World’s deepest underwater sinkhole discovered in South China Sea

The sinkhole, its discovery announced by researchers in China, is called “Dragon Hole”.

But it’s better known as “Longdong”, or “Dragon Hole”.

A massive underwater sinkhole discovered in the South China Sea is being considered as the deepest sinkhole in the world.

A blue hole is a roughly circular sinkhole, with the name reflecting the color contrast between the dark blue inside the hole compared with the light blue water surrounding it. Best described as underwater caves, these striking and attractive formations open up with underwater entrances and extend below sea level, mirroring the appearance of a sinkhole. At 987 feet, it could almost swallow the Eiffel Tower, reports the Washington Post.

Supported by the Sansha City Government on south China’s island province of Hainan, the institute explored the sinkhole using an underwater robot fitted with a depth sensor. Which is probably the only place they’ll find life, since, according to Xinhua, the water is oxygen-less below about 330 feet. “We will strive to protect the natural legacy left by the Earth”, Xu Zhifei, vice mayor of Sansha City, said.

For the sake of scale, one of explorer Jacques Cousteau’s favorite diving spots was a blue hole called the Great Blue Hole in Belize.

Divers flock to the Great Blue Hole, surrounded by shallow, lagoon waters and a coral island. Located near Long Island, Bahamas, it is 82 to 115 feet wide, and further widened at a depth of 330 feet.