Brace yourselves Malaysia, it looks like an increasing number of tourists are flocking following the invention of the blue hole, reports SEA Mashable.
Blue holes are huge holes which have a gap to the surface. Typically found on islands or shores with limestone coral reefs, blue holes are a visible treat for adventurous divers.
To date, there are six famous blue holes scattered around the globe. There are;
Dragon Hole – CHINA
The Big Blue Hole – BELIZE
Dean’s Blue Hole – BAHAMAS
Great Barrier Reef – AUSTRALIA
Red Sea – DAHAB, EGYPT
Now Darvel Bay in Malaysia joins the celebrated list.
The blue hole was discovered by chance on February 14 when a gaggle of divers together with researchers from Sabah Parks (TTS) were within the bay to gather data on sea creatures.
The group’s distant sensing map detected a “coral area” that turned out to be a blue hole.
“We explored both blue holes and could only cover the site with one tank of gas. The experience was amazing. When we emerged from the blue hole from left to right, it felt like we were traversing a mountain range in the sea,” says TTS senior research specialist Nasrulhakim Maidin.
He adds that this particular blue hole is exclusive from the remaining due to two interconnected structures which can be 15 meters deep.
“If this submerged coral structure (like a cave in the water) is promoted as a diving site, it could become a major tourist attraction such as the Great Blue Hole in Belize (Central America), Blue Hole Dean (Bahamas) and Dragon Blue Hole (China). )” – adds Nasrulhakim.
The blue hole is situated near one other popular tourist spot, Sipadan Island in Semporna, Sabah.
But Nasrulhakim adds that before tourists are allowed inside, the 100,000-hectare blue hole and its 50 islands should first be recognized as a marine protected area.
“The publication of the newspaper is the first step towards protecting marine life in this area. (And) we discovered that there are lots of corals in the Blue Hole,” Nasrulhakim explains.
Pack your bags, divers. You know where to go next!
Source : Reception | SEA Mashable
