Dean's Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world (9 photos). A blue hole in the Bahamas is likely to be inhabited by a huge aggressive octopus
Dean's blue hole blue hole), located near Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas, is the deepest known "blue hole" - a term given to any deep, water-filled, vertical cavern or sinkhole that which is below the surface of the water. While the maximum depth of most blue holes and craters is in the order of 110 meters, Dean's Blue Hole is over 200 meters deep, making it quite unique. On the surface, Dean's Blue Hole appears roughly circular, with a diameter varying from 25 to 35 meters. After descending 20 meters, the hole expands significantly, forming a cave with a diameter of 100 meters.
Blue holes are so called because of the impressive contrast between dark blue, deep waters their depths and the light blue color of the shallow water around them. The intense blue color is created by the high transparency of the water and the bright white carbonate of the sand. Blue light is the most stable part of the spectrum. Other parts of the spectrum - red, yellow and green are absorbed during their passage through the water column, blue light manages to reach white sand and return on reflection.
Blue holes formed during the last ice ages, when sea levels were as much as 100-120 meters lower than they are today. These holes were formed by deep groundwater, which gradually dissolved the limestone until the vaults from these voids collapsed. Later, the sea level rose and filled the holes with water. 
Dean's blue hole is popular place for diving and snorkeling. During the 2012 World Freediving Championships in the Bahamas, New Zealander William Trubridge set a world record when he dived 121 meters into Dean's Blue Hole without air. 
The recent discovery of huge holes in the Earth's surface in Siberia has puzzled scientists, perked up conspiracy theorists, and led the public to wonder if the ground is really that reliable. It turns out that the surface of the Earth is literally riddled with many holes, and some of them look like gates to a completely different world. In hiring a review of the 10 most mysterious "earth holes".
1. Siberian holes
Recently, three strange holes in the ground were found in Siberia. At the bottom of the first, whose diameter is 50-100 meters, there is a lake. The second hole, a few kilometers from the first, is about 15 meters in diameter. The third hole that the reindeer herders accidentally found is an almost perfect cone-shaped hole about 4 meters wide and 60-100 meters deep. Judging by the ring of debris and dirt around each hole, they were created by some forces that came from inside the Earth and burst out. Naturally, many theories have appeared - from crazy rockets and gas developments to underground destruction caused by the melting of permafrost. The second hole discovered is called "The End of the World" because locals in early September 2013, they observed either an explosion on the surface, or something falling from the sky.
2. Kola superdeep well
Naturally, not all holes in the earth's crust formed for natural or mysterious reasons. From 1970 to 1994, Russian geologists dug the largest hole on Earth - the Kola super-deep well, the depth of which reached 12 kilometers. While drilling, scientists have found many amazing things, in particular - the remains of life that existed on the surface two billion years ago.
At a staggering depth of 6,700 meters, biologists have discovered tiny planktonic fossils. The study of the rocks turned out to be more difficult than expected. Due to the fact that great depth ultra-high pressure and high temperature, rock samples that were brought to the surface were deformed. By the time the well reached a depth of 10,000 meters, the temperature had risen to 180 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, the excavations were stopped when it simply became impossible to fight the heat.
3. German deep drilling program and the heartbeat of the Earth
In 1994, drilling was stopped at a German ultra-deep well, which was originally conceived as one of the most ambitious geophysical projects. The aim of the project was to enable scientists to study things like the effect of pressure on different rock layers, the presence of anomalies in the earth's crust, the structure of the crust, and how heat is conducted through it.
A $350 million project in Windischenbach, Germany left a 9,100-meter-deep hole in the ground that reached 265 degrees Celsius at the bottom. In addition to various scientific experiments, the Dutch artist Lotte Geeven wanted to know how the Earth sounds. She lowered a geophone into the hole to record ultrasonic waves that the human ear cannot perceive. As a result, she got a frightening recording, similar to the sound of a thunderstorm in the distance and a heartbeat.
4. Dead Sea sinkholes
It is not known exactly how much sinkholes formed around Dead Sea, but it is believed that at least 2500 since 1970, and since 2000 - 1000. Like the holes appearing in Siberia, these sinkholes are signs of a change environment. The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River, and every year less and less water enters it. Now this sea is 3 times smaller than in the 1960s, and such a draining of a large reservoir leads to the emergence of sinkholes.
5 Dean's Blue Hole
The deepest blue hole (as holes located under water are usually called) is Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. Considering that the depth of Dinah reaches a stunning 202 meters (more than twice as much as most other blue holes), this place has become a favorite among professional deep-sea divers. In 2010, in this blue hole, William Trubridge set the record for diving to 101 meters without external oxygen or other equipment. A Brooklyn diver died trying to break the record in 2013 after being submerged for more than three and a half minutes, resurfacing and immediately losing consciousness. Locals tend to stay away from Dean's Blue Hole. According to legend, this hole was dug by the devil, and he is still there.
6Randomly Appearing Mount Baldy Holes
In 2013, a six-year-old boy wandered through sand dunes on Mount Baldy national park Indiana Dunes. Suddenly, a funnel formed under him, swallowing the boy. It was possible to get it only after 3 hours from under a three-meter layer of sand. Since then, other funnels have started to appear randomly. Scientists cannot explain this phenomenon, since none of the conditions necessary for the formation of such craters are present on Mount Baldi, and nothing was revealed when using georadar. A year after the first funnel, they began to appear so often that the park was forced to close.
7. Failure of the Devil
Devil's Pit is a huge underground chamber in Edwards, Texas. The 15m wide opening leads to a 106m deep cave that is home to one of the largest known colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats. More than three million bats fly out of the cave every night. The history of the funnel is shrouded in mystery. Arrowheads and darts were found in it, dating back to 4000-2500 BC.
The Sawmill Sink is another blue hole in the Bahamas that is far more important to scientists than it is to divers. The blue hole was the place archaeological sites, which changed the opinion of scientists about the landscape of 1000 years ago. The funnel is unique in that it was once dry, but gradually the water level rose and hid the bones. Fossilized remains of a giant tortoise, a crocodile, birds, seeds, flowers and even the remains of plants have been found at Sawmill, still green in color.
The Andros Black Hole, located on South Andros Island in the Bahamas, is very different from other blue holes in the area. The funnel has a dark purple color due to the fact that at a depth of 18 meters in the water there is a layer of bacteria that lives between highly oxygenated surface waters and practically anoxic deep waters. Below the curd-like layer of microorganisms is a layer pure water and another purple layer, comparable in consistency to jelly.
10. Son Doong Cave
Son Doong Cave was first discovered in 2009, after one of the holes leading from the cave to the surface was discovered by a local farmer. cave system was so carefully hidden in the jungle that it was found quite by accident. Shondong, which was announced largest cave in the world, formed between 5 and 2 million years ago, it was carved out of limestone by an underground river. In some places, the erosion came so close to the surface that the roof of the cave collapsed in places, forming several through holes. Enough sunlight penetrated through these openings so that a real jungle began to grow in the cave. In addition to the underground flora, in the cave you can find 60-meter walls of calcite, underground river, a waterfall, as well as 80-meter stalagmites and stalactites.
A blue (or blue) hole is an underwater cave or deep vertical hole. These funnels are filled with water, and their level is much lower than sea level, they look very impressive due to the contrast of dark blue water in the center and soft blue around.
Dean's Blue Hole is the deepest on the planet and is located on Long Island, in a bay west of Clarence Town.
Interesting Facts
- The depth of the Dean blue hole is 202 meters.
- At the surface, the funnel has a diameter of 25-25 meters, and starting from a depth of 20 meters, it expands sharply to 100 meters, forming a kind of dome.
- The Deana Blue Hole is a training site for the Vertical Blue team of freedivers who make so-called " free falls". The head of the freediving club, William Trubridge, set a record on December 16, 2010 - he plunged into blue hole Dean to a depth of 101 meters without the use of fins.
- This funnel is considered the best place in the world for diving, not only because of its amazing depth, but also because of the rich underwater world- V warm waters live bright tropical fish, turtles and seahorses.
You can drive to the blue hole yourself and look at it unique miracle light, sail in a boat on the sea surface above the funnel. If you want to not only see, but also feel its depth, then Vertical Blue will give you such a chance. In the fall of 2014 they will be holding diving courses at the Deana Blue Hole, and from December to February each year, William Trubridge organizes numerous workshops there for those who wish to dive at all levels.
Hotels and restaurants
No more than a 5-minute walk from the blue hole of Dean, there is a premium Winter Heaven hotel with a pool and an amazing restaurant, while in Clarence Town you can rent an inexpensive but stylish villa with gorgeous view from windows. Often students prefer to rent a villa to save money and have fun with a big company.
How to get there
By plane you need to get to the capital Bahamas- the city of Nissau, and then domestic airlines Bahamas Air or Southern Air fly to Long Island, Deadman's Caye Airport. This airport is a 5-10 minute drive to Dean Blue Hole.
Contacts
Address: Long Island, Bahamas
Nature often brings surprises that enchant and frighten at the same time, such as a thunderstorm or a storm. We will talk about another similar phenomenon - huge karst funnels that sometimes appear out of the blue in a matter of minutes.
The Sky Pit is a karst sinkhole in China, located in the Chongqing region. It is a double sinkhole that measures 662 meters deep, 626 meters long and 537 meters wide; its upper “bowl” goes 320 meters deep, and the lower one another 342 meters. Such a huge depression, of course, did not appear overnight, but was formed gradually over 128 thousand years. It is so big that it is often visited by extreme people who want to get an adrenaline rush by jumping down from a huge height with a parachute or on a rope.
Funnel in the city of Berezniki, Russia
This failure, about two hundred meters deep, has a length of 80 meters and a width of 40. It appeared in 1986 as a result of an accident, due to which the potash mine in the area was flooded and the soil slid. As the depression continues to grow, experts believe it could destroy railway which is connected to a potash mine. Now they are looking for ways to eliminate this problem, since about 10 percent of the world's potassium production is mined in Berezniki.
Dead Sea sinkholes, Israel
In the vicinity of the city of Ein Gedi, standing on the shores of the Dead Sea, there are several thousand karst depressions. At last count, there are approximately 3,000 open depressions, plus, experts believe that there are still about the same number of failures that have not yet been discovered. All of them were formed due to chronic lack of water in an area where the population is growing rapidly. There are also many tourists here, who spend more more water and there are more failures. Which in turn attract more tourists. In addition, the situation is aggravated by the presence of several chemical plants in the area.
The Qattara Depression in Egypt is the largest of its kind. This waterless depression stretches for 80 kilometers in length and 120 in width. The failure was formed naturally due to the winds that dispelled the sands and formed a depression. The depression is so huge that the Egyptian authorities are looking for ways to use it to generate electricity. Once they design a channel for water to flow from mediterranean sea, which will flow into a giant well, shield gates will be installed that will contribute to the generation of electricity.
Devil's Hollow is located in Edward County, Texas. Its dimensions are 12 by 18 meters, and the depth is 122 meters. The well is made entirely of limestone and is home to the Mexican tailed bat. Observers claim that more than three million bats live in this place.
Depression in Guatemala City, Guatemala
In the capital of Guatemala, in fact, not one, but two giant "wells". The first was formed in 2007 due to a collapsed sewer under a city street, killing two people and leading to the evacuation of thousands of residents. It is an almost perfect circle and has solid depth. Three years later, another sinkhole 60 meters deep and 18 meters wide “ate” a three-story building in the city. Although the depression developed gradually, continuous rain accelerated the process. Luckily no one died this time.
The Bimma well formed naturally in the city of Dibab in Oman and filled with groundwater. The water in this well is blue and clear, which is why the locals and authorities decided to equip it and turn it into beautiful place for swimming, which attracts both local and foreign tourists.
In the mountains of Venezuela, which are called "tepui", there are four incredible wells. Two of the four, namely Sima Humboldt and Sima Martel are simply huge - 352 meters wide and 314 meters deep. These two wells isolated the forest ecosystems covering the bottom. Another depression is called the "Rain Abyss" and is over a kilometer long. It is used as a platform for scientific research by scientists who study the process of erosion in tepui.
The Bahamas are considered beach paradise in view of their wonderful waters, complemented by generous sunlight And big amount sand. And the Mecca area is also popular among scuba divers, because there is the famous failure of the Blue Hole. It extends to a depth of 203 meters, which is why it attracts diving enthusiasts. It was here that a man named William Trumbridge set the record for free diving to a depth of 92 meters. Dean's Hole is also probably one of the most picturesque depressions on Earth.
The Great Blue Hole is an underwater well off the coast of Belize. The bowl-shaped sinkhole is 300 meters in diameter and 124 meters deep. It is located in the center barrier reef Belize. The blue hole has unusual feature- outlandish ancient stalactites that cover the surface of the Barrier Reef, which are already on the UN list of study and preservation.
Blue holes are among the most mysterious places in the global ocean. Some of them formed tens of thousands of years ago. Among diving enthusiasts, holes are considered the most popular "attractions", which is not surprising: the corridors of huge underwater caves go down so far that they can be explored endlessly. Off the coast of the numerous islands of the Bahamas, there are a huge number of caves and blue holes. It is said that only half of them have been explored.
The term blue hole is common name for sinkholes filled with water and located below sea level. Blue holes are believed to have been formed as a result of various karst processes, for example, as a result of washing out cracks in limestone rocks under the action of rainwater. Later, the sea level, which was much lower at the time ice age(ca. 15,000 BC), rose to the present level. Other known blue holes are not as deep. For example, the depth of the Great Blue Hole in Belize is 124 m.
Shape of Dean's Blue Hole
Closer to the surface, Dean's blue hole is round in shape, with a diameter of 25 to 35 meters. Starting from a depth of 20 meters, the hole greatly expands to 100 meters in diameter, forming a kind of dome.
Story
Maximum depth was first achieved by Jim King in 1992, shortly before he committed suicide.
In April 2010, professional diver William Trubridge broke the world record for free diving in a blue hole, reaching a depth of 92 meters without the use of fins in the same breath. Then he decided not to stop there, and on December 14, 2010 he broke his own record by diving to a depth of 101 meters without any equipment. Thus, he proved that the capabilities of the human lungs can be much wider than we imagine.
diving
Dean's Blue Hole is the training base for the Vertical Blue freediving team. Every winter, from December to February, William Trubridge conducts lessons and master classes on Long Island for everyone who wants to learn freediving.
The deeper you dive into the hole, the richer the world of the underwater lagoon opens up before you. So, in the hole of Dine, you can even meet several types of reef sharks: the Caribbean reef and blacktip.
