The most mysterious places on our planet include natural formations in the depths of the sea - the so-called blue holes. They are vertical caves that are part of underwater cave systems. From above, they look like dark blue spots, contrasting with the general background of the water surface. One of the most attractive for divers is a sea well located off the coast of the Egyptian city of Dahab.
The Blue Hole (Red Sea, Egypt) at the same time is one of the most dangerous vertical sea caves on the planet, for which it received its second name - "Divers' Cemetery". It can be called "Everest" for divers: it is both beautiful and scary. This article will tell you about this beautiful, mysterious and dangerous place for scuba diving.
Blue hole in Egypt: how to find
To get to one of the most dangerous "attractions" for divers, you need to direct your way to the city of Dahab (Egypt), which is located in the eastern part of the Sinai Peninsula. This city has up to 60diving training centers, so it is a hotspot for divers.
From the city of Dahab, the cave is located at a distance of 15 km. It only takes a few minutes to get to it by sightseeing bus or taxi. Like large holes in the waters of other countries, the Blue Hole (Red Sea) has a cafe, a toilet and a parking lot located on the adjacent coastal area. Anyone who wants to dive underwater for the first time has the opportunity to choose one of the nearby diving clubs, where they will be explained the basic rules for using the equipment and behavior underwater.
Brief description of the Blue Hole in Egypt
This vertical cave is 130 meters deep, at least 50 meters in diameter, and is surrounded by coral reefs. Approximately at a depth of 56 meters above the passage connecting the cave with the Red Sea, corals hang, forming the so-called Arch. The traditional route allows divers to start penetrating the cave at a depth of 6 m. It takes a lot of experience and special training to enter the sea through it.
In addition to the immediate pleasure of diving to depth and achieving large or small personal records, the blue hole, or blue hole near Dahab, opens up a magnificent living underwater world for divers. Inside the cave, they can see unusual marine life.
A blue hole turned graveyard
Many underwater caves sooner or later become a cemetery for someone. There will always be a few inexperienced divers who want toprove something to themselves or others, and the result of their outrageous arrogance will be the tragic end of their lives and a stain on the reputation of a great place to dive. Some experienced divers died here because they simply did not calculate their strength. Thus, the Blue Hole (Red Sea) has already buried more than a hundred divers in its waters.
The stain on the reputation of the blue hole in Egypt became especially obvious after memorial plaques with inscriptions containing the names of the divers who died in the cave began to be installed on the coast near it. True, although this cave still sometimes becomes a cemetery for some, the signs have ceased to be installed near the coastal cliffs. “This is a very depressing picture for tourists enriching the city and the country,” the authorities probably thought, and forbade expanding the coastal memorial.
Why the blue hole in Egypt attracts divers
Divers from all over the world flock to Dahab to admire the beautiful cave from the inside, raise the level of adrenaline, fill every cell of the body with new sensations and improve their skills. Divers love this sea hole because it is easily accessible from the shore. In addition, the water in this area is always calm both on the surface and at depth.
To a depth of 80 m, the cave approaches straight vertically, and then at a slight slope it reaches a mark of 100 m. The exit from the tunnel is located at a depth of 130 m.
Main routes for divers
Beginners can easily descend into the cave along the chord or coral wall, and then get out of the water on the wooden bridge without any problems. Due to the fact that the entrance to the cave is not deep, inexperienced divers can get acquainted with it from a dive of only 20-30 m. Coral growths and schools of bright fish will be a great sight for them.
Experienced divers diving with nitrox dive to a depth of 54-55 m and go out to sea through the Arch. To descend to a great depth, approaching the bottom of the cave, only the most experienced divers risk. For the inexperienced, such a dive often ends tragically. In addition to the natural dangers of diving to great depths, at a depth of 50 meters, divers run the risk of coming face to face with a hammerhead shark.
Records in the Blue Hole
The Blue Hole (Red Sea, Egypt) was tough enough for only a few professional freedivers. Herbert Nietzsch from Austria, Alexander Bubenchikov from Ukraine, Konstantin Novikov from Russia were able to overcome the tunnel while holding their breath. And a Canadian diver named William Trubridge went through the hole not only without an oxygen tank, but even without fins.
The only woman who was able to pass through the Arch of the Blue Hole while holding her breath was Natalia Molchanova. In addition, she is known for being the only woman in the world who was able to hold her breath for 9 minutes, and her deepest free dive record is 100 m.
Legend of the Blue Hole in Egypt
There is a folk tale that describes the life and death of a young girl. It is said that she was the daughter of an emir who lived on the coast, and when her father went to battle, she arranged for herself a wild life. Young people with whom she had an intimacy were drowned in the sea by the time her father arrived. So they tried to hide the truth from him.
However, the father eventually became aware of everything, and he ordered the execution of his daughter. The girl did not wait for the verdict and drowned herself in a blue hole. Before her death, she declared that she would drown everyone who was in the water at the place where she died. With this story, some try to explain such a large number of deaths in the cave.
Why do divers drown
The cause of divers' deaths while traversing the Blue Hole in Egypt is the same as when attempting to traverse other large holes. At depth, they are comprehended by the inevitable effect of "nitrogen intoxication". A diver begins to feel a state of slight intoxication at a depth of 60 m. At a depth of 80 m, he may lose his ability to reason, become prone to reckless behavior and lose his bearings. And going even deeper, the diver can fall into a state of uncontrollable panic.
What caused such a reaction? When on land or at shallow depths, a person does not experience any effect of nitrogen on his condition. But when it is at a decent depth, water pressure leads to a change in the properties of this substance and the penetration of a large amount of it into the blood. This is how “nitrogen narcosis” works.
Despite her badfame as a magnet attracts divers and still has more than 100 meters deep Blue Hole (Red Sea, Egypt). Some of them use it to achieve new records, others get their first diving experience in this extreme place, and someone dives there just to admire the bewitching scenery. With good preparation, this cave is not as scary as many people think.
