Second Largest Blue Hole is Discovered Off Mexico Coast

Plunging down 900 feet, Taam Ja, meaning "deep water" in Mayan, is a blue hole found off the Eastern Coast of Mexico. This discovery is the second largest of its kind, only surpassed by the Sansha Yongle "Dragon Hole" Blue Hole near China. 

Taam Ja has near-vertical sides with an inclination of about 80 degrees, and its mouth is located a mere 15 feet below sea level. The hole's apex is almost perfectly circular, spanning an area of 150,000 square feet.

In the recent past, a fisherman named Jesus Artemio aided researchers from Campeche's El Colegio de la Frontera Sur and Mexico City's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Technologia in locating the blue hole. Subsequently, scientists employed scuba equipment, sonar technology, and water testing to survey Taam Ja and produce a comprehensive map of the hole. Their findings were published in the scientific journal Frontiers for Marine Science.

Blue holes offer a wealth of historical and environmental information about our planet, including insights into past, present, and future climate trends. Due to their low oxygen levels, these underwater sinkholes also provide a distinctive habitat for certain organisms, making them a unique ecosystem to study.

The majority of blue holes are thought to have emerged roughly 11,000 years ago during the conclusion of the ice age, owing to the presence of limestone within them. Since limestone is porous, it was easily penetrated by water. As a result, when the glaciers melted and seawater inundated these limestone caves, they became inundated and created enormous sinkholes.

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