THE world’s second largest blue hole has been discovered in Mexico – and it could be a window into alien life forms.
Researchers sent shockwaves through the science community after stumbling upon an enormous blue sinkhole.
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And although they’re not expecting to find aliens in there, they believe that the foreign creatures living in the cave-like space could be a window into alien life forms.
The scientists who worked in connection with the public research centre El Colegio de la Forntera Sur have said it is most likely “the deepest blue hole in the region”.
Blue holes are vertical marine caves that have been formed over the stretch of thousands of years following the Ice Age, and are often hundreds of feet deep.
They are also widely recognised as “ecological hotspots” with a mind-blowing variety of plant and life species living within them.
Known as Taam Ja’, which translates to “deep water” in Mayan, the giant underwater cavern is around 900ft deep – over 25ft taller than the 60-storey Bank of America Corporate Centre, the tallest skyscraper in the American South.
The enormous water cavern also has an area of 147,000sq ft.
“Blue holes may offer a snapshot of what life was like thousands of years ago,” reported LiveScience.
“It may also tell us more about life on other planets”.
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Although this massive sinkhole was originally discovered in 2021, it was only recently documented in the prestigious scientific journal Frontiers In Marine Science.
This blue hole in Mexico has earned the title of second-biggest following the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea which is believed to stretch down some 980ft.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, blue holes are similar to sink holes on land, except they’re filled with water and able to house marine life, corals and even sharks.
But little is known about them in the world of science as they’re incredibly difficult to access.
The mysterious ultramarine portals are also filed with the deadly gas hydrogen sulphide, instead of oxygen, making it fatal for people to venture into and explore without the proper equipment.
The Mexican team of researchers on this project have given credit to a group of local fishermen who alerted them of the mysterious hole and prompted the investigation into this specific area.
The team used a method named echo-sounding, which looks at sound pulses, to understand how far down the underwater sinkhole reached.
The researchers said that Taam Ja has a ” nearly circular shape” at its surface and steep sides with slopes of more than 80 degrees that form a “large conic structure”.
They also stated that as the chasm is close to the coasts of Mexico and Belize, it’s discovery could lead to an exciting increase of both local and foreign visitors.
Following their investigations so far, the researchers have said that they only expected to find basic life forms in Taam Ja’ but nature is thriving and surviving in the deep murky depths.
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