With the help of a local fisherman, identified as Jesus Artemio Poot Villa, scientists found the second-deepest blue hole in the world in an unlikely place — the shallow Chetumal Bay located on the southeastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Filled with a hostile, oxygen-starved environment, the newly-named Taam Ja’ Blue Hole (TJBH) could one day invite research into how life could survive on alien planets or other harsh environments.
What Is a Blue Hole?
A blue hole is a vertical cave typically carved out of eroded limestone that opens onto the ocean floor with a rounded mouth, as is the case with TJBH. The deepest to date — the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea — measures 987 feet, which makes the new Chetumal Bay find the second deepest blue hole at about 900 feet, nearly the length of the Eiffel Tower. The Caribbean has plenty of other, shallower blue holes, too, including Dean’s Blue Hole, now the third deepest at 663 feet deep.
