Hole as number one in their list of top 10 most amazing places on planet Earth, emphasizing the beauty of this wonder of the world.

Adventure

Great Blue Hole, a massive marine sinkhole off the coast of Belize in the Lighthouse Reef's center, is one of many divers' bucket list excursions.

Despite the breathtaking beauty and spectacular views with clear vision offered by the Great Blue Hole, only highly rated divers are permitted to explore this spot. The diverse marine life and cave formations create high levels of anticipation for divers. 

For people who do not have sufficient experience to go diving or prefer not to, an aerial view would be a good way to take in the out-of-the-world beauty of this Great Blue Hole. Lucky tourists get glimpses of rays, dolphins, and sea turtles in all their glory. 

FAQs

What's at the bottom of the Great Blue Hole?

Scientists found stalactites towards the bottom of this Great Blue Hole of Belize, and at the very bottom, they found three people whose lives were lost to the Great Blue Hole, along with a coke bottle and a GoPro with some vacation photos.

Are there any sharks in the Blue Hole?

There are sharks in the Great Blue Hole of Belize. However, scientists have suggested many of the marine creatures rumored to live there might simply be passing by. Sharks, including reef sharks and nurse sharks, are reported to be using the Great Blue Hole of Belize as their habitat.

How did the Blue Hole get created?

The Great Blue Hole of Belize, like other blue holes, was a cave that was submerged during the last Ice Age. It was a limestone cavern formed due to the shallowness of the water.

Can you swim in the Blue Hole?

You can swim near the Great Blue Hole of Belize. However, to dive in this spot, one would need to have a high level of experience due to the challenge that such a dive would pose.

How many blue holes are there?

There are many blue holes scattered around this world, and many have been found and explored. However, many speculate that there may be some more that are yet to be found.

Who died in the Blue Hole?

Many people are reported to have lost their lives to the challenge posed by the Great Blue Hole of Belize. One of the notable deaths in the Blue Hole of Belize was that of a chiropractor in the year 2010. Such deaths are the reason why only experienced divers are allowed to enter the place.

Is the Blue Hole dive worth it?

The Great Blue Hole of Belize offers a spectacular sight from above and an even more awe-inspiring one to the divers.

Great Blue Hole of Belize offers clear vision to divers and has a variety of marine species that live there. Additionally, stalactites found in the Great Blue Hole offer a sight similar to multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, making the dive a worthwhile one.

A proof of the dive being worth the challenge would be Discovery channel ranking the spot number one in its list of top 10 amazing places on planet Earth.