The Great Blue Hole of Belize is one of the most famous dive sites, which has attracted people for many years.
Sitting in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, which is 70 kilometers off the coast of Belize, this is one of the biggest marine sinkholes in the world. With almost round shape, deep blue color, and a size of 300 meters in diameter and 125 meters in depth, it is recommended especially for experienced divers and underwater lovers.
The Blue Hole was created during the last ice age when the sea level was considerably lower and was a system of caves formed with limestone. Finally, as the sea levels began flooding the caves through the various routes mentioned above, they were shut, and a huge sinkhole from which they exist today was formed.
This formation is one of the reef systems that make up the greater Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which comprises a World Heritage Site due to its diverse bio-physical features, including the Coral Reefs.
Swimming at Blue Hole is something that feels out of this world. While diving, you go through the water column, through which there are different zones characterized by water quality and temperature. The top portion of the sinkhole contains a rich accumulation of marine creatures, such as reef sharks, nurse sharks, and several types of fish.
But as you go down the depth of water it becomes completely different. When you are about 40 metres you encounter the caves for which the Blue Hole is famous. In this part one can see a number of enormous stalactites over 12 meters long that still have a hints of what this was a terrestrial cave, now submerged under the sea.
Downwards, the water is clearer from different species of fish and jetties, and the overall feel is quite silent. Manta rays love to feed on the plankton that is available around this formation, explaining why such a huge area offers deep diving that is mind-boggling.
The feeling of plunging into the darkness, with only deep blue water around and impressive cliffs on the bottom, is absolutely extraordinary, and one can hardly find a similar site somewhere else in the world.
For the divers that it attracts, the Blue Hole is a force to be reckoned with, but the remainder of the area is equally promising. The nearshore atolls and coral reefs provide a home to a variety of creatures, including beautiful coral formations, schools of fish, turtles, and, once in a while, whale sharks.
Mark