Subscribe to our Voices Dispatches email to receive a weekly compilation of the most insightful opinions of the week, free of charge. Scientists have recently confirmed that the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole in Mexico’s Chetumal Bay is the world’s deepest underwater sinkhole. With a depth of at least 420m, it surpasses the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea, which is approximately 300m deep.
Blue holes form when water seeps through fissures in the seafloor, dissolving minerals and creating sinkholes. The Taam Ja’ Blue Hole was initially estimated to be only 275m deep when discovered in 2021, but a more thorough study revealed its true depth using advanced technology. Researchers anchored a vessel near the hole and dropped a line down to measure its depth accurately. They also dived into the water with instruments to analyze its conductivity, temperature, and depth.
The researchers found that the pit is at least 420m deep, but it could be even deeper. The water layers within the hole vary in temperature and salinity, with one layer reaching around 400m deep having values similar to those of the nearby Caribbean Sea. This suggests that there may be an underwater seabed connecting the two seas.
The researchers concluded that there may be unique biodiversity waiting to be explored within the depths of the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole and linked to physicochemical and geomorphological processes.
