Balaam Eco Adventures: ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PLACES ON EARTH AND THE WORLD’S # 1 DIVE DESTINATION- THE GREAT BLUE HOLE

April, 11th 2014 by Oscar Castaneda for Balaam Eco Adventures

If you are a diving enthusiast, this Blue Hole in Belize is a must visit spot on Earth. Like a giant pupil in a sea of turquoise the Belize Blue Hole has become the most famous dive site in all of Belize and continues to attract divers from all over the world who are eager of exploring the numerous wonders of this spectacular geographical phenomenon. The Great Blue Hole is a world class destination for recreational scuba divers attracted by the opportunity to dive in crystal clear waters and see a myriad of marine life including tropical fish and spectacular coral formations.

In 1836 the famous biologist and evolutionist Charles Darwin paid homage to these remarkable formations when he said the British Honduras Atolls now called Belize atolls and the Belize Barrier Reef constitute “..the richest and most remarkable coral reefs in the entire western Caribbean.”

Jacques-Yves Coustea, the popular naval officer and ocean explorer revealed the secrets of The Great Blue Hole to millions of viewers in 1971 through the television series "The Undersea World of Jacques-Yves Coustea." Jacques Cousteau’s famous Calypso made its famous investigation of the Great Blue Hole and the Belize atolls which corresponds to the arrival of dive travel to the region. The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole measuring 1000 feet around with a depth of 480 feet located near the centre of Lighthouse Reef a small atoll 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the mainland of Belize City.

The hole is circular in shape and it was formed during several episodes of Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. Blue holes formed during past ice ages 65 Millions years ago when the sea level was as much as 100–120 meters lower than at present. According to Geologists and scholars these holes were formed by deeper groundwater gradually dissolving the limestone until the ceiling of these voids collapsed. Later the sea level rose and filled the holes with water.

The analysis of stalactites found in the Great Blue Hole shows that formation has taken place 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again the caves were flooded. It’s the world’s largest natural formation of its kind and The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In addition, they’ve recorded chambers filled with magnificent stalactites and stalagmites which only form in dry caves. Being the #1 top dive site in the world and the most popular diving destination in the world out of the top 10 dive sites as compiled by Lonely Planet. Divers from all over the world come to Belize to go scuba diving at the World famous Blue Hole.

Found on both land and in the ocean throughout the Bahamas and the national waters of Belize are deep circular cavities known as Blue Holes which are often the entrances to cave networks, some of them up to 14 kilometres in length. Blue holes are so called for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. The intense blue color is created by high transparency of water and bright white carbonate sand. Blue light is the most enduring part of the spectrum; other parts of the spectrum - red, yellow, and green - are absorbed during their path through water and blue light manages to reach the white sand and return upon reflection.

For more information about the Great Blue Hole and our Belize Adventure Tours and Belize Traval Vacation Packages contact us at info@balaamecoadventures.com and we will be more than happy to help you plan your Belize Vacation 2014.

Enjoy this video about The Great Blue Hole and let us know if you have any questions or comments. Hope that you are convinced to come and explore for yourself and see the amazing beauty of Belize.

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