Earth’s Most Fascinating Sinkholes

Published December 4, 2012
Updated February 12, 2018

Fascinating Sinkholes: Dean’s Blue Hole

Located near Long Island, Bahamas, Dean’s Blue Hole is the deepest water-filled sinkhole with an entrance below sea level. In the scuba diving community, Dean’s Blue Hole is particularly notable for being used by an English swimmer to break the record for the deepest free dive without fins. He managed to swim to an incredible 331 feet without assistance and with a single breath.

The Great Blue Hole

Formed over the course of millions of years, the Great Blue Hole is one of the world’s most accessible and interesting sinkholes.

Aside from being an ideal place to observe a multitude of fish and shark species, the Great Blue Hole allows observers to note the stalactites that have formed along the edges and walls of the sinkhole. The stalactites, some of which angle upwards, show how the sinkhole was gradually formed and filled over the centuries.

author
All That's Interesting
author
A New York-based publisher established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science to share stories that illuminate our world.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.