Blue hole. Blue hole

09.10.2019

Black holes in space attract everything that moves even at the speed of light, and the blue holes of the earth's seas attract human curiosity with enormous force, and first of all, of course, divers - brave explorers depths of the sea. One such place is the Egyptian Blue Hole (Red Sea).

Blue hole on the map

From above, blue holes look like dark spots against the background of a lighter water surface.

Where is?

There are very few such vertical underwater caves in nature, one of them is a sea well located near the Egyptian city Dahab.

By its nature, it is a karst funnel, a failure whose depth is approximately 130 meters.

Somewhere in the middle of this distance, the cave and the sea are united by a passage, above which the corals have created a kind of arch (by the way, that’s exactly what arch, it is customary to call this underwater area).

The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is included in top 10 especially risky places for diving on the planet. Sometimes it is compared to Everest, so great is the desire of people to conquer this underwater “peak” and the risk associated with diving.

The largest blue hole is located in the Belize region, it is called the Great (or Great) Blue Hole. Read about this place at.

The city of Dahab is located on east Sinai Peninsula, one hundred kilometers from Sharm el-Sheikh, a favorite among tourists (). In Dahab, winds from the north predominate, so on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, where divers arrive, there is no traditional heat for Egypt.

In Dahab itself, which is not seasonal, but year-round resort, there are about 60 centers for diving training. Both beginners and those who consider themselves experienced explorers of the depths can always gain the necessary diving skills there: the Blue Hole is still a special place, traditional knowledge may not be enough here.

How to get there?

To get from Russia to Dahab, you must first purchase tickets to Sharm el-Sheikh. Dahab and Sharm are separated by about 90 km, which can be covered by booking a transfer or taxi in advance, or by bus.

The underwater cave is separated from Dahab by 15 kilometers. They can be overcome in a few minutes by bus or taxi. Part of the journey can be done on camels - this service is offered by the Bedouins who do their business here. They use such “transport”, as well as excursion buses mostly tourists.

Divers have their own interests - they choose a taxi or a rented one jeep, because they know: it is advisable to arrive here early in order to find a free parking space and calmly deal with the equipment.

The flow of divers and simply curious people who want to see with their own eyes what this hole is like is always large.

It’s nice that those who come here don’t feel cut off from the benefits of civilization, there is:

cafe;
the shops;
toilets.

Mysterious funnel

Of course, it is important to know in advance what awaits a person at depth, so divers study descriptions of these places and recommendations from those who have already dived into the Blue Hole.

Origin version

Scientists, based on research, have established a picture of the occurrence of this unusual place. They estimate that millions of years ago underwater coral wall Having reached a height of two meters, it stopped growing, but at the edges it still continued - thanks to this, after another hundreds of thousands of years, the rounded “flanks” of the walls met and connected. This formed a kind of well, the diameter of which in the upper part is quite wide and narrows towards the bottom.

Depth The well exceeds a hundred meters; only the most experienced divers can conquer this “height”. History has not preserved the names of the first daredevils. As for the very fact of discovering an underwater cave, the primacy of the discovery most likely belongs to the Israelis - it is believed that it was they who used sonar to study the body of the reef and discovered voids in it.

Anything can happen during your trip, from a simple scratch to severe acclimatization symptoms, so it is worth taking the necessary medications and other medical supplies with you. Read what to put in your first aid kit for a trip to Egypt.

Description

The underwater “architecture” of the Blue Hole is amazing. The grandiose reef itself is protected from the sea by a lagoon, which has an oval shape. A huge arch, the arch of which is inclined towards the sea: the shortest distance from the sea surface to the arch is 49 m, the largest is 54 m.

"Foundation" the arches are also quite a steep slope. Starting near the shore from a depth of 90 m, it decreases towards the outer side of the reef to 120 m. To make it easier to imagine the size of the underwater “structure”, this figure is useful - the thickness of the reef in the upper part of the arch is 26 m.

From a safety point of view, the optimal mark is considered to be 6 m, from which the underwater route, repeatedly worked out by professionals, begins. But in order to cover the distance required to exit the cave into the open sea, you need special preparation and sufficient diving experience.

Peculiarities

The features of the Blue Hole near Dahab are primarily due to uniqueness the Red Sea itself. It is the saltiest (after Dead Sea) and on the planet. If in ordinary reservoirs the rule is that the deeper, the colder, here the opposite is true.

At great depths, the water becomes warmer, so all living organisms feel comfortable in it, including, of course, the person making the dive.

And this sea is also amazing water clarity, which allows you to fully enjoy its beauty. It is clean because not a single river flows into the Red Sea, and, as a rule, it is the rivers that carry sand and silt with them.

As for the Blue Hole itself, here, thanks to the unusual “architecture,” the impressions are especially vivid, and the reputation dangerous place adds adrenaline– what daredevils from all over the world actually come here for.

And another amazing moment: the sea is here always calm both from above and at great depths. This is very convenient, as is the fact that diving into the hole is carried out directly from the shore.

The Attractiveness of the Underwater Arch

I didn’t pass by the beauties and mysteries of the Blue Hole in my time famous traveler, author of films about the underwater world - Jacques Cousteau. And this is the best recommendation.

Why does it attract scuba divers?

The Red Sea is home to 400 species of fish and a huge number of other living creatures - about 800 species. Many of them can be observed by scuba divers diving into the Blue Hole. It is noteworthy that such representatives of flora and fauna are difficult to find anywhere else. Experts call them endemics - that is, animals and plants that live in fairly limited geographical areas.

In the area of one of Bahamas There is also a similar place - Dean's Blue Hole. Read more about this funnel in.

Until the Suez Canal was built, the fauna of these places was considered unique. Today, some representatives of the animal and flora, represented in the Red Sea, are listed in Red Book.

Here is a small list of those who do scuba divers meet? in these places:

sailfish butterflyfish;
parrot fish;
octopus;
turtle;
glass fish;
triggerfish;
royal angel;
surgeon fish;
clown fish;
striped sergeant;
gold fish(scientifically - pseudoantias).

Makes a grandiose impression sheer wall, where gorgonians, alcyonaria, and black corals find shelter, around which reef fish scurry tirelessly.

Among corals, polyps called "elephant skin", unlike similar sea inhabitants, they do not have pronounced tentacles; they, like a carpet, line part of the wall, which thanks to them looks wavy, and in its structure really resembles the skin of an earthly giant.

According to scuba divers, during dives they feel like they are in a huge aquarium, so many strange and colorful inhabitants are around.

Main routes for divers

The route is chosen depending on the experience of the diver. Beginners begin their dive 200 m from the Blue Hole, move along the reef wall and enter the hole through the so-called Arch Saddle(or upper isthmus). In this place, the depth is from 6 to 7 m. Then, without deviating from the wall, you can move along the Blue Hole without plunging more than 20-30 m into the sea.

For experienced drivers, diving is provided 55 m and exit through the arch into the open sea. To the possible deep-sea dangers there is added the risk of encountering quite dangerous fish– hammerhead shark.

Record dives

The Blue Hole records belong to freedivers - those who descend to great depths without special equipment. The only woman who managed to descend to a depth of 100 m, holding her breath for 9 minutes, and emerge from the arch into the sea, was a Russian woman Natalia Molchanova.

Among men similar success was achieved by the Russians Konstantin Novikov, Yuri Shmatko, the son of Natalia Molchanova Alexey, the diver from Austria Herbert Nitzsch, and the New Zealander William Trabridge (he, unlike his colleagues, even did without fins during free diving).

Secrets of the deep sea

The terrible secret of the Blue Hole is death many divers. Typically, wanting to challenge themselves, they threw caution to the wind - and then their journey ended tragically. More than a hundred divers have already become victims of the Blue Hole.

Why do people drown?

He destroyed many "deep air"- a situation that happens to a diver when he dives to depths beyond the capabilities of his underwater vehicle.

If the cylinder is filled with an air mixture that contains nitrogen, then it must be borne in mind that at great depths, where pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, nitrogen begins to put to sleep a person, and the more meters a diver has above his head, the faster and more mercilessly the nitrogen acts.

Danger begins already at the 70 m mark, and if the swimmer falls asleep, his legs automatically continue to work and the dangerous dive continues.

Another possible cause of death in the Blue Hole is disorientation when crossing from the arch to the sea. The lack of sufficient lighting leads to the fact that a person begins to panic and rows in the wrong direction, often towards the bottom.

Divers' Cemetery

The names of the victims can be seen on makeshift cemetery near the coastal cliffs. It is believed (although this figure is actually higher) that the Blue Hole absorbed 40 lives.

And although tragedies continue, authorities banned expand the mournful memorial so as not to escalate the situation.

Egyptian legend

The inhabitants of Egypt have one rather connected connection with the Blue Hole in the Red Sea. scary legend. Once upon a time, an emir, the father of an adult daughter, lived in these places. Every now and then he went on military campaigns, and his daughter gave herself complete freedom - she invited gentlemen and had fun with them.

Before their father returned, the unfortunate people were drowned in the sea to hide everything that happened from the emir. However, as you know, everything secret becomes clear: the emir, who learned the truth, ordered his daughter to be executed, and she decided to commit suicide by throwing herself into Blue hole.

Why, after justice has prevailed, do people continue to drown here? The fact is that the young woman, before deciding to take a terrible step, swore that will drag you along to the bottom of everyone who ends up where she once died.

It turns out that innocent people, according to legend, have to pay for the sins of others.

However, there is another version, which is followed by researchers of various natural anomalies. Based on the stories of divers who almost died in the Blue Hole, but were miraculously saved, they claim that resembling mermaids creatures that destroy reckless daredevils who find themselves on their territory.

The Blue Hole, located in the Red Sea, near the resort of Dahab, is one of the ten most dangerous places to dive on the planet.

But despite the fact that the vertical, deep underwater cave is dangerous for inexperienced divers, it is incredibly popular among diving enthusiasts and is a cult place for technical divers who strive to dive in this place.

About the Blue Hole

If you look at the Blue Hole from above, then in the expanse of the sea there is a karst hole, surrounded by beautiful coral reefs, will look almost like a black hole, because its depth is 130 meters. This underwater hole was called Blue because the walls of the coral tunnel are painted blue due to the reflection of the bright southern sun in the water. The azure reflections coloring the walls of the tunnel make an indelible impression on divers, and everyone who has been here talks with admiration about this amazing creation of nature. The round-shaped cave, 50 meters in diameter, is connected to the sea by a narrow strait, and the depth of the strait is approximately 55 meters. At the strait, massive rocks hang over the abyss, which are called Arch. Another exit to the open sea is located at a depth of seven meters and is a dense coral garden. In the tunnel, at a depth of six meters, there are small holes called “saddles”.

The attraction attracts both ordinary divers who dive into the depths for pleasure, and technical divers for whom the dive is carried out with the goal of setting a personal record or winning a diving competition. At the Blue Hole there are also recreational divers who try again and again to experience the unforgettable sensations of the route leading into the huge Arch. For any category of divers this great place For active rest, since entry into the water is convenient, the cave itself is located near the shore, the waves on the sea surface are not high and there are no currents underwater.

Traditional route for diving enthusiasts There are two ways to enter the Blue Hole: through the nearby Bells drive site and from a wooden bridge, which offers stunning views of the interior of the deep-sea bowl.

The majority of tourists pass through “Bells” - it is a narrow well, about thirty meters, leading to the Blue Hole; divers swim along the amazing coral wall to the cave, and walk around it, admiring the beauty underwater world. This dive takes place at a depth of 20-30 meters.

The depths are of interest only to experienced divers, while technicians using Nitrox know the route - diving to a depth of 54 meters and passing through the Arch. By the way, hammerhead sharks are found at a depth of 50 meters. To dive even deeper without special training very dangerous, but, unfortunately, not everyone heeds the warnings, as evidenced by the body of an unnamed diver who died here lying at a depth of 111 meters.

The Blue Hole has made famous Russian freedivers who dive into the beautiful abyss with only a snorkel and mask; this dive is called “in one breath.” In the deep-sea cave, divers have set many records for deep technical diving, and it was here that the world record for trimix diving was set.

Mystical speculation and reality

There is a legend that the padishah drowned his depraved daughter here, who managed to curse it before her death most beautiful place, but the death of divers in the Blue Hole is not caused by an ancient curse, but only by tourists’ neglect of mandatory safety rules. For example, completing an Arc “in one breath” usually leads to a tragic ending.

There are mystical speculations that at a depth of about a hundred meters, when their deep well comes out, the fish turn over and swim about their business with their belly up, and the diver, turning upside down, begins to move in a different direction than he had planned. It is difficult to say whether this is actually true, but without the appropriate equipment and without sufficient qualifications, diving into the Blue Hole without the accompaniment of an experienced and professional diver is not advisable. As a rule, death is caused by depletion of the oxygen supply in the cylinder during ascent and nitrogen narcosis.

A memorial erected on the shore reminds tourists of the divers who died due to negligence and as a result of a tragic accident. Dozens of plaques with the names of the victims are attached next to the memorial.

Infrastructure

On the shore there is everything for tourists to feel comfortable here: parking lots, cafes, shops and paid toilet. There are also trailers in which those who wish can spend the night. Prices, of course, are higher than even in the most average Egyptian eatery, but inflated price tags do not hinder many tourists from relaxing and calmly swimming. In Dahab, you can get quality diving equipment and several lessons from numerous diving clubs. For example, renting equipment for four dives will cost a tourist 120 euros.

How to get to the Blue Hole

Dahab is only fifteen kilometers from the Blue Hole, and you can get to the place either by taxi or by excursion bus.

In Egypt there is most interesting place, irresistibly attracting divers all over the world, both amateurs and professionals. This is the famous Blue Hole - a unique geological formation on the Sinai coast of the Red Sea, not far from the city of Dahab.

The Blue Hole is an underwater cave surrounded by beautiful coral thickets with almost vertical walls, going vertically into the depths. Scientists find it difficult to explain the origin of this formation. Maximum depth caves - over 100 meters, diameter - about 50.

Thanks to cleanest water The Red Sea Blue Hole is a mesmerizing sight. From the shore, the cave looks like a dark blue spot on the green-blue surface of the sea, like a gateway to another world. However, the sun's rays penetrate deep enough, and from the deck of the ship you can see how rich in living creatures the amazing underwater kingdom of the Blue Hole is.

The underwater world of the cave attracts many divers. The main challenge is considered to be the so-called Arch - a coral formation at a depth of about 55 meters, framing the entrance to an underwater grotto, which ends in the sea 200 meters from the Blue Hole. It is considered especially chic for divers to go through the Arch route without special equipment. Those who succeeded can be counted on the fingers of two hands.

Every year, thousands of divers attempt to pass the Arch or reach the bottom of the Blue Hole, some without scuba gear. The fate of many daredevils turned out to be sad and brought the Blue Hole the fame of a “divers’ cemetery.” The seemingly simple dive route claimed hundreds of lives.

Local residents tell a legend telling about the emir who ruled these places in ancient times. His beautiful daughter was not distinguished by a strict disposition and indulged in lovemaking with local youths when her father went on a campaign. To maintain secrecy, the girls’ unfortunate “lovers” were subsequently drowned. When the father found out about this, he ordered the execution of the libertine. However, she herself threw herself into the abyss, vowing to take everyone who entered the sea here.

The death of so many divers is attributed to the effect of “nitrogen intoxication.” Normally neutral nitrogen, which is part of the air, at a depth of 40 meters begins to have an exciting effect on the nervous system. Below 60 meters, coordination of movements is impaired, euphoria appears, and at a depth of 80 meters, hallucinations occur, the diver loses his sense of reality and can, for example, offer to breathe from his tank to a nearby fish. At depths of 100 meters or more, complete loss of consciousness is possible. The existence of this barrier was confirmed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who explored the Blue Hole in the last century.

However, the formidable glory of the Blue Hole does not scare away tourists. Diving to depths of up to 30 meters is quite safe, and getting to know the underwater world of the Red Sea will leave an unforgettable experience. Magnificent coral gardens, thousands of colorful fish, fantastic miraculous “palaces” - all this is the Blue Hole.

Those who want to dive deeper can take advantage of the help of experienced instructors from local diving clubs. In general, next to the cave there is all the infrastructure necessary for tourists - cafes, parking lots, shops, toilets. There are no hotels here, but there is no need for them - Dahab is only 15 kilometers away, and a trip by bus or taxi takes a matter of minutes. Also organized sea excursions to the Blue Hole.

In this article we will talk about the so-called blue holes, which are underwater vertical caves that go down to great depths. From a bird's eye view, such caves most closely resemble dark blue and sometimes almost black holes in the water.

soundwaves.usgs.gov

On this moment There are several dozen such caves known, but the most famous of them are the Great Blue Hole ( Great Blue Hole), located in the center of the atoll known as Lighthouse Reef (Belize), and the Blue Hole ( Blue Hole), located near Dahab, Egypt.

The Great Blue Hole became widely known after the research of Jacques Cousteau and his team. It was Cousteau who first explored this underwater cave, the ceiling of which collapsed several thousand years ago. The diameter of the blue hole is about 300 meters, and the depth of the cave reaches almost 120 meters. Due to its size, this blue hole is considered the largest in the world and is listed world heritage UNESCO.

The Great Blue Hole was formed more than 10 thousand years ago, at a time when sea levels were much lower. Soon the ocean began to rise and the cave was flooded. Its ceiling could not withstand the water pressure and collapsed...

Today this place is incredibly popular among divers. Jacques Cousteau, while studying the cave, made several notes of the places where, in his opinion, it is best to dive. You can get to the Great Blue Hole either by boat or motorboat, or by signing up for one of the many tours.

Visiting the Great Blue Hole is interesting in itself, but you will get the most vivid impressions from diving into its depths. Divers dive to a depth of 30-40 meters, where they can fully enjoy all the beauties of the underwater world. Colorful exotic fish scurrying back and forth, and the most beautiful underwater landscapes - all this awaits you at the bottom of the Great Blue Hole.

Another equally famous blue hole is located not far from Dahab, but it gained its fame due to the numerous tragedies that happened here. Many inexperienced divers underestimated the complexity of the underwater route, and this led to dire consequences...

The Blue Hole in Dahab, also known as the “Divers' Graveyard,” is a fairly large lagoon surrounded on all sides by coral reefs. The depth of this blue hole is about one hundred meters. The cave is connected to the sea by a small strait, the depth of which reaches about 55 meters. From the side of the strait, rocks called Arch hang over the Blue Hole.

Not far from the underwater cave, on the shore, there is a memorial in which there are dozens of plaques with the names of the divers who died here. Recently, it was prohibited to place new signs, as the Egyptian government considered that this could negatively affect the tourist attractiveness of this unusual, but deadly natural site.

Dmitry Kuznetsov

At this point, the list of people who have completed the arch while freediving (that is, holding their breath) is very short. There are only a few names here, among which there are such professional divers as Bifin (South Africa), Herbert Nitzsch (Austria), Natalya and Alexey Molchanov (Russia). It is worth noting that Natalya Molchanova is still the only woman who swam the arch in one breath!

Blue Hole is a vertical underwater cave in the Red Sea, located in the vicinity of the Egyptian town of Dahab, famous place very attractive to divers from all over the world. The depth of Blue Hall is about 130 meters.
At the bottom of the Blue Hole there are still the bodies of some of the dead divers, as well as the ammunition of those whose bodies were raised from the bottom of the sea, forming an impromptu cemetery at the bottom of the glass of the hole. The most famous is the body of a young girl, Barbara Dillinger, which has been at the bottom of Blue Hall since 1998.
Further in the post there will be photos and videos of bodies at the bottom of the sea, so the impressionable should not go under the cat.

The Blue Hole is notorious, “thanks” to numerous divers who, overestimating their strength and not having sufficient training, died in Blue Hall.
At a depth of more than 50 meters, there is an arch in the cave connecting Blue Hall with the open sea.
And in an effort to descend to the depths and swim through this arch, inexperienced divers may not return. The fact is that only so-called technical divers can descend to such a depth, having with them special mixtures of gas for breathing at different depths, differing in composition.
Blue Hall Arch

An attempt to dive with an ordinary cylinder with a standard breathing mixture leads to the so-called nitrogen intoxication, or nitrogen narcosis, occurring at great depths. This state manifests itself as lethargy, euphoria, hallucinations may occur, and then sleep occurs. Falling asleep, the diver sinks to the bottom from where he will never return.

On the shore of Blue Hall there is an impromptu memorial, where signs with the names of the victims are nailed. There is no exact information, data varies, but it is approximately believed that more than a hundred divers died at Blue Hall.

The young girl Barbara Dillinger remained lying at the bottom; her relatives did not take the body, reasoning that since Barbara loved the sea so much, then let her remain there.
However, perhaps this was due to the fact that raising a body from great depths is a very expensive matter.

Barbara's body in 2006

Barbara in 2014

Here are a couple more desperate divers

However, experienced divers were also victims of Blue Hall, for example Yuri Lipsky, who filmed his own death on camera. This video is also available on the Internet.

Here you can watch a dive tour of Blue Hall with experienced divers