Blue Holes of the Bahamas

Blue Holes are large openings to deep ocean caverns, found inland and in the ocean. They are called "blue holes" because they are distinctly darker blue, due to the distinct drop off to deeper water. This deep blue is best viewed from the air. They are being discovered and explored more and more, in many places, especially around and in the Bahamas. The one in this photo is called "Benjamin Blue Hole" near Andros island, which claims more blue holes per square mile than anywhere else in the world. These blue holes were once neglected, even used as dumping sites. But now scientists and curious divers, even free divers are exploring and finding not only beautiful places never before seen by human eyes, but some really fascinating archaeological treasures. One even held the bones of a teenage boy from 1500 years B.C.! Other finds include extinct sea turtles and newly discovered micro organisms.

The more round blue holes are generally caused by sinkholes. These are the ones that look so beautiful from the air. Others run near fault lines and are connected to cave systems. These are the ones that have such beautiful formations.

This all makes me wonder: what else might be discovered in these deep holes of the ocean? Is it safe to explore them?

Let's take a look at some of the fascinating finds of these mysterious Blue Holes.

In Deep Ocean Blue

In some ways, Blue Holes are among the last places on earth to be explored.

There is something more, though, that makes them so mystical.

They are like hidden jewels of our ancient past,

Untouched except by the ocean elements, for hundreds of thousands of years, or more.

If mermaids were real, perhaps these would be their secret lair.

One of the biggest underwater cave systems, perhaps the biggest in the Caribbean, King Kong's Cavern is a popular dive spot off the coast of Belize. There is an ancient waterfall chute, which is a great example of what the earth looked like during the ice age...(before the cavern was part of the ocean). The "Great Blue Hole" is almost a thousand feet across!

Many of these holes were underground caves which were filled in after the great ice age melt, causing the oceans to rise. It's interesting what the ocean has done with them following thousands of years of dripping water, which created their unique cathedral-like formations of stalacktites and stalagmites.

Belize also has a popular inland blue hole, St Herman's, at Blue Hole National Park. The Park also has dry caves to explore. A great example of before and after the rising ocean.

• New type of bacteria: is this what might be found on alien planets? By National Geographic in the blue hole abyss of the Bahamas, 2012
• The Lusca: a legendary beast with shark teeth and tentacles like an octopus. Long feared by fishermen.
• Whirlpools
• Poisonous clouds
• A "Lucayan", which is an India Ceremonial Canoe, found in Stargate Blue Hole, South Andros. also found there were 800 year old Lucayan Indian Bones. But please don't touch. Let them keep their sacred burial place.
• A complete fossilized cranium of the extinct Hispaniola Monkey: Advanced Diver Magazine Exploration Foundation, Dominican Republic
• 2,500 year old tortoise shell: Sawmill Sink blue hole