Dean's Blue Hole
Not a linear cave; the published dimensions are the surface opening (about 45 x 55 m) and the chamber (at least 100 m across). The tourism ministry and the Grand Bahama Museum give 663 ft (about 202 m); Vertical Blue gives 203 m.
A coastal blue hole near Clarence Town on Long Island, about 200 m deep, that opens below a narrow neck into a cavern at least 100 m across. It is best known as the venue of the Vertical Blue freediving competition.
Dean's Blue Hole sits in a sheltered bay next to a beach on Long Island, ringed on three sides by rock walls. At the surface it measures roughly 45 by 55 m, narrows to a series of ledges at 10 to 15 m, and then opens into a huge chamber that the freediving organiser Vertical Blue describes as at least 100 m in diameter.
With a depth usually given as about 202-203 m, it is among the deepest known blue holes; the Grand Bahama Museum and Vertical Blue call it the second deepest blue hole in the world, while the Bahamas tourism ministry says third deepest. How it formed is still debated, since it is much deeper than most Caribbean blue holes.
The site is used mainly for freediving and snorkelling. It hosts the annual Vertical Blue freediving competition, and the water is sheltered from swell and current. No cave penetration route or land-manager diving rules are published.
Geology
Vertical Blue notes that the origin of the hole is unresolved; one hypothesis is that a much deeper cave migrated upward as its ceiling collapsed over time.
Conditions
Vertical Blue describes no current or waves inside the hole and visibility of roughly 10 to 50 m. Tarpon, turtles and reef fish visit the entrance area.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
Entrances and dive sites
One open entrance from a public beach and lagoon.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (7)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dean's Blue Hole is about 663 ft (202 m) deep.Vertical Blue gives 203 m. Ranking conflicts: Vertical Blue and the Grand Bahama Museum say second deepest; the tourism ministry says third. | Reported | [1] [3] [2] |
| The hole measures about 45 x 55 m at the surface, narrows to about 25 x 35 m with ledges at 10-15 m, then opens into a cavern at least 100 m in diameter.Freediving organiser's description. | Reported | [2] |
| Visibility is about 10 to 50 m.Freediving organiser's figure; typical, not current. | Reported | [2] |
| The annual Vertical Blue freediving competition is held at the hole. | Verified | [1] [2] |
| Visitors reach the hole by a rocky path from the beach; contact is the Long Island Tourist Office.No permit or diving rules listed. | Verified | [1] |
| The formation of the hole is not fully understood; one hypothesis is upward migration of a deeper cave by roof collapse. | Reported | [2] |
| Area coordinates are those of Clarence Town in the GeoNames gazetteer; the Grand Bahama Museum places the hole in Clarence Town.Settlement-level; the hole lies close to the town. | Reported | [4] [3] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction