Sunday, July 31, 2016

Dragon Hole - the world's deepest blue hole


Dragon Blue Hole, South China Sea
Dragon Hole is the deepest underwater sinkhole (blue hole) in the world. It is located in the Paracel Islands at 16°31′N 111°46′E / 16.517°N 111.767°ECoordinates: 16°31′N 111°46′E / 16.517°N 111.767°E, near Discovery Reef. It is 300.89 metres (987.2 ft) deep. [1] The local fishermen call it the "eye" of the South China Sea, and believe it is where the Monkey King, in the novel "Journey to the West," found his golden cudgel. The Dragon Hole is 300.89 m (987.2 ft) deep, which is more than 100 m (300 ft) deeper than Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. Blue holes are characteristically hundreds of feet deep and generate a distinctive blue color when seen from above.

The mythical tale was published in the 16th century and is among the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. Last week, the Dragon Hole earned a new claim to fame. After nearly a year of exploration, Chinese researchers have determined that the underwater sinkhole is likely the world's deepest, reaching about 987 feet below the surface and surpassing the previous record holder, Dean's Blue Hole near the Bahamas, by more than 300 feet, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Researchers with the Sansha Ship Course Research Institute for Coral Protection began exploring Dragon Hole, known as Longdong, in August 2015 and completed the project last month, Xinhua reported. It measures about 426 feet wide and is almost deep enough to hold the entire Eiffel Tower.
Dean's Blue Hole, located near Long Island in the Bahamas, was previously considered the world's deepest underwater sinkhole. Also a top location for divers, Dean's Blue Hole has a diameter of about 82 to 115 feet on the surface, reports Atlas Obscura, but widens to about 330 feet as it deepens. According to the publication, water there is very clear with visibility as far as 115 feet down.




Dragon Blue Hole

Dean's Blue Hole , Bahamas
Dean's Blue Hole , Bahamas

Photo Source: Collected from Internet

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