Bahamas Week At The FKA!

[ricki]

Originally Posted by Matteo

Hey Rick, tks for all the amazing information. I honestly thought it was 60-70 ft deep. We have one here in Nassau, just off Rose Island. I dived there once and I was told that was no more than 70-75 ft.

Did you find anything on the Bluehole at Lochabar, just South of Clarence Town ? It looked pretty deep too.
We found a couple of more Blueholes close to the main road but the water was too merky.

I bought one of the Chartbook on the "far Bahamas" and I've noticed at least 20 to 25 Blueholes in Long Island. Do you know what creates them ? and why so many in Long Island ?

You're welcome, thanks for passing along so much Long Island info. I was planning on heading out to the Lost Blue Hole off Rose Island but lacked sufficient time and an accurate location a couple of weeks ago. Next time. It sounds like an interesting dive, how was it?

I am sorry, I couldn't find anything dealing with the Bluehole at Lochabar. I suspect there are quite a few off Long Island as you say.

I don't know this for a fact but I suspect Long Island by far doesn't have a monopoly on blue holes. I would guess Andros by shear size might have that distinction. I would think the Bahamian Plateau has hundreds of blue holes of varying sizes.

The conventional wisdom on blue hole formation seems to involve conditions when sea levels were far lower and the carbonate rock mass comprising the Bahamas Plateau was exposed far higher above water than at present. Chemical factors ranging from acidic rain, tannins from decomposing vegetation and roots, erosion, and other weather processes attacked the rock mass through fissures and created vertical voids. Glaciation receded, sea levels rose to contemporary elevations leaving flooded cylindrical voids in the rock, blue holes. Given the mechanism of formation and abundance of carbonate rocks over the Bahamas it is no surprise that there are so many blue holes.