1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey you' welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: and there's Charles W Chuck Bryan over there. Jerry's hovering 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: about and this is Stuff you should Know, another jazzy 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: Earth Science edition. Chuck. Yeah, and this is like, I 6 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: know we covered this head of an Internet Roundup? Did we? 7 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: I don't think we covered. I mean, we've done a 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: lot of cave stuff. We did sinkholes, cave dwellers, caving, 9 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: cave diving, peleology, and cave diving. So which one like 10 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: it could have come up in cave diving? I think maybe? 11 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: But I feel like I remember showing a picture. I'm 12 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: feeling Internet Roundup. Okay, yeah, we've been. That's kind of 13 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: funny because this, then is the second thing we've done 14 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: that we already did on Internet Roundup and then forgot about. 15 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: That's right, that's a trend. We're trending. Um. But the 16 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: cool thing about this one, Chuck, is that, like these 17 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: things that we're going to talk about today, blue holes 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: are so um new scientifically speaking, they're so unexplored um 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: that there's a lot we can get wrong, and no 20 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: one will know for like ten or fifteen years. Perfect. 21 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: We'll be done by then, isn't that great? Yeah, yeah, 22 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: we'll be We'll be sipping my ties on the beach 23 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: earning by then. Off German bearer bonds. What is that 24 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: trading places? No, that's a die Hard Okay, I think 25 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: that was a mash up. Oh yeah, that's funny how 26 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: things just kind of invade your subconscious like that. Well, 27 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: I mean trading places. They definitely were sipping drinks on 28 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: the beach, which did not happen in die Hard. No, 29 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: but he says it's like something like that. Yeah. Yeah, 30 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: he says, by the time the FBI figures out what's 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: going on, will be sitting on the beach. I think 32 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: he says sipping my ties earning. Does he say like 33 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: in trading places? That's right? Yeah, but he like breaks 34 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: the fourth wall and stairs right at the camera. We 35 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: need deliver. That would be great. So um, obviously, as 36 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: everyone's picked up by now, we're talking about blue holes 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: and if you don't know what a blue hole is, 38 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: I feel like this is definitely one of those ones 39 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: where we need to define it rather than just start 40 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: talking about it out of the gate. Uh, define what 41 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: it looks like or or the reveal of what it is. Okay, yeah, 42 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: we'll define what it looks like first. How about that? 43 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: All right, Well, it looks like a blue hole in 44 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: the ocean, like, you know, there's ocean, and then all 45 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute, there's a 46 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes they're pretty circular, like almost exactly circular, 47 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: and sometimes they're oddly shaped, but it's definitely like a 48 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: different color. And what it looks like from a bird's 49 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: eye view is like, well, hey, that looks like it 50 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: might be deeper right there, and it is. Yeah, and 51 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: it's a much much darker shade of blue than the 52 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: surrounding areas because it's a deep, deep hole in the 53 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: sea floor and the stuff around it is usually far 54 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: shallower comparatively speaking, so usually the area around is like 55 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: a much nicer, kind of lighter blue green, clearish color. 56 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: And then this is like this really stark, dark blue 57 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: hole again in the middle of the sea floor, and um, 58 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: it's a they're really popular diving spots. You have to 59 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: be a really good diver, as we'll see, to dive 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: on a blue hole, and they're also have long for centuries. Um, 61 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: been known locally um as really great fishing spots, both 62 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: commercially and for sport fishing. But the thing is, it's 63 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: like it's starting to become clear to geologists and biologists 64 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: that these things are kind of dotted all over the world. 65 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: There's some out to see, there's some that are actually landlocked, um, 66 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: but that they share some commonalities, and that these things, 67 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: these blue holes, submerged holes in the ground or the 68 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: sea floor are some of the weirdest, um most amazing 69 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: environments that that are exist on Earth right now. Yeah, 70 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: and you know, we should probably say that fishermen everywhere 71 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: are probably still mad at Jacques Cousteau who in nineteen 72 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: seventy two put the Great Blue Hole, which is one 73 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: particularly striking blue hole off the coast of Belize. He 74 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: put that on the map in nineteen seventy two on 75 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: a show that I used to love to watch, The 76 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: Undersea World of Jacques Gusta. Did you watch that? No, 77 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: I saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zoo though so 78 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: close enough. Yeah, I was. I'm not sure what channel 79 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,840 Speaker 1: it came on, or that was in reruns or if 80 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: I was watching it live, but it was sort of 81 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: like you know that in Mutual Omaha's Wild Kingdom were 82 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: the two big nature shows for me growing up as 83 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: far as turning me onto to all this stuff, right 84 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: the uh. I think the show ran from nineteen sixty 85 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: six to seventy six, so it's entirely possible you were 86 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: watching it live was a youngster. Probably reruns, yeah, but still, 87 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure it immediately went in to reruns. 88 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: It was wildly popular. And that particular episode, if you're interested, 89 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: was Secrets of the Sunken Caves. But yeah, he put 90 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: this thing on the map, like, not literally, it was 91 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: on maps already, but he introduced it to the rest 92 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 1: of the world. UM. And the Great Blue Hole, as 93 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,679 Speaker 1: that one in Belize that he covered is called UM 94 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: is on basically every serious scuba diver's bucket list to dive. 95 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: It's just it's just one of those places you have 96 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: to dive before you die. Hopefully you don't die while 97 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: you're diving on it, but it does happen sometimes it does. Uh. 98 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: And blue holes are basically uh. You know, I mentioned 99 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: sink or episode on sinkholes at the beginning. That was 100 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: a bit of an easter egg, because that's really all 101 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: they are is underwater sinkholes. It's a feature of what's 102 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: known as a karst system k a r st um 103 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: where you have this porous limestone making up the bedrock, 104 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: which you know leads to a lot of things. It's porous, 105 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: so it uh sentiment it like it wears away and 106 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: the road's kind of easier, I think than other kinds 107 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 1: of bedrock. That's where if you listen to any of 108 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: the caving episodes, is where you're gonna get some some 109 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: of these great stalactites and stalagmites because that acid rain 110 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: drips down and wears away that limestone, and you know, 111 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: it forms little icicles from the top and then when 112 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 1: it hits the bottom it forms reverse icicles on the floor. 113 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: And some of these blue holes have these stalactites and 114 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: stalagmites because they used to be you know, they used 115 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: to be land, right, they used to be dry caves. 116 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,559 Speaker 1: Like that's the thing. Once they found stalactites and slag 117 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: mites um in these blue holes kind of give up 118 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: to see they're like, okay, this had to have been 119 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: above dry land because the dripping effect of water coming 120 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: from the top and then dripping down to the bottom. 121 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: It's kind of lost in the translation. When the thing 122 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: is already submerged in water, it has to be dry, 123 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. Else not really No, I 124 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: think it just kind of goes every which way rather 125 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: than straight down. So yeah, when they when they started 126 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: finding these um collectively stalactites which come down from the 127 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: ceiling and stalagmites which come up from the floor. They're 128 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,559 Speaker 1: collectively called spelio theems which we've talked about in plenty 129 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: of other episodes, when they started finding speleothems in in 130 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: these um blue holes, they're like, these were once on 131 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: dry land, which is pretty cool. But it also makes 132 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: sense too that these are just caves that formed at 133 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: some point in the great, great distant past on on 134 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: unearthed UM. I mean, where else are they going to form? 135 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: You know? Um? And it also makes sense that as 136 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: a cavern formed through the same process that forms spelio 137 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: theems um. It's just the water kind of carves out 138 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: a hole in the limestone, it dissolves it, and then 139 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: it gets bigger and bigger over time, and then all 140 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: of a sudden you have a cavern that the roof 141 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: of that area is not supported like it is surrounding 142 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: and so it's a vent going to clap in, whether 143 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: it's on dry land and as a sinkhole, or if 144 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: it's on dry land, and then that eventually becomes submerged 145 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: by water, you have a blue hole. So it's just 146 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: a sinkhole that's now out to see because the sea 147 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: level rise. Basically, Yeah, and one of the cool things 148 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,239 Speaker 1: about the Great Blue Hole is when they started looking 149 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: at these stalactites and stalagmites, are like, well, some of 150 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: these look like you would expect because when things dripped, 151 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: they dripped straight down or build straight up. But some 152 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: of these are angled, sometimes up to twelve degrees, and 153 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: they're like, that's pretty interesting. So what it probably means 154 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: is that this thing formed over many, many many years 155 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: and the Earth's tectonic plates started shifting and so they 156 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: started dripping at different angles. So you've got this really 157 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: cool effect that happens where you have these you know, Uh, 158 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: it's something that you wouldn't see normally in a cave. Basically, 159 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: So if a couple of years ago, uh nat g 160 00:08:55,559 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: O and Richard Branson did an expedition where they were 161 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: are basically tried to map the Great Blue Hole three 162 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: D map. It and they went down there, and they 163 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: they went deeper than I think had been before in 164 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: a in a submarine like that, and found a bunch 165 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 1: of stuff. Um. They found that it was filling up 166 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: very slowly. I think they likened it to like an 167 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: underwater hour glass. Um, it's very slowly, so it's not 168 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: like it's going to be full anytime soon. Uh. They 169 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: found a two leader bottle of coke, uh, go pro 170 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: camera and some some dead people, some dead humans, a 171 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: lot of dead animals, but some dead humans as well. Yeah. 172 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: So the blue hole um has claimed at least three 173 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: lives that we know of on record right, um, which 174 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: is actually kind of a low ratio compared to some 175 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: other blue holes out there. UM. But they are still 176 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: down there, and like you said, two of them were 177 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: found by Branson and the nat GEO crew and they 178 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: came back and told the authorities and Belize exactly where 179 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: they were. Um. And they also apparently said, but look, 180 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: it's really quiet down there. It's really like a RESTful place, 181 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: like you could do a lot worse for a final 182 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: resting place than the bottom of the blue hole in Belize. 183 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: And I guess the authorities, I don't know if they 184 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: consulted with the families or what. But I was made 185 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: to think by some of the stuff I read that 186 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: the authorities in Belize said, you know, let's just leave 187 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: them down there and that will be their final resting place, 188 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: which sounds a little morbid from the outside, but that's 189 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: actually kind of customary when it comes to cave diving 190 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: in particular. I think we talked about that a little 191 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: bit in Caved the cave Diving episode, Yeah, for sure. Um. 192 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: And the cool thing about the Great Blue Hole is 193 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: that at one point it was it was in the jungle. Yeah, 194 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: so that would make it a different kind of blue hole, 195 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 1: which is still technically a blue hole, but it's called 196 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: the uh Ankielin I'm pretty sure that's right pool, which 197 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: is a blue hole, but it's landlocked, so like the 198 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: rim is exposed to dry air. It's not underwater like 199 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 1: on the sea floor because the sea levels just aren't 200 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: that high. And one of the interesting things about the 201 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,319 Speaker 1: Great Blue Hole in Belize is it was at some 202 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: point because sea levels lowered so so dramatically um during 203 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: the last interglacial maximum about twenty six thousand years ago, 204 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: that that a significant portion of this vertical cave which 205 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: is now the Great Blue Hole in Belize was dry. 206 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: It was just totally dry, Like you could walk around 207 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: the top of the rim because it was no longer underwater. 208 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: You could jump in. You would die, but you could 209 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: jump in, and you would go all the way down 210 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: and then maybe at about the bottom, say twenty meters 211 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: of the cave, you would finally hit seawater. So over time, 212 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: the seawater levels have risen from the last time the 213 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: Earth was in a ice age UM, and the seawaters, 214 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: the sea levels have risen so much that now the 215 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:01,599 Speaker 1: cave is totally submerged and is actually um many meters 216 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: under the surface of the sea because of sea level rise. Yeah, 217 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: and there's there's some really cool things you can learn from, uh, 218 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: from studying these blue holes, and maybe we should take 219 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: a break and learn about those right after this. Alright, 220 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: So there's a couple of really cool things that you 221 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: can learn by studying blue holes. UM. One of them is, uh, 222 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: you can look at this sediment and you can basically 223 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: kind of get a snapshot of of ancient weather patterns. UM. 224 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: I think when they when Branson and the gang went 225 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: down to the Great Blue Hole, they found a lot 226 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: of sediment where it's sort of indicated that UM in 227 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: different areas that indicated that that perhaps the Mayan Empire 228 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: had several severe hurricanes and maybe had something to do 229 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: with them not being around for much longer. Yeah, because 230 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: so the these UM these blue holes are basically at 231 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: a certain level cut off from the ocean above them, 232 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: like there's a point where there's no currents any longer, 233 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 1: whether the waves can affect it um, where there's no 234 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: oxygen dissolving past a certain boundary that we'll talk about 235 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: in a second, and so beneath a certain depth, they're 236 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: just like this, this perfect record of the Earth's geological history, 237 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: frozen and sequestered from everything else. So if you go 238 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: down there and this is the kind of the trend 239 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: that they're starting to figure out that these are the 240 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: expeditions are trying to launch and start taking samples of 241 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: the sediment, you can get like a really good picture 242 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: of Earth's say like her a cane passed or drought passed. 243 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,839 Speaker 1: Apparently UM when when there's spikes and iron content, they 244 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: take that as UM from dust storms from Africa, which 245 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: which UM says that there's probably severe drought around the 246 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: world that year. So there's all of this information you 247 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: can glean that's just trapped and locked in the bottom 248 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: of these these great blue holes because they're so deep 249 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: and so remote and so unaffected by the world above them. 250 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: I just think that's amazing. It's super cool. Uh. The 251 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: other cool thing you can learn about is um sea 252 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: level rise over the years. We don't have the clearest 253 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: picture in science of anciency levels and when they were, 254 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: you know, like exact levels of when there were glacial 255 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: periods and interglacial periods and the rising and falling of 256 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: the seas. But if you go down there and you 257 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: radio carbon date these stalactites and stalagmites, you can compare 258 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: them to the relative depths of the whole cave system, 259 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: and then you can basically say when was their air here, 260 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: when was there water here, and get a pretty, you know, 261 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: at least a much better picture of what the sea 262 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: levels used to look like. Yeah, and they figured out 263 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: that the cave itself was formed um between about a 264 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty three thousand years ago to about fifteen 265 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: thousand years ago. There are four major dry periods where 266 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: the cave was exposed during that time, and I don't 267 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: know if they figured out from the um the Great 268 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: Blue Hole itself or if they just already knew this, 269 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: But apparently in the past the sea level has risen 270 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: really quickly a couple of different times UM. I think 271 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: eleven thousand years ago and eight thousand years ago. Over 272 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: the course of less than a hundred and fifty years, 273 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: it rose twenty five ft and then again twenty one 274 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: ft in less than less than two centuries, which is 275 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: a really significant rise UM. And having information like that 276 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: is really vital to kind of placing our current sea 277 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: level rise and experience of climate change in context in 278 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: this greater context of Earth's history and possibly it's normal 279 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: rhythms or what's abnormal. So to be able to understand 280 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: that because of the kind of the record that's kept 281 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: in the blue holes is extremely helpful. Yeah. And I 282 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: think the usual level of sea rises about a meter 283 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: every century, so a spike of twenty four and twenty 284 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: ft is really really big. It's I mean, you could 285 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: basically watch it happening. You know, it's start to come 286 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: up around your ankles if you stood in there the 287 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: same place long enough. Another cool thing about blue holes, 288 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: and in particularly the Great blue hole is that there 289 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: is a layer of hydrogen sulfide that basically acts like 290 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: a blanket, uh, And there are different depths depending on 291 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: which blue hole you're talking about, But it's just a 292 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: real concentrated layer of hydrogen sulfide. That is, it's a 293 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: bike product of decaying plant material, and it's kind of stinky. 294 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: It's kind of that sulfury eggy smell that you might 295 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: smell sometimes, and it's uh, really really clear water below 296 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: in this area it is really brown and kind of gross, 297 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: and then you know it's it's so far down it 298 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: doesn't look brown and gross from the top. It still 299 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: looks nice and blue. But it's really a separation point 300 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: where above it you have life and below it there's 301 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: no oxygen getting through, so you have no life now. 302 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: And I saw it described as like kind of hazy brown, 303 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: kind of cobwebby layer. I think in the Great Blue 304 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: Hole in particular. It's about thirty ft thick and it 305 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: starts at about the ninety meter mark and do you 306 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 1: have to you have to go down past it, and 307 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: I guess creepy. It is creepy, but it's also apparently 308 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: like even though you have a rebreather on or scuba apparatus. 309 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: It still steeps in through your skin while you're swimming 310 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: through it, and people will like throw up and UM 311 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 1: get itchy, kind of breakout and hives start to get 312 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: nauseated and headaches because it starts it creeps in through 313 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 1: your skin in just that short time. UM. So it's 314 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: really gross. It's really really toxic in this concentrated form. 315 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 1: It's like basically UM concentrated gas forms suspended in a 316 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: blanket layer and UM oxygen can't get past it. So 317 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: there it's an anaerobic environment in that lower layer UM, 318 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: which means it should be totally dead and lifeless. But 319 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: one of the things that they're finding out about blue 320 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: holes is that even in this anaerobic, toxic layer UM, 321 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: there is archaea, another type of life that's not quite 322 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 1: bacteria UM and definitely not you carryotes um or Procariot's. 323 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: I can never remember which one we are UM. But 324 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 1: they lived down there, their extreme aphiles is what they're 325 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: usually called these these days, And there's a whole kind 326 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: of teeming colony of life down there that actually takes 327 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: all of this stuff that accidentally falls into the blue 328 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,880 Speaker 1: holes and digests them and turns them into this bioavailable 329 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: nutriatment ranch sediment that's just kind of trapped down at 330 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 1: the bottom of the Blue Hole. Yeah, and in the 331 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 1: Great Blue Hole when they went down there, they saw 332 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: I think they described it as a I say conk 333 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: They were saying conch. I'm not sure which is correct, 334 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: but I've always said conk um, but like a conk 335 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 1: graveyard down there, basically where it's just littered with all 336 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: these poor little sea creatures that happened to fall below 337 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: that that layer and they can't get back out, and 338 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: it's like Silence of the Lamb's esque. There's even like 339 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: scratch marks where you can tell they've tried to get 340 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 1: out over the years and we're unable to. Yeah, conk 341 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 1: fingernails that have peeled off and are stuck on the 342 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: sides of the walls. It's it's a bad jam. What 343 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: do you think about that Claires show? Is it going 344 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: to be any good? I like the concept, Yeah, I 345 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: mean too, but of a direct sequel, But I don't know. 346 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: I saw that they um, they seem to be recreating 347 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: the Lamb thing, and I think one of the I 348 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: just saw this movie like a week ago and it's 349 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: still just so good. Um. I think one of the 350 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,719 Speaker 1: strengths of is that they don't show any of that story. 351 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: It's all just Clarice and her her telling of the 352 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: story makes it so much creep here. Yeah, there's no 353 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: like flashback scene or anything. Right, So this TV show 354 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: did that, and I'm wondering if that says a lot 355 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: about it or not. I'm wondering who is playing Buffalo Bill, 356 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: because they recreate some of that stuff. It looks like 357 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: my friend, it's our old pal, Tommy Chong, the note holder. 358 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: He got himself a pretty sweet gig he's playing him. No, 359 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: I'm just it's like, man, I mean they should just 360 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,640 Speaker 1: get that that guy. He's around and still creepy looking. Yeah. Yeah, 361 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: Jamee Gum, the guy who played Jamee Gum. Yeah, sure, 362 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: uh yeah, why not? Uh so where are we here? 363 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: We were talking about little crabs and things trying to 364 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 1: get up unsuccessfully, which really is super sad. Yeah. So 365 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: there's a whole con Conch graveyard done. Who is saying 366 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: conch where they British? M hmmm, I don't remember because 367 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 1: I've always heard conk too. So yeah, there's a whole 368 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: conk and hermit crab graveyard down at the bottom of 369 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: the blue hole UM. And it is sad, but it's 370 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: just kind of like the circle of life thing. But again, 371 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,239 Speaker 1: the weird thing about these blue holes is that some 372 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: of them are not circles. It's all just a one 373 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: way deposit of stuff from the top down to the bottom, 374 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: and everything just kind of gets stuck there and again 375 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: forms this pretty cool record isolated in time. UM. That's 376 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: not entirely true of all blue holes. It is for 377 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: the Great Blue Hole UM, and plenty of other blue 378 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: holes where it's just like things go in they don't 379 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: come back out. But there are other blue holes out there, UM, 380 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: including one called Green Banana Blue Hole UM in the 381 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: Gulf of Mexico I think off the coast of Sarasota. 382 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: That is UM pretty deep. It's like, uh, four hundred 383 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 1: and fifty feet I think for her in thirty five 384 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: ft below the surfaces the bottom of it UM and 385 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: it starts a hundred and fifty four ft below the surface, 386 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: and it's some incredibly vibrant, alive oasis in the midst 387 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:17,479 Speaker 1: of this relatively barren Gulf of Mexico desert. UH. And 388 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 1: they are trying to figure out what the heck is 389 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: going on because other blue holes ares just like life suckers, 390 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: and this blue hole is like, have some more life. 391 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: You get some life, You get some life, and you 392 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: get some life. You know. It's a pretty interesting conundrum. 393 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: Does the green banana have that layer? Yes, although so 394 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: I'm sorry it doesn't have the layer, but it has 395 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: plenty of hydrogen sulfide in it. There's some, there's some, yeah, 396 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: And they're trying to figure out why. Because there's another 397 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: hole it's similar called Amberjack Hole that they've explored, and 398 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: it definitely has a layer, but there's also some sort 399 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 1: of nutrient flux or exchange with Amberjack too, But in 400 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: the green Banana, there's like it's like a two way 401 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: highway going from the top to the bottom up to 402 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: the rim. And what's interesting is they've figured out that 403 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: there are microbes there, I think archaa that actually eat 404 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: the inorganic carbon that leaches out of the dissolving walls 405 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: of the cave underwater. It eats it and turns it 406 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 1: into organic carbon, which then makes its way up somehow 407 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: to the rim, so that there's actually more life that 408 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,639 Speaker 1: can be sustained there's more bioavailable carbon than would be 409 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: there if those microbes weren't chomping on it and turning 410 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: it into two organic carbon. So it's pretty interesting stuff. 411 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: And like, you don't find this kind of thing just anywhere. 412 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: So they're starting to really figure out that, like, these 413 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: blue holes are very unusual, unique communities, even among compared 414 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: to one another, but especially when you step back and 415 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: compared to like Topeka, it really knocks your socks off. Yeah, 416 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: and these are you know, they're all underwater capses ms. 417 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: There are parts of these cape systems that are still 418 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: unexplored because they're so vast or so deep. Uh, And 419 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: like you said, there's new in there. You know, it's 420 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: dangerous to to get down there, even if you're Richard 421 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: Branson in a fancy, you know, multimillion dollar submarine. One 422 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: of the things in the ones off the coast of 423 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,479 Speaker 1: Florida that they're trying to figure out is whether they 424 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: actually connect to the aquifers in Florida and whether or 425 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: not that is the reason why, uh, there's some saltwater 426 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: intrusion going on in the state's drinking water. Yeah, and 427 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: it's it's possible that that flow of nutrients up and 428 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,280 Speaker 1: down the green banana has to do with some sort 429 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 1: of tidal connection because there's like a flushing mechanism. Maybe 430 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: it could be from the aquifers. They don't know. Um, 431 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: but that would be a big one to figure out 432 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: because saltwater intrusion, especially down to Miami, is an enormous 433 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: problem and will probably lead to that city being abandoned 434 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,959 Speaker 1: in the next fifty years. Poor Miami. Unless I mean, 435 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: we could always figure out desalination p sesses. But um, yeah, 436 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: that'd be a town to save, if you ask me. 437 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: I love Miami. Oh yeah. Oh it's vibrant. I'm not 438 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 1: the biggest fan, but you know it's not for everyone. Sure, no, 439 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: but it is. I like it. I think it's a 440 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 1: great town. Uh. Should we take another break here? Yes, 441 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 1: all right, we'll take a break and we'll finish up 442 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 1: with with diving in these things. I guess. Sure, it's okay, Chuck, 443 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: Like I said, you know, Jacques Cousteau kind of said, hey, 444 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,160 Speaker 1: everybody go check out the Great Blue Hole. It's amazing, 445 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 1: But there are plenty of other blue holes out there 446 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: that everybody wants to dive on, and we should say 447 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: the Great Blue hole is not just famous because of 448 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: Jacques Cousto. It's not just noteworthy because of Jacques Cousto. 449 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,880 Speaker 1: Not like he could have gone to just any blue 450 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: hole and it would have been like the the best 451 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: known blue hole in the world. Like it's incredibly large, 452 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: it's it's not the deepest blue hole on the planet. 453 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,439 Speaker 1: I think that one actually goes to one in the 454 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: South China Sea called the Young Lee Marine Cavern, which 455 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: is about three nearly a thousand feet deep UM. This 456 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 1: one is uh, I think four hundred and fifteen feet 457 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,719 Speaker 1: deep UM. But it's a thousand feet across. So if 458 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: you combine it's width and its depth, it's the biggest 459 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: blue hole out there as far as we've discovered yet. Yeah, 460 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: and that's what makes it great, and that's what makes 461 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 1: it a diving destination. But it is very dangerous. UM 462 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: is not something any kind of novice diver um wants 463 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: to take part in. In fact, I'm sure I'm not 464 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 1: sure how they You're probably not even allowed to unless 465 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: you're at a certain level of diving ability, would be 466 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 1: my guess. I think it how they can police that, right, Yeah, 467 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: that's that's my question too. I don't I don't know 468 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: how they police at all. I've I've read about one 469 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: called Jacob's Well, I think in New Mexico or Texas that, um, 470 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,199 Speaker 1: some people die diving on it, and somebody tried to 471 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: put up a great that kept people out of the 472 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: rest of the cavern system and they just immediately removed 473 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: it and kept going. So I don't know how you 474 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 1: would police that either. But it is dangerous because it's 475 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: super super deep. It's dangerous because of that layer of 476 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:39,119 Speaker 1: hydrogen sulfide that we talked about. UM, you know we've uh, 477 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,439 Speaker 1: I know we talked about the Ben's in quite a 478 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:45,439 Speaker 1: few episodes, but um, nitrogen narcosis can happen at just 479 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: a hundred feet down. So, like, the conditions are just 480 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: so different than anything you would normally encounter as a diver. 481 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: You can't just use your regular rule book and playbook 482 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: and think everything is going to be just fine. Like, 483 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: it's very specific conditions. Really got to know what you're 484 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: doing as far as blue hole specific diving goes. Uh. 485 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: And like we mentioned earlier, those three people died, um 486 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: at least three people. UM, there's probably been more, I 487 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 1: would guess, but three verified people have died in the 488 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,880 Speaker 1: Great blue Hole alone. Yeah, from what I saw, when 489 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: you dive a blue hole, it's a combination of technical diving, 490 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 1: which is like really really deep diving that requires all 491 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: sorts of planning and skill, combined with cave diving, which requires, 492 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 1: like we we talked about before, all sorts of finesse. 493 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: Like if your flipper just flicks one of these spilea 494 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 1: them's um, it just dissolves into a cloud of silt 495 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: and you don't have any idea what's up and what's 496 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: down any longer. So it is really really tricky. Um, 497 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: and you know people do die. Uh. You saw that 498 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: one article I think I sent from fizz dot org 499 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: I think where I was talking about them, um searching 500 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: the cave system under Dean blue Hole in the Bahamas, 501 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: and um, they came across a diver who was still 502 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: wearing his nineteen seventies scuba equipment and had been left 503 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: in place there after dying there. So it's like really 504 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: really dangerous diving. And there's a blue hole in Egypt 505 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: that's considered the graveyard, the diver's graveyard, I think, so 506 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: that that diver looked like Brad Pitt in Once upon 507 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: a Time in Hollywood basically. I mean, wouldn't that make 508 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: it exponentially creepier to just the fact that it's like 509 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: seventies diving equipment, that's just something about it would make 510 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: that horrifying to come upon in a dark cave. It's 511 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: cooler looking equipment, for sure. They should have never progressed 512 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: past that design into the you know, mountain dew electric 513 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 1: yellow kind of thing that they've got going on today. 514 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: Back when they were called skin divers exactly. I don't 515 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 1: even know what that means. I don't either. Um, I 516 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: don't either, because you usually are wearing a wet suit. 517 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe there there it's like the opposite of dry 518 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: suit diving. I don't know, who knows. Everybody in the 519 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: seventies was stoned on pot so you can't make heads 520 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: or tails at what they're talking about these things. Blue 521 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: holes are also a good place to go if you 522 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 1: are a free diver, uh and if you're interested in 523 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: setting any kind of a free diving record, a blue 524 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:26,719 Speaker 1: hole is a great place to go, even though it's 525 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: dangerous because it's super deep. Um. We talked about free 526 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: diving before, but that's you know, that's diving without the 527 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: scuba gear. It's people that can hold their breath really 528 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: really long time, people that can um whose bodies can 529 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: adjust to those depths uh better I guess, or maybe 530 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: they're just trained to adjust better than other people. And 531 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: I think um it was the site up until semi 532 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 1: recently where they actually had a competition. They are called 533 00:30:55,960 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: Vertical Blue where they have set world records, but don't 534 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: think they do it there anymore, right, I don't know 535 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: if they hold Vertical Blue or not. But there is 536 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: a type of free diving called um no Limits free diving, 537 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: which is I think they stopped recording records because they 538 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 1: didn't want to encourage people to do this any longer. 539 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: It's like the most extreme version of one of the 540 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: most extreme sports there is. Free diving on its own, 541 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: it's just crazy nuts. But um no limits free diving 542 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 1: is where you have I think flippers on in a 543 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: wet suit in a mask, and that's it. You just 544 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: take a deep, deep breath and hold it, and then 545 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: you take a weighted sled that pulls you, plunges you 546 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: down to the depths of the blue hole very very quickly, 547 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: and then when you reach the level that you're trying 548 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: to reach usually just set a new record. Um, you 549 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: grab onto a buoy that's down there and it takes 550 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: you back up really quickly, and I was like, how 551 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: can you not get the bends? And the key is 552 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: the trick is you're not breathing at depth. You're just 553 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: holding your breath when you breathe it. That's how nitrogen 554 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: bubbles can get dissolved into your bloodstream, if you're just 555 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: holding your breath. I guess that that could happen, but 556 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: I think it's much less likely for it to happen 557 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: either way. It's not it can't possibly be good for 558 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: your body because these guys are holding like they're holding 559 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: their breath for nine minutes I saw in one case. 560 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:21,720 Speaker 1: I can't imagine what it does to your body going 561 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: that fast down and then that fast back up again, 562 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: Like I can't go eight feet down in a swimming 563 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: pool without my ears doing something funny. You just come 564 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: up like, oh, it didn't hurt. But it's I don't know. 565 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously it's practice and training and all that stuff, 566 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: but I say, no, thank you. Yeah, And so we 567 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: should tell people like with the depths, we're talking about 568 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: the guy who holds the record right now is named 569 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: Herbert Niche. He doved seven hundred and two feet like 570 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: this back in two thousand and seven, and in two 571 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 1: thousand and twelve he did it again, this time to 572 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,200 Speaker 1: eight hundred and thirty one ft by but by that 573 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: time they weren't recording records any longer, so it's an 574 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: unofficial record. But eight hundred and thirty one feet on 575 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: a breath and then back up this nuts man. So 576 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: when you can imagine that when people try this stuff, 577 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: they die sometimes. And at that vertical blue competition at 578 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: Dean's Blue Hole, which is a Ankiellen pole or pool 579 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: up in the Bahamas, Um, it's a guy named Nicholas 580 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: Mvoli died back in two thousand and twelve. Very sad 581 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: it is. It's a very dangerous thing to do free diving. 582 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: It's also a dangerous thing to do diving on blue holes. 583 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: But I guess it's one of those ones where that 584 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 1: you work toward a goal and you finally get to 585 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 1: do it and your life has changed forever. Kind of 586 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: you know, you got anything else? I got nothing else? 587 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: I don't either. Man. If you want to know more 588 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: about blue holes, there is a lot to learn. Out there, 589 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: so just start researching and uh, thank us later. And 590 00:33:55,800 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: since I said thank us later, it's time for listener mail. Uh. 591 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: This is a good one. This was in response to 592 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: the in Double a CP episode. Hey guys, just finished 593 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: listening to in Double a CP made me think of 594 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: my father's college days. He attend an old miss when 595 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:13,919 Speaker 1: James Meredith joined the school. Uh, and one day saw 596 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 1: an opportunity to help a young field reporter named Dan 597 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,880 Speaker 1: Rather move his equipment from the registration building to the library. 598 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: My dad kept in contact with Mr Rather and let 599 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: him know that he was actually living in the same 600 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: dorm as Mr Meredith. Uh. And that is how his 601 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: time as a stringer began um, providing mostly audio clips 602 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: of events happening at the school. He said. At the 603 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,360 Speaker 1: time he was selling reels to CBS, ABC, UH, CBC 604 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 1: and the BBC, making around six to eight hundred dollars 605 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: a week, which is real money for a college kid 606 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: in the sixties. I mean, that's real money now. It 607 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 1: was only a matter of time before the university found 608 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: out who was providing the footage and offered my dad 609 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 1: the choice of stopping or being expelled. He opted for expulsion, 610 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 1: thinking he could just enroll in another college, but then 611 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: learned that his and scripts were flagged and he could 612 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 1: not just pick up and move to another school, so 613 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: he had to go I know right, Uh, So he 614 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:08,719 Speaker 1: had to go back to Old Miss and promised not 615 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: to report anymore so he could finish and get his degree, 616 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 1: which he did. Uh. Several years later, he married my 617 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,360 Speaker 1: mom and they took a trip to the CBS studios 618 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: near them, and my dad suggested they pop in to 619 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,319 Speaker 1: say hi to Dan Rather. My mom thought he was 620 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:25,880 Speaker 1: pulling her leg. They went to the studio as to 621 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,200 Speaker 1: speak to him and was promptly asked if they had 622 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: an appointment and was turned away. As they were leaving, 623 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 1: Dan Rather walk by and said John last name redacted, 624 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: How the heck are you curse word redacted? Uh? And 625 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: according to my mom, she almost fainted. Anyway, my family 626 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:44,719 Speaker 1: has always taken a lot of pride that my dad 627 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:48,760 Speaker 1: helped shed light on the UH integration at Old Miss. Granted, 628 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 1: his role could have been filled by almost any of 629 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,000 Speaker 1: the students living in his dorm, but he was the 630 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,800 Speaker 1: one who did it. And that is Brenda in sarah Sota, Florida. 631 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 1: That's a great story. Brendan, they jibes quite well with 632 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,280 Speaker 1: our blue holes theme because there's some office hea soda too. Totally. 633 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:07,399 Speaker 1: That's great. Yeah, the University of Mississippi's like, you better 634 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 1: stop reporting now get back to class and journalism school exactly. 635 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 1: Uh well, thanks again, Brenda, And if you want to 636 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 1: get in touch with this, like Brenda did, you can 637 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: send us an email to Stuff Podcast at iHeart radio 638 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: dot com. Stuff you Should Know is a production of 639 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,399 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio for more podcasts for my heart Radio 640 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 1: because at the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 641 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:33,360 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.