Located blue hole(blue hole)- one of the best places in Sinai and the most dangerous place for divers. The Blue Hole is a vertical cave extending 100 meters deep into the Red Sea, surrounded by coral reefs. Geologists cannot explain exactly how this steep cave, with a diameter of at least 50 meters, was formed.
Tourists rush here to look into the abyss from the board of a pleasure boat, and the most daring dive under the water, trying to see with their own eyes, to feel the bewitching call of the abyss. Pushing off from the edge of the cave, the diver rushes into the darkness. Another name for this place is the Divers' Cemetery, not by chance. The dive route, which is not difficult, took more than a hundred lives.
Blue hole - photo
Origin Legend
A local legend about this underwater cave tells that in ancient times an emir lived on the coast. And this emir had a daughter who indulged in debauchery with local youths as soon as her father left with the army on a campaign. And so that the strict father would not find out anything, the young men were drowned. When the emir became aware of his daughter's crimes, he ordered her to be executed. Without waiting for the execution, the unfortunate woman threw herself into the abyss with the words that she would take everyone who dared to enter the water here from now on. On the modern look the story is like a soap opera and seems unreal. However, Blue Hole annually takes in young, healthy men. In memory of the dead divers, plaques with the names of the departed were first installed. There were so many of them that the authorities were afraid to scare away tourists and banned commemorative plaques. Instead, next to the hole in the bottomless abyss, ribbons develop in the wind.
victims blue hole it is not only beginners who are not familiar with the meaning of the term "deep intoxication", familiar to every experienced diver. The hole took many who are on "you" with the sea, who plunged to the depths in dangerous and unusual places on the planet. As with other dives, experienced divers were prepared for the effect of "nitrogen narcosis" at depth. Under normal conditions, nitrogen is a gas that does not affect the human condition. When immersed, the properties of nitrogen change. The pressure of the water on the diver's body causes saturation of the blood with nitrogen. This substance, indifferent to the body, suddenly changes its properties, causing an effect similar to intoxication. The mechanism of action of nitrogen, or, according to some physiologists, a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, is not fully understood. It is known that "oxygen anesthesia" or "nitrogen intoxication" develops starting from a depth of 60 meters. At a depth of more than 80 meters, the diver is not always able to assess the situation. He has a frivolous and reckless mood. Quite seriously, he can offer his mouthpiece to a passing fish so that it breathes. The diver loses orientation. When he suddenly realizes the danger of what is happening, he panics. Descending to the mark of 100 meters, the diver approaches the barrier, the existence of which was confirmed in the last century by Jacques Cousteau, who explored the Blue Hole.
Blue Hole - Video
Despite the notoriety (or just because of it), more and more tourists arrive in the vicinity of the Blue Hole to try their luck.
Blue Hole - how to get there
Getting to the Blue Hole is easy; it is only 15 kilometers from Dahab. You can get there by sightseeing bus or taxi in minutes. Next to Blue Hole there is parking, cafes, toilets, as well as a selection of diving clubs where a beginner will be shown how to properly put on equipment, act to avoid tragedy.
blue hole ( Blue hole) - an underwater vertical cave 15 km from Dahab in Egypt. One of the most mysterious and beautiful reefs of the Red Sea. Included in the top 10 most dangerous diving sites in the world, therefore the Blue Hole is also known as the “Diving Cemetery”. Many tourists and athletes, both beginners and experienced professionals, die here every year. Many dive here, but not all emerge. On the shore near the Blue Hole there are memorial plaques for the dead.
The hole is a karst failure surrounded by coral reefs with a depth of about 130 meters. From a depth of 52-55 meters, a passage connects the cave with the sea. The corals hanging over the passage formed a semblance of an arch, hence the name Arka came from.
Top view of the Blue Hole. This is a 130-meter well in a fairly large lagoon, surrounded on all sides by coral reefs. The coral reef (in greenish tones in the picture) forms a sharp border with the blue of the sea. Even near the shore, the depths are outrageous.
There is only one blue hole in Egypt, and there are hundreds of stories about it on the Internet. At one time, he studied the Blue Hole in Dahab famous traveler Jacques-Yves Cousteau. It would be a crime, while relaxing in Dahab, not to visit the Blue Hole. Our story will add to the common treasury only a small fraction of our personal impressions and a few of our photos.
At the entrance to the hole, we are met by Bedouins and a caravan of camels
You need to arrive as early as possible, after 10 o'clock it is problematic to find a free parking space. Hundreds of divers come here every day.
The blue hole starts right off the shore and can be seen by its bright blue color.
Here, all the buildings, sheds, cafes or eateries, souvenir shops and equipment rental for divers and snorkelers are aimed at diving enthusiasts.
Divers getting ready to dive
From this bridge the dive begins. I took a step, and 100 meters under you.
The first swim is trial or introductory, but in any case, you need to choose a route
Scheme of possible routes. Connoisseurs say that drift diving from another The Bells site located 250 meters from Blue Hole along the outer wall of Blue Hole with access to the "glass" itself is the most memorable underwater route in Dahab.
My wife and I chose our route, which went from Blue Hole, then we crossed the hole in diameter, and at -7 reached the outer wall of the reef, and then swam along the dotted line to El Bells canyon. Having sailed for about a kilometer before the end of the cape, we turned around and returned to the starting point in the same way. Everything interesting that we came across on the way, look at the pictures.
This is how the outer wall of the coral reef looks like, going down to a great depth.
Separate corals and fish that came across along the way.
Here we encountered hard white and pink corals at the same time. Akropora and soft corals resembling underwater bushes.
Flocks of goldfish next to the coral wall and the deep sea on the right
Sailing towards El Bells
Tanya climbs through the El Bells canyon
A bizarre break in the reef through which divers one after another swim out into the luminous blue of the open sea.
Scuba divers descend below us. By the way, El Bells is a favorite place for diving.
The transparency of the water is up to 30 meters, so we can clearly see everything below us
Dozens of scuba divers below, and only air bubbles indicate their presence.
Coral flower bed.
And in this air bubble, the coral wall and the sky around the perimeter are reflected in the foreground.
On the way back we took some pictures of the fish.
Red Sea sailfish-butterfly
Surgeon fish
triggerfish
striped Sergeants and Red fish, which are also called "goldfish", or scientifically Pseudantias, always found on coral reefs.
Among the most mysterious places on our planet are 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. 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 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 the 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 which is located in the eastern part. This city has up to 60 diving training centers, so it is a place of concentration 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. As in the waters of other countries, the Blue Hole (Red Sea) has a cafe, a toilet and parking on the nearby coastal territory. 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 equipment and behavior underwater.
Brief description of the Blue Hole in Egypt
The depth of this vertical cave is 130 m, the diameter is at least 50 m, and it 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. In order to go out to sea through it, a lot of experience and special training is required.
In addition to the immediate pleasure of diving to the depths 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.
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 to prove something to themselves or others, and the result of their outrageous arrogance will be a tragic end to their lives and a stain on their reputation great place for diving. 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. The structure of the cave is very convenient for both divers and free divers.
Main routes for divers
Beginners can easily descend into the cave along a chord or coral wall, and then get out of the water without any problems using a wooden bridge. Due to the fact that the entrance to the cave is not deep, inexperienced divers can get acquainted with it when diving 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 natural dangers when 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 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 diver from Canada 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 Blue Hole Arch while holding her breath - 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 free diving depth 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 a wild life for herself. 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 divers drown
The cause of divers' deaths while crossing the Blue Hole in Egypt is the same as when trying to overcome others big 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 anesthesia works.
Despite its notoriety, the Blue Hole (Red Sea, Egypt), which still has more than 100 meters deep, still attracts divers like a magnet. Some of them use it to achieve new records, others acquire in this extreme place their first experience of scuba diving, and someone dives there just to admire the mesmerizing scenery. With good preparation, this cave is not as scary as it seems to many.
The sea is beautiful, its depths fascinate and beckon. But each time approaching the water you need to remember - you can’t joke with the sea. It is especially important to remember this for those who are going to go diving.
This is one of the most famous places for scuba diving - the famous "Blue Hall" located in the Egyptian Dahab. There are no exact statistics, but over the past fifteen years, at least one hundred and thirty people have died here. The cause of these deaths was either ignorance or gouging.
This is what the famous Blue Hall arch looks like from the water column
Here is a shot of the "Blue Hole" from above. Do you see the thin bridge covered with water separating the Blue Hall from the sea? The arch from the top photo is located several tens of meters below.
Here is a diagram of this unique formation in the Sinai rocks:
But this is a spontaneous memorial on the shore. One plate - one life.
This is Barbara Dillinger from Holland. Since 1998, she has been lying at 114 meters.
Almost everyone who died in the Blue Hall was killed by the so-called "deep air". This is the name given to diving in air to depths that are dangerous for this, primarily due to nitrogen anesthesia. This lesson can be compared to how the driver drives into the oncoming lane and begins to dodge cars flying at him. One will be able to "grab adrenaline" with impunity, the other will not.
Diving is safe if you do not go to such "oncoming lanes". And everyone is taught this. But then people decide that they have achieved mastery and can do anything. And a new sign appears on the rocks.
A unique place in Egypt is the Blue Hole, which is located in Dahab. Thrill-seekers and ordinary tourists strive to get to this unique place. Scientists even today have not come to the same opinion on the formation of such a sheer cliff in the middle of the Red Sea. The depth of the Blue Hole is approximately one hundred meters, and this is with a minimum diameter of fifty meters. Especially if you climb to a height, then the view of the Blue Hole is simply mesmerizing. Attracts tourists.
It is enough to imagine for a moment what this spectacle looks like. In the heart of the greenish-blue sea is a dark, almost black giant spot, which is surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. Very handsome . Travelers and tourists tend to get here to see with their own eyes from the deck of the boat the abyss of the sea. At the same time, the most daring tourists prefer diving into the mysterious underwater world. To get to Dahab to the Blue Hole, you need to take a taxi, and there are sightseeing buses for group excursions.
The famous traveler Jacques-Yves Cousteau once explored the Blue Hole. Today there are many divers here. However, not all scuba divers remember the safety rules, and this leads to bad consequences. To avoid such consequences, it is necessary for divers to dive with good experience and together with an experienced diver. Compare.
Features of the Blue Hole
It should be noted that the Blue Hole became popular thanks to freedivers who dived into the abyss without using special equipment. In other words, they only used a mask and snorkel. These Russian tourists successfully completed such extreme dives. But it is worth repeating once again that it is necessary to take swimming seriously, remember the rules and safety measures, and dive only with experienced divers. This will allow you to get the most out of your vacation.
Coming to the big Blue Hole is already very interesting and unique. And for the most vivid impressions, it is worth plunging into its depths. beauties underwater world divers enjoy diving to depths of up to 40 meters. Here you can see colorful exotic fish that scurry in different directions. At the bottom of the Blue Hole, there are really beautiful underwater landscapes. Many tourists tend to come to Dahab to witness such amazing beauty. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the complexity of the underwater route, and follow the mandatory rules.
Security measures
Unfortunately, the Blue Hole is also known as the "Diver's Cemetery", because it is a fairly large lagoon that is surrounded by various coral reefs on all sides. The deepest point of the Blue Hole is approximately one hundred meters. A small strait connects the sea to the cave, and the strait itself is 55 meters deep. Above the Blue Hole from the side of the strait there are rocks, they are called the Arch. Near the underwater cave, right on the shore, there is a memorial dedicated to the dead divers, their names can be read on the plates.
Some time ago, the Egyptian government forbade leaving such signs, because this could negatively affect the tourist attraction of the Blue Hole, as it is an unusual and dangerous natural object. To date, the list of people who were able to overcome the arch, holding their breath, is quite short, it only consists of several surnames. Among them are such professional divers as Austrian Herbert Nietzsch, Bifin from South Africa, and Russians Alexei and Natalya Molchanov. By the way, Natalia Molchanova is the only woman who swam this complex Arch in one breath.
It is quite difficult to find the entrance under the Arch, as the angle is not clear between the hole, the water, and the arch. Also, dim lighting plays a role, because of it it seems that the path is shorter. Therefore, it is imperative to use the services of experienced divers. This is especially true for beginners or amateurs. In any case, by remaining vigilant, you can make your vacation in the Blue Hole unique.