A team of brave researchers has recently decided to explore the Great Blue Hole of Belize, a giant sinkhole which is located near the coast of Belize, as its name suggests, too. The discoveries they made were quite surprising, and some of them are a bit disheartening.
The team included famous names among which we can count Fabien Cousteau, grandson of the renowned explorer Jacques Cousteau, Virgin Media Group Founder Richard Branson and Erika Bergman, a well-known submersible pilot. Jacques Cousteau was the one who discovered the landmark and made it famous.
High-power radars mounted on submersibles were used to map the hole which has a depth of 124 meters (or 407 feet). As the sound waves hit the environment, they were reflected by certain surfaces, allowing the researchers to create a highly-accurate 3D sonar map of an area.
Great Blue Hole of Belize did not escape from plastic pollution
A new type of stalactites was encountered, with an exciting look that was similar to icicles. As time passed the stalactites continued to grow. An area of the Great Blue Hole of Belize has been nicknamed the conch graveyard after the researchers found a large number of dead conch and mollusks which seem to have fallen into the hole randomly and they were unable to come out. As the water within the abys features a low amount of oxygen, the creatures died. Marks which showed that the conch tried to escape were also spotted, and a large number of conch shells were also observed.
It is sad that human pollution has found its way to the natural wonder that is the Great Blue Hole of Belize, as the team was surprised by plastic bottles on the bottom of the hole.
The Great Blue Hole of Belize is one of the most popular destinations for recreational scuba divers. It charms people with clear waters and a rich variety of marine life which includes beautiful coral formations. The area is included in the Barrier Reef Reserve System which has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
