Deepest Blue Hole In The World Discovered In Mexico's Chetumal Bay

Researchers have discovered the world's deepest known undersea blue hole. And they have yet to reach the bottom. According to measurements by the team, the Taam Ja' Blue Hole (TJBH), which is located in Chetumal Bay off the southeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, is at least 1,380 feet (420 metres) below sea level. 'Taam Ja' translates to 'deep water' in Mayan. The measurements are just short of the record set by the world's deepest known blue hole, the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea, which was discovered in 2016 and is estimated to be more than 980 feet (300 metres) deep.

"On December 6, 2023, a scuba diving expedition was conducted to identify the environmental conditions prevailing at the TJBH," researchers stated in a report published April 29 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. During the voyage, the researchers conducted measurements and discovered that the Taam Ja' blue hole is "the world's deepest known blue hole, with its bottom still not reached," according to the paper.

Scientists believe that the bottom of Mexico's blue hole could contain a complex network of caves and tunnels that are potentially related. This unseen world may be a home for unknown lifeforms that thrive in the darkness.

About Blue Holes

Blue holes are large underwater sinkholes that form when the limestone bedrock collapses. Some of the best-known blue holes are off Central America, including Belize's Great Blue Hole. Taam Ja' is located near the Mexico-Belize border, off Mexico's Tamalcab Island, and is close to several other blue holes in Chetumal Bay.

According to the US-based NOAA Ocean Exploration, underwater blue holes are similar to sink holes on land. Underwater sink holes, springs, and caverns are karst (calcium carbonate rock) features that are scattered across the ocean shelf. They vary in size, shape and depth, but most are ecological hot spots with a high diversity of abundance of plants and animals. Little is known about blue holes due to their lack of accessibility and unknown distribution and abundance. The opening of a blue hole can be several hundred feet underwater, and for many holes, the opening is too small for an automated submersible.