The World's Deepest Blue Hole Discovered In The South China Sea

"Dragon Hole" is a staggering 987ft deep.
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China claims to have discovered the deepest “blue hole” on the planet.

Called “Dragon Hole”, this vast sinkhole in the middle of the ocean is believed to plummet some 987 feet straight down, smashing the previous record by more than 300 feet.

To give you some idea of just how deep that is, Dragon Hole could fit the Eiffel Tower and still cover the top with water.

VCG via Getty Images

A blue hole is essentially a giant sinkhole found in the middle of the ocean. The name comes courtesy of the sheer drop in the middle which causes the deep blue colours that are often visible from above.

Dragon Hole has apparently been known about for centuries, but it has only been in recently that scientists were able to fully determine its depth.

The phenomenon can be found in the Paracel Islands, located in the South China Sea.

VCG via Getty Images

According to Chinese news agency Xinhua scientists have already found 20 species of fish in the hole.

Dragon Hole will reportedly get protected status by local officials as scientists look to explore the sinkhole in even greater detail.

The hope is to next explore beyond the 300ft level, at which point there is no oxygen.

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