These are natural deep holes with beautiful landscapes and are a dream destination for those who love to explore.
1. Dean’s Blue
Located off the coast of the town of Clarence, Bahamas, Dean’s Blue is the deepest blue hole on the planet, with a depth of 202m. The hole is named after the local landowner. Dean’s Blue is located in a small bay and is one of the most famous places in the world for scuba diving enthusiasts. At the Vertical Blue freediving competition held here in April 2008, 25 national records and 5 world records were broken. Later, diver William Trubridge from New Zealand also broke the world free diving record at a depth of 84m without using diving fins.
2. Bimmah
This hole is naturally formed when unstable ground collapses. Here, there is a 500m long underwater tunnel leading to the sea, creating a mix of fresh water and sea water in the hole. This is a diveable hole, but the “extreme” tides put divers in danger. Bimmah crater is located about 6km from Dibab, Oman.
3. Great Blue
Great Blue is an underwater hole, about 70km off the coast of Belize. It is located near the center of Lighthouse Atoll. This hole is 124m deep, has a circular mouth with a diameter of 300m. Great Blue is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Sanctuary, an area recognized by UNESCO as a natural heritage of humanity. The Great Blue Hole is a dream destination for divers around the world. Here, they have the opportunity to meet rare fish species such as groupers, Caribbean reef sharks or black tip sharks.
4. Ik Kil
Ik Kil is a famous hole outside the city of Tinúm, Yucatán, Mexico. It is located in the north-central part of the Yucatán Peninsula and is part of the Ik Kil Archaeological Park. This landmark is open to the public for swimming and bus tours. The hole has a depth of 40m and a mouth diameter of 60m. Visitors can go down to the hole via a staircase clinging to the rocky slope. In addition, Ik Kil is also home to a rare species of catfish.
5. Red Hole
The Red Hole is a limestone reservoir near the city of Imotski, Croatia. This hole is famous for its many caves and cliffs 241m above lake level. The discovered depth of this hole is 530m. Red Lake can contain about 25-30 million m 3 , making it the third largest hole in the world. There are underground water veins under the hole, so the lake water level is always stable.
6. Zacatón
Zacatón is a hot water hole located in the city of Aldama, in the northern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. This is the deepest sinkhole in the world with a depth of 335m. NASA once measured the water-filled part of the hole to be 319m deep, while the water-free part is 6m. Zacatón is also the only one of the five holes at Rancho La Azufrosa with significant water flow. The name of the hole comes from the islands filled with dry grass that float freely and move on the surface of the water within the hole.
7. Morning Glory
This is one of the most beautiful holes in the world. It is located in Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, USA. The depth of this hole is 4 meters. The name “Morning Glory” was given in 1880 because it resembles a morning glory. The special color of this hole is due to a type of bacteria that lives in the water. However, Morning Glory was in danger of losing its distinctive color when a road was opened nearby and many tourists threw coins into the hole, threatening the existence of bacteria.
8. Neversink Pit
Neversink Pit is a limestone pit in Alabama, USA. This is one of the holes that attracts photographers around the world, because of its beautiful landscape with green moss firmly attached to the rock walls and majestic waterfalls. This hole is 50m deep, 12m wide at the mouth and 30m wide at the bottom. Neversink Pit is also a refuge for bats and several rare and endangered ferns.
9. Giant’s Kettle
This is an incredible destination for tourists in Rovaniemi, Finland. This hole is shaped like a giant kettle with a diameter of 5.7 – 8m and a height of 15.4m. At the bottom, the hole is divided into 2 parts and only contains a little water.
10. Balaa
Balaa crater is located in Northern Lebanon. It has a depth of approximately 250m. The most amazing feature is the waterfall flowing through many layers of rock.
11. Paradise Hole in China
When it comes to heaven, perhaps no one thinks it is located in a hole. However, Xiaozhai Tiankeng – also known as Heaven’s Hole, proves the opposite. Up to 626m deep and formed 120,000 years ago, Paradise Hole is one of the most adventurous tourist attractions in China.
12. Gozo Hole
The Gozo hole is located on the west coast of Gozo island, in the Maltese archipelago, Mediterranean Sea. Inside the blue hole there is a cave 15m deep. This is where schools of tuna, grouper and barracuda often hang over the pebbles and boulders. The Blue Crater starts at a depth of 7m and is the most popular diving site on the Maletese Islands. Divers can swim through a short tunnel, or a tube, to enter different areas within the blue hole, enjoying stunning views of coral reefs teeming with marine life.