July 27, 2007: Blue Hole in Belize - Belize Barrier Reef

Photo by David Doubilet

Approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Belize City, the almost perfectly circular Blue Hole is more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and some 400 feet (123 meters) deep.

The hole is the opening to what was a dry cave system during the Ice Age. When the ice melted and the sea level rose, the caves were flooded, creating what is now a magnet for intrepid divers. Today the Blue Hole is famed for its sponges, barracuda, corals, angelfish—and a school of sharks often seen patrolling the hole’s edge.

Snips of some articles found on the Blue Hole in Belize:

"Like a giant pupil in a sea of turquoise, The Blue Hole is a perfectly circular limestone sinkhole more than 300 feet across and 412 feet deep. The array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations which mould its walls seem to become more intricate and intense the deeper one dives. Near to The Blue Hole, one of Belize's largest protected areas, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, encompasses 10,000 acres of the atoll and 15 square miles of surrounding waters.  "

"For all the practical purposes the over 400-foot depth makes the Blue Hole a bottomless pit."

"There is no boundary defined as yet, but Blue Hole covers approximately 1.2 acres."

 "The incredible Belizean reefs, the underwater world unparalled, the international flavor of your fellow companions, all make for a great trip."

JUSTIFICATION
Declaration was suggested to protect this internationally known underwater feature.

HABITATS
Reef and underwater caves.

ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFINITIES
Caribbean.

MARINE REGION
Coral Atolls Division of the Belize Region.

LOCAL POPULATION
The nearest settlement (fishing, coconut plantation and tourism) (population 14) is at Half Moon Caye approximately 4.5 miles to the south.

PHYSICAL FEATURES & CLIMATE
This underwater sink hole is 135 yards deep and 345 yards wide. Its stalactites and stalagmites indicate that the site was once above sea level. Approximately 60 inches of rain fall on the site a year.

VISITOR FACILITIES
The feature is a heavily used dive site, visited by Belize City and San Pedro dive boats on a daily basis.

Sources:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/galleries/belize/
http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/greatbluehole.html
http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/parkgreatbluehole.html