The planet has many wonderful places created by nature that have been discovered by men. Some of them are on land and can be touched and walked, some of them can be seen in the sky, through light. Some of them can be listened through the wind, and a few others can only be found in the ocean. We all know 70% of the planet is water and that means there is an enormous world that even though it can’t be seen from the outside, it can surely be explored on the surface and underneath it. The way these amazing places are explored is by using the proper equipment, skills and care, and that is how all their special details and marvels have been found. So many colors, animals, textures and scenes can be seen in the ocean, but that is not all. In a few very rare locations in the world, unique formations in the ocean called “Blue Holes” have been found. Blue Holes are very large marine caverns or underwater sinkholes that extend below sea level and most of them have deep submerged cave passages that turn out in beautiful dive ecosystems. Some of them are considered true diver’s paradises and are visited year round by divers from all around the world. Blue holes develop normally in islands composed of coral reefs or limestones and are formed by the erosion of carbonated rocks. They look like a big dark blue circle of water in the sea. They are normally located in low coasts that used to be above sea level thousands of years ago. The reason why they appear to be darker is because of their depth and the higher absorption of sunlight due to that depth. The contrast between blue holes and the rest of the colors of the ocean make them a true beauty, not only underwater but from the surface too.
Here are the 4 most famous and beautiful blue holes around the world.
The Great Blue Hole, Belize
The Blue Hole of Belize is called “The great” because of its size. It has a diameter of more than 300 meters and it is 124 meters deep. It is located next to Lighthouse Reef, an atoll 70 km from Belize City and it’s famous for being a beautiful dive spot where a great variety of flora a sharks such as nurse sharks, reef sharks and bull sharks can be found. The Great Blue Hole is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was formed about 150,000 years ago. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the one who made it popular by saying it was one of the 10 best dive sites in the world.
Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island – Bahamas
Dean’s Blue Hole is known for being the deepest blue hole in the world, with more 200 meters of depth. It is slightly circular and has a diameter between 25 and 35 meters. The first 20 meters are not very wide, but after descending that specific depth it becomes much wider and turns into a cavern with a diameter of about 100 meters. This Blue Hole is located west of Clarence Town on Long Island Bahamas and is like a deep salt water swimming pool with beautiful clear water full of colorful tropical fish for divers and free divers to enjoy. Snappers, silver-plated tarpons, rays, turtles and seahorses can be found here.
Image courtesy of Christian Afonso at Flickr.com
Dahab Blue Hole, Egypt
The Blue Hole of Dahab is a popular dive site located east of Sinai, on the coast of the Red Sea, close to Dahab, Egypt. It is a vertical cavern with an arch that connects the Blue Hole to the Red Sea. It is about 130 meters deep and it is also known for being a dangerous diving location, due to the confusion it may cause to divers underwater. It is actually called the “Diver’s Cemetery” and is considered being the world’s most dangerous dive site, where more than 30 divers die each year, trying to dive under the arch. Despite its bad reputation, the Blue Hole of Dahab has a great variety of underwater fauna. Divers will be able to find clownfish, lionfish, Spanish dancers and turtles, among others.
Image courtesy of Felix Esteban at Flickr.com
Gozo Blue Hole, Maltese Archipelago
In the Mediterranean Sea, in Dwejra, on the west coast of the island of Gozo, which is part of the Maltese Archipelago is the Blue Hole of Gozo located. It is the smallest known Blue Hole. It is a 15 meters deep inland sea pool and has a diameter of 10 meters. It has an underwater tunnel that connects the hole to the sea. It is also known for being a beautiful dive site where you can find a great variety of marine life such as schools of bream, parrot fish, moray eels, lobsters, octopus among others.
Image courtesy of Darren Barefoot at Flickr.com