I am mid 20s and I have never
swim. *I know, what a
shame*
I only know how to "dive"...or so I called...blup blup myself like a frog in that blue water until I run out of oxygen in my lungs. And I only dare to get into that water if I know how deep it is, where my foot could touch the ground and I could still stuck my head out for some air. *I know, what a
coward*
Saya seekor katak yang berjaya
And when I accidentally found this on Google somewhere, I already imagine how my grave will look like in hundred meters under stalagmite and stalactite, if I ever thought of becoming "adventurous" someday.
It's not about the depth, it's a freaking...
trap!
Meet the
Great Blue Hole of Belize.
Source: Google Images
Can you see how dark that hole is!!! It's so deep it's not even in pretty blue color anymore. Oh God, I could pee in my pants *faint*
It's recognized as the world's largest hole underwater and it's 146m deep yaw. Roughly at 300m across, it seems like it's the hot stuff among the divers, the 'fear factor'.
The Blue Hole lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km from the mainland and Belize City. And of course, it is part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the UNESCO.
Apparently this hole is actually a cave...the sunken cave. It was formed during several episode of Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves were flooded.
Here's the less scary image:
Source: Google Images
Guess who found it first? Mr. Jacques-Yves Cousteau! Bravo bravo. In 1971, he brought his ship, the Calypso and his 1-man submarines to the hole to chart its depths and examine stalactites suspended from overhanging walls.
Of course people don't just dive there to see the fish, they want to document the cave system. Journey of discovery with all new friends, the sharks family! You'll meet Mr.Hammerheads, Mrs.Carribbean Reef Shark, Jr.Black Tip Shark, and Ms.Bull Shark. How lovely, all the carnivores.
Now here's the not-so-pretty image:
Source: Google Images
Since the divers, which are the normal human beings, they couldn't possibly just go 400ft below to reach the ground. The deeper areas inside the Blue Hole don't have the profusion of life associated with most drop-offs as a result of poorly circulating waters and little light.
Which means, it's freaking dark that if you fall down there, no one could possibly find you.
"Save mee...blup blup...save mee...blup blup...s.a.v.e..m.e....-give up and dead-".
Oh.my.God. *horror face*
I am no kidding dude.
. . . .
The deeper one dives into the Blue Hole, the clearer the water and the more breathtaking the scenery, as the array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations which mold its walls become more complex and intense.
On the western side at a depth of 230 feet (70 meters), there is an entrance through a narrow tunnel into a large cavern. In total darkness the stalactites, stalagmites and columns exist in an undisturbed world.
The floor is covered with very fine silt which billows into great clouds with the slightest movement from a passing diver. In the farthest corner, another narrow tunnel leads upwards into a 2nd cavern and another leads to a 3rd cavern where the skeletal remains of turtles which found their way in, never made their way out.
Some of the tunnels are thought to be linked right through to the mainland, though it has never been conclusively proven. The mainland also has many water-filled sinkholes which are connected to caves and tunnels.
2-foot long cores revealed outstanding sedimentary laminations during a study by Robert F. Dill and divers from the Cambrian Foundation in 1997. There is no oxygen near the bottom, and hydrogen sulfide prevents bottom dwellers from burrowing and disturbing the sediment.
Preliminary analyses of the short cores showed fluctuating pollen, spores, mercury, and arsenic levels ranging from 15 and 21 ppm (parts per million). Other events recorded in the short cores included hurricane or large storm layers. The storm layers are light-colored and beautifully laminated.
. . . .
Must be an exciting journey. You've gotta be an excellent diver with multiple experiences under your belt first, to overcome any situation to help yourself down there.
Mapuh kerah la weh.
In my dreams of course. Haha
