Belize is home to a unique landmark known as the Great Blue Hole. This place, with its rather on-the-nose name, is an underwater sinkhole that delves 125 meters into the earth. What’s more, this place has been a go-to spot for anyone looking to snorkel or dive for quite some time.
Back in the winter of 2018, one crew from Aquatica Submarines began a descent to the bottom. Their goal was to generate a 3D map of the interior, making sure to enjoy whatever amazing visuals they would run into. While the trip began with plenty of encounters with reed sharks, turtles, and giant branches of coral, things change 90 meters in. It seems that there is an entire layer of hydrogen sulfide around 90 meters, making it an incredibly hostile “force field” for marine life.
That layer of hydrogen sulfide means that the only signs of life the crew encountered were the remains of conchs and hermit crabs that had slipped beneath and suffocated from the oxygen-free zone. Another 30 meters deeper and stalactites begin to show up, giving a clue to the Great Blue Hole’s past. Stalactites are formed from water droplets that dibble down stone, meaning that the Great Blue hole was once a cavern.
See also: 10 Fascinating Facts About The Belize Blue Hole
An estimate of the cave’s lifespan pins its formation around some 14,000 years ago in the past. As sea levels rose, the cave flood and then collapsed, leaving the Great Blue Hole behind. This research has lead marine researchers to consider how other marine sinkholes, like those in the South China Sea and the Bahamas, have come into being. Further analysis of the area revealed a layer of silt over a graveyard of conchs.
Silt serves as a good assessment of when the various ecological phenomenon occurred, revealing that there was a great deal of storm activity around the time of the Maya collapse. Amazingly, the team also discovered a 2-liter soda bottle, a lost GoPro camera containing vacation shots, and two of three individuals known to have been lost within the Great Blue Hole. The remains were left where they were found.
If the Great Blue Hole has you eager to plumb its depths and see what dwells within, consider booking a stay with Chabil Mar. Not only is Chabil Mar a prestigious luxury resort in Placencia Belize, but it also offers excellent snorkeling and diving packages to locales like the Great Blue Hole and Glovers Reef Atoll.
For more information about Belize, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at: reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377 or or WhatsApp us at +501-633-7547.
