Blue Hole in Belize - Amazing Natural Structure

If you are a diving enthusiast, this Blue Hole in Belize is a must visit spot on Earth. This Blue Hole is part of the Lighthouse Reef System which extends over 1000 feet across. The blue hole is in the center of Lighthouse Reef, is a large perfectly circular natural hole, 300 foot across and 412 feet deep hole. The depths of the water in this hole give a deep blue color effect and are known as "Blue Holes".

Like a giant pupil in a sea of turquoise, The Blue Hole is a perfectly circular limestone sinkhole more than 300 feet across and 412 feet deep. The array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations which mould its walls seem to become more intricate and intense the deeper one dives. Near to The Blue Hole, one of Belize's largest protected areas, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, encompasses 10,000 acres of the atoll and 15 square miles of surrounding waters.

The diameter of the circular reef area stretches for about 1,000 feet and provides an ideal habitat for corals to attach and flourish. The reef surrounds the hole. The hole itself is an opening to a system of caves in a mountain that is buried under the sea. In various places, massive limestone stalactites hang down from what was once the ceiling of air-filled caves before the end of the last Ice Age. When the ice melted the sea level rose, flooding the caves.

The temperature in the Blue Hole at 130ft is about 76F with hardly any change throughout the year at that depth.

For all the practical purposes the over 400-foot depth makes the Blue Hole a bottomless pit. The walls are sheer from the surface until a depth of approximately 110 feet where you will begin to encounter stalactite formations which actually angle back, allowing you to dive underneath monstrous overhangs. Hovering amongst the stalactites, you can't help but feel humbled by the knowledge that the massive formation before you once stood high and dry above the surface of the sea eons ago. The feeling is enhanced by the dizzying effect of nitrogen breathed at depths. The water is motionless and the visibility often approaches 200 feet as you break a very noticeable thermo cline.

In the waters inside the blue hole, there might a tiger or hammerhead shark once in a while, but mostly very few organisms live there because of little light reaching there and those that live there are harmless in nature.

For anyone who wants to dive into the geologic past, exploring the Blue Hole is guaranteed to be a rewarding experience. For further information on the Great Blue Hole, click here. For photographs of the area, click here. For further information on Lighthouse Reef, especially on the diving sites, shipwrecks, and wildlife, click here.

I like diving in shallow waters, but this one is out of reach for me look awesome from the outside.