Great Blue Hole (Belize – Caribbean Sea)

November 26, 2010

The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 meters (984 ft) across and 124 meters (407 ft) deep. It was formed during several episodes of Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower – the analysis of stalactites found in Great Blue Hole shows that formation has taken place 153,000; 66,000; 60,000; and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves were flooded.The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Great Blue Hole Belize1 Great Blue Hole (Belize   Caribbean Sea)

It 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. Investigations by this expedition confirmed the hole’s origin as typical karst limestone formations, formed before rises in sea level in at least four stages, leaving ledges at depths of 21, 49 and 91 meters (69, 161 and 299 ft). Stalactites were retrieved from submerged caves, confirming their previous formation above sea level. Some of these stalactites were also off-vertical by 5° in a consistent orientation, thus indicating that there had also been some past geological shift and tilting of the underlying plateau, followed by a long period in the current plane.

Belize Fauna Great Blue Hole (Belize   Caribbean Sea)

Belize is one of the few remaining gems of the Caribbean Sea where life has kept its untouched beauty and tranquility. It used to be a colony of British Honduras until 1964, when they became self-governing followed by the total independence from Britain in 1981.

Belize Great Blue Hole (Belize   Caribbean Sea)

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