ESTABLISHMENT HISTORY
The site was proposed as a National Reserve by a FA0 (1978) and has subsequently been recommended for designation by the CZMU and as a Conservation Management Area by Wilson (1995). It is possible designation as a Natural Monument will be forthcoming in 1996, under the National Parks System Act.

CURRENT AREA
There is no boundary defined as yet, but Blue Hole covers approximately 1.2 acres.

For MUCH MORE information on the Great Blue Hole, click here.

For photographs of the area, click here. For further information on Lighthouse Reef, especially on the diving sites there, click here. For information on Blue Hole origin and sea level changes, click here.

JUSTIFICATION
Declaration was suggested to protect this internationally known underwater feature.

HABITATS
Reef and underwater caves.

ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFINITIES
Caribbean.

MARINE REGION
Coral Atolls Division of the Belize Region.

LOCAL POPULATION
The nearest settlement (fishing, coconut plantation and tourism) (population 14) is at Half Moon Caye approximately 4.5 miles to the south.

PHYSICAL FEATURES & CLIMATE
This underwater sink hole is 135 yards deep and 345 yards wide. Its stalactites and stalagmites indicate that the site was once above sea level. Approximately 60 inches of rain fall on the site a year.

VISITOR FACILITIES
The feature is a heavily used dive site, visited by Belize City and San Pedro dive boats on a daily basis.

Lighthouse Reef and the Great Blue Hole

This photograph, taken by an International Space Station astronaut while in orbit over the Caribbean Sea, captures one of Earth’s most alluring ocean locations. The Great Blue Hole lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef atoll, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the coast of mainland Belize. The exceptional clarity of the water, characteristic of atolls in the Caribbean, allows the deeper (darker) hole to stand out against the shallower (lighter) waters of the reef.

The mysterious Great Blue Hole most likely formed during the last Ice Age, when global sea level was much lower. This marine sinkhole contains many geologic features, including limestone stalactites and stalagmites. It stretches 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) across and reaches depths of more than 120 meters (400 feet). The depths and compelling rock formations within the Great Blue Hole are intriguing to seasoned divers. While the reefs around it are teeming with life, the poor circulation of oxygen and lack of light at the bottom of the hole creates an inhospitable environment for most life forms.

Lighthouse Reef and the Great Blue Hole are just small pieces of the Belize Barrier Reef system, one of the world’s most pristine marine ecosystems. Comprised of fringing, barrier, and atoll reefs, the area supports a rich diversity of species. There are several natural monuments within the atoll, including Half Moon Caye, a marine protected area created by the Belizean government to support rare bird species.

The Belize Barrier Reef is an integral part of the greater Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second longest in the world. Stretching along 1000 kilometers (600 miles) of the coastlines of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, the reef system is a major hub for marine species and one of the most biodiverse places on Earth

From NASA Earth