The Great Blue Hole - A Massive Underwater Sinkhole Off The Coast Of Belize

Apart from land, many wonderful things exist inside the sea as well, knowing about which everyone becomes mesmerized and one such place is the "Great Blue Hole". The Great Blue Hole is a massive underwater sinkhole in the middle of the sea, located off the coast of the Central American country of Belize. This giant circular-shaped hole has a diameter of 318 meters and a depth of 124 meters.

The formation of this blue hole took place in a total of four phases from about one and a half lakh years ago to 15 thousand years ago. When its natural construction work was completed 15 thousand years ago, the sea level was very low, due to which this "Great Blue Hole" was visible from above. But over time, the sea level rose and the sinkhole was completely submerged. A man named Jacques Cousteau is behind making this hole famous, who by revealing its secrets, declared this site as one of the five most famous scuba diving sites in the world. This is the reason why people from across the globe are drawn to this wonderful sight. 

Prior to the year 1971, the world was unaware of this sinkhole, but in the same year, French marine biologist and undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau visited the site. Jacques brought his ship to the hole to chart its depths, resulting in the Belize Blue Hole becoming worldwide famous. There are many caves inside the 'Great Blue Hole', inside which many species of fish and other marine creatures reside. Due to being the home to many unique aquatic creatures, the place is also very much liked by biologists. Now this wonderland is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Scientific research has shown that the hole is made of limestone formations in which water was filled after the sea level rose. In this way, we can say that this hole was formed when the water level of the sea was very low, and when the water level began to rise, it took the shape of a giant blue hole, making it the largest natural formation of its kind in the world. But still, the complete puzzle regarding its formation has not been solved as many caves underneath keep hiding many secrets within.