Featured Image Credit: tripadvisor.com
By: Sarah Sharkey
Researcher for Sharks and Rays Australia, Johnny Gaskell, found a blue hole in the Great Barrier Reef by looking around on Google Maps. Blue holes are underwater sinkholes, which means the bedrock sinks deeper than the surrounding seafloor. They are called “blue” holes because the depth of the water makes it appear deeper blue than the surrounding shallower reef.
After finding the spot, Gaskell decided to check it out in person. He found a blue hole that was about 50-65 feet deep. Gaskell reported that hole contained Birdnest corals, Staghorn corals and contained “among the biggest and most delicate colonies I’ve ever seen.” That is saying a lot coming from a regular diver of the Great Barrier Reef.
The new blue hole is definitely not the biggest in the world, but it is located on the largest reef in the world. Some of the notable blue holes around the world include the Great Blue Hole of Belize that is the largest at 984 feet across and the Dragon’s Hole in the South China Sea which is the deepest at 987.2 feet.
Gaskell would like this new blue hole to be referred to as “Gaskell’s Blue Hole,” but has decided to keep the location a secret for now.
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