It is the largest underwater cave in the world and attracts a large amount of attention due to its exquisite beauty. What secrets have been hidden in the Blue Hole for more than 30 million years? Perhaps we will get answers to these questions thanks to future expeditions that intend to descend to the very bottom.
The Great Blue Hole is located off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. Its surface would easily accommodate two Boeing 747 aircraft. It is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Ecosystem, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve. The cave is believed to be 126 meters deep. Photo: Blue Hole, Belize Barrier Reef.
What's in it?
The legend of the Blue Hole was promoted by the traveler and discoverer Jacques Cousteau, who first plunged into it in 1971. No wonder he called this place one of the most beautiful in the world. And this is actually the case - both outside and inside. The dark round hole against the backdrop of a paradise coral reef began to arouse great interest among all who noticed it. Even mysterious theories about its origin began to appear, up to the alleged participation of UFOs in the creation of this unique object.
Today we can say that this is the so-called round karst funnel with cave formations. Not the only one in Belize, but certainly the largest and most intriguing. This is a very interesting place in terms of diving. At the bottom - at a depth of more than 100 meters - there is probably a layer of hydrogen sulfide, which means that the bottom of the cave is a dead zone - there is no life there. But these are only guesses.
It is worth noting that during his first expedition to the bottom, Cousteau carved out a fragment of one stalactite. As it turned out, part of it had previously deviated by several tens of degrees from the vertical. This is irrefutable evidence of the movements of the earth's crust.
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In addition, it is assumed that at a depth of 50-80 meters, horizontal caves begin, which no one has yet explored. At the moment, this is just a theory, but since similar branches have already been found in other holes in the Belize reef, it is very likely that they will be found here as well.
From a diving point of view, the Blue Hole is a pretty convenient place because it has no enclosed spaces. The only obstacle is the depth itself. An ordinary diver will not be able to descend to the bottom or a depth of more than 100 meters below sea level, because this will already require specialized equipment.
You should also remember about and safety. The truth is that sharks live in this area. Of course, it's not a fact that all predators are just waiting for the diver to attack him, but caution never hurts.
Penetration into one of the few vertical wells on the planet without water movement is an invaluable source of data for geological and paleobiological research.
On the other hand, it is a kind of "trap" for bottom sediments. Everything inside this giant hole, zooplankton and phytoplankton, falls to the bottom. Studying these samples will help you learn the truth about the Earth's past and current climate change. It seems very subtle, but scientists can learn a lot from it.