Divers once believed the Great Blue Hole was bottomless; then explorers discovered human remains deep inside

From above, the Great Blue Hole is breathtaking. A near-perfect circle of deep blue sits in the middle of the turquoise waters of the Belize Barrier Reef, attracting divers from around the world with the promise of giant stalactites, reef sharks and one of the planet's most iconic underwater landscapes. Yet beneath its postcard-perfect surface lies a far more unforgiving environment. As divers descend, sunlight fades, oxygen disappears, and the risks multiply. Once rumoured to be bottomless, the giant marine sinkhole has instead revealed a darker reality: expeditions have recovered the remains of divers who never returned, serving as a stark reminder that one of Earth's most beautiful dive sites is also among its most hazardous.Why Belize's famous underwater sinkhole is one of the world's most spectacular dive sitesThe Great Blue Hole lies around 70 kilometres off the coast of Belize within the UNESCO-listed Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. Measuring approximately 318 metres across and 124 metres deep, it formed during the last Ice Age when the area was a dry limestone cave system. As sea levels rose following the end of the glacial period, the cave roof collapsed, leaving behin...