“People are terrible”, we have been reminded this week, as social media has revisited the discovery of plastic bottles at the bottom of the crystal-clear waters of a Caribbean sinkhole.
The aptly-named “Great Blue Hole” — which lies some 43 miles from Belize City — was formed during a series of glaciations 153,000–15,000 years ago when sea levels were lower.
Its mysterious fathoms have made it an iconic diving destination, one first made famous in the early seventies by the French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.
Alas, even these once pristine waters are not safe from our influence and pollution, as is evidenced by the unexpected findings of an expedition undertaken five years back.
Two submarines were sent into the depths to create a 3D map of the hole via sonar scans — but at its bottom they also found ocean-borne trash and the bodies of two dead divers.
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The expedition — undertaken by Aquatica Submarines, with funding from partners including Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages — ran from November 27–December 13, 2018.
The team made 20 dives down into the hole, taking a variety of passengers to explore its eerie splendour, with part of the mission even live broadcast on the Discovery Channel.
After the dives, Aquatica Submarines President Harvey Flemming said: “The expedition’s successes really mean that we were able to show the magic of the Blue Hole to the world.”
The findings, he added, “reinforce the messages of all the Expedition members that we must continue to work diligently to conserve our world’s oceans for future generations.”
In a blog post, Mr Branson said: “I’d seen the iconic photos of the famous Blue Hole but hadn’t realised just how stunningly beautiful it was.
“As for the mythical monsters of the deep? Well, the real monsters facing the ocean are climate change — and plastic.
“Sadly, we saw plastic bottles at the bottom of the hole, which is a real scourge of the Ocean.
“We’ve all got to get rid of single-use plastic. The ocean is so critical to all of us and we want to do all we can to protect it.”
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Mr Branson also commented on being able to see the point in the rock making up the side of the hole, some 300 feet down, where the deposits switched from being formed on land to under the rising sea waters some 10,000 years ago.
He said: “It is proof of how oceans can rise quickly and catastrophically. It was one of the starkest reminders of the danger of climate change I’ve ever seen.”
Another curious feature of the Great Blue Hole that the submariners discovered — and passed through — at around this depth was a hydrogen sulphide layer.
Thought to have accumulated in the hole over the course of centuries, this chemical compound is highly toxic, as it inhibits cellular respiration much like cyanide does.
Sure enough, the researchers saw nothing living below this depth — although they did spot, alongside the unfortunate human divers, the bodies of crabs, conches and other unlucky creatures that had fallen into the hole and suffocated to death.
Alongside the plastic bottles — which reportedly included a two litre Coke bottle — the submarines also reported finding a Go Pro camera at the bottom of the hole.
As the story has hit the headlines once again, many commentators online have expressed their horror at how no part of the Earth seems safe from our pollution.
As one person put it: “Anyone want to explore the Blue Hole with me? Oh wait, humans have already ruined it.”
Another added: “Even a place where humans had never visited wasn’t safe from our trash. People are terrible.”
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