Remind me to never go swimming in this particular part of the Gulf of Mexico:
Scientists have identified what could potentially be the "deepest known blue hole" in the world, extending so far down that the bottom has not yet been reached.
Researchers described how the underwater abyss's extensive depths could harbor a "biodiversity to be explored" in a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
The scientists determined the hole "extends at least 1,380 feet (420 meters) below sea level — nearly the height of Trump Tower in Chicago."
A "blue hole," in case you're not familiar with the phenomenon, is "a large marine cavern or sinkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of a carbonate bedrock:"
Blue holes are roughly circular, steep-walled depressions, and so named for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. Their water circulation is poor, and they are commonly anoxic below a certain depth; this environment is unfavorable for most sea life, but nonetheless can support large numbers of bacteria.
Here's a view of the new record holder in the Gulf:
And some of the gnarly interiors:
Though the new sinkhole may be a record-holder, scientists aren't positive how deep it goes: in the most recent sounding, the cable "was halted at 1,380 feet, potentially by a ledge or underwater currents:"
The scientists hope to hit bottom on their next excursion.
Good luck, guys! And, um, please don't wake anything really scary up down there.
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