The Deepest Blue Hole In The Sea Was Discovered In Mexico, And Although Researchers Have Measured It To 1,378 Feet Below Sea Level, They Still Haven’t Hit The Bottom Yet

Dmitry Yakovtsev - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
Dmitry Yakovtsev - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

The deepest known underwater sinkhole has been discovered in Mexico. The Taam Ja’ Blue Hole sits in Chetumal Bay off the southeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

So far, researchers have measured it to 1,378 feet below sea level, and they still haven’t reached the bottom yet. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

Sinkholes found underwater are referred to as blue holes. They appear on the sea floor in coastal regions when the limestone bedrock collapses.

Some of the most famous examples are the Great Blue Hole in Belize, Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas, and the Dahab Blue Hole in Egypt.

The Taam Ja’ is 390 feet deeper than the previous record holder for the deepest blue hole, the Sansha Yongle Blue Hole, also called the Dragon Hole, in the South China Sea. The Dragon Hole is 990 feet deep.

In December 2023, a team of researchers measured the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole using a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) profiler. The device has a set of probes that read the different components of the sinkhole.

After analyzing the water layers in the sinkhole, they concluded that the temperature and salinity conditions within the blue hole resembled the warmer conditions in the Caribbean Sea and nearby coastal reef lagoons.

The scientists think that the warm water may be linked to volcanic or tectonic processes or geothermal activity that occurred in the depths of the sinkhole.

The findings suggest that the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole may be connected to the ocean through a vast network of hidden caves and tunnels.

Dmitry Yakovtsev – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

The researchers also noted that the hole may be much deeper than the measurement they recently came up with.

The CTD instrument used for the work has its limitations, as it can only reach depths of 1,640 feet. When the team tried to lower the profiler down to those depths, something stopped it in its tracks. It may have bumped into a ledge or drifted into underwater currents.

For their next course of action, the scientists plan to continue their exploration of the geological structure.

The goal is to figure out exactly how deep the blue hole goes and possibly uncover a system of interconnected caves and tunnels.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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