• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Divers reveal a disturbing discovery after finally getting to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole

Home> News> World News

Updated 16:27 17 Apr 2024 GMT+1Published 16:26 17 Apr 2024 GMT+1

Divers reveal a disturbing discovery after finally getting to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole

The Great Blue Hole in Belize is one of the largest marine sinkholes in the world

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

Divers made a disturbing discovery at the bottom of the Great Blue Hole in Belize.

It's an iconic landmark, or 'seamark', which has become almost synonymous with a sense of mystery and the unknown.

When divers made their way to the bottom of the mysterious landmark, they found something unexpected.

What is the Great Blue Hole?

Located in Belize, the geographical feature is an enormous flooded sinkhole.

Advert

In fact, it's one of the largest marine sinkholes in the world, spanning some 300 metres (984ft) across, and being about 125 metres (410ft) deep.

It might be a pond compared to the deepest parts of the ocean, but it's still too deep for recreational scuba divers to reach the bottom.

More than four times too deep in fact, as the maximum depth a recreational scuba diver is trained to dive to is 30 meters.

The Blue Hole has become synonymous with mystery and the unknown. (Getty Stock Image)
The Blue Hole has become synonymous with mystery and the unknown. (Getty Stock Image)

The expedition

In 2018, Richard Branson and a crew from Aquatica Submarines carried out a descent to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole.

Advert

Despite life being found at much greater depths in the open ocean, they found that once they got to 90 meters any signs of life began to diminish.

Erika Bergman, who went on the expedition, explained that this was due to a layer of hydrogen sulphide across the sinkhole which, in addition to being toxic, prevented oxygen from getting to its deepest points.

Speaking to Business Insider at the time, she said: "We found conchs and conch shells and hermit crabs that had fallen into the hole and suffocated."

There is too little oxygen for life to survive at the bottom. X/@Discovery
There is too little oxygen for life to survive at the bottom. X/@Discovery

What did divers find at the bottom of the Great Blue Hole?

Sadly, the expedition came across the bodies of two divers who had been lost in the Great Blue Hole during a previous expedition.

Advert

Bergman said: "We found the resting place of a couple folks, and we very respectfully let the Belize government know where we found them.

"Everyone decided that we would just not attempt any recovery. It’s very dark and peaceful down there, just kind of let them stay."

The team also spotted more evidence of human activity as they came across a two litre soda bottle which had made its way to the bottom of the sinkhole.

Sadly, this is not the only location with trash in it, as trash has been found all the way at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth.

Advert

From the skies above to the deepest oceans, humanity's reach truly has no limits.

Featured Image Credit: juliuseizure/Getty / X/@Discovery

Topics: Environment, News, World News

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Divers share disturbing discovery after finally getting to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole
  • Scientists drilled to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole and uncovered worrying trend
  • Largest ever 'blue hole' uncovered 1,300 feet deep in the sea and scientists still haven't reached the bottom
  • Scientists issue disturbing warning with exactly how much time we have left to limit climate change

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
17 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Everything we know following US strikes on three major nuclear sites in Iran as Trump issues warning

    Donald Trump launched a military operation on Iran that targeted three nuclear sites

    News
  • an hour ago

    White House releases photos from inside Situation Room showing moments before US strikes on Iran

    Donald Trump authorized three air strikes against Iran amid its war with Israel

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    US bombs three major nuclear sites in Iran as officials warn of 'everlasting consequences'

    Donald Trump addressed the nation after carrying out the 'successful' air strikes in Iran

    News
  • 17 hours ago

    Everyone is pointing out the same thing as three US stealth bombers take off from military base amid Israel-Iran conflict

    Everyone is saying the same thing after President Donald Trump deployed bombers to a military base near Iran

    News