Smileyland.com: Great Blue Hole - Belize

















The Great Blue Hole as seen from Space





Discovering the Blue Hole, Belize Barrier Reef

The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize.

It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 62 miles

from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over

984 ft across and 410 ft deep. It was formed as a limestone cave system

during the last glacial period when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean

began to rise again, the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed. Believed to be

the world�s largest feature of its kind, the Great Blue Hole is part of the

larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.

