Type: Natural Monument
District(s): Belize
Size: Acres: 76.5 approximately – yet some say it hasn’t yet been defined.
Hectares: 31 approximately
Perimeter: 2 km
Legislation: National Parks System Act – Chapter 215
Year Established: 1996
Gazette Reference: 1996/96
Management: Belize Audubon Society
Only a short distance from Half Moon Caye, the Blue Hole Natural Monument is a large underwater sinkhole near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 kilometres (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 124 metres (407 ft) deep. It was formed during several episodes of Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower - the analysis of stalactites found in Great Blue Hole shows that formation has taken place 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves were flooded. The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
It is a feature attraction of diving in Belize, especially for divers with an appreciation of geographical phenomena.
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