In tha sea of Belize, inside the lagoon of Lighthouse Atoll, is the Great Blue Hole. The name alone will make it different from some of the other "blue holes" to be found all over the world. This one is the largest, deepest, and most famous. It's perfectly circular, more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and some 400 feet (123 meters) deep. Thousands of divers have made it the reason they have come to dive in Belize. This site was made famous by Jacques-Yves Cousteau who declared it one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world. In 1971 he brought his ship, the Calypso to the hole to chart its depths.
The Great Blue Hole was formed as a limestone cave system during the last ice age when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed. At that time it was dry and because of its limestone makeup, stalagmites and stalactites were created drop by drop of limestone rich water. Some of these stalactites are nearly thirty feet long and nearly eight feet in diameter.
Now it's one of the best place in the world for diving but it's depth make it very dangerous and a challenge just for the most experienced divers.
Photo: Andy Farrington
Photo: National Geographic/David Doublet
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Photo: National Geographic/David Doublet
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