News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Mexico ’ s blue hole
Pipefish pest
Swimmer discovers ancient cargo
ENVIRONMENT
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News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
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A 3D map of the Taam Ja ’ Blue Hole
Mexico ’ s blue hole
Scientists have discovered a deep blue hole , in the sea off Mexico . Thought to be the second largest in the world , it is 274m deep . Named Taam Ja ’, it was found in Chetumal Bay on the Yucatán Peninsula , in the south-east of the country , close to the border with Belize . Blue holes are underwater sink holes , with several having already been found and explored around the world . The giant blue hole was originally discovered two years ago but details have only recently been
Marble architrave
released in the scientific journal Frontiers in Marine Science . The team of researchers dived , took water samples and used echosounding to find out more about the blue hole . They found that the Taam Ja ’ has very steep sides and the mouth is located just under 5m below sea level - where the temperature and salt levels of the water change significantly . The planet ’ s deepest blue hole to be discovered is the ‘ Dragon Hole ’ in the South China Sea , discovered in 2016 and thought to be just over 300m deep .
Decorated column head
Pipefish pest
A diver has been charged with interfering with wildlife in Thailand for a second time , having once been deported for the original offence . Thailand has strict laws protecting ornamental fish ; touching them without permission can occasion large fines and imprisonment . Hungarian Attila Ott was deported from Thailand in 2020 for an identical offence and has now been charged anew , according to the Thai news outlets , on the basis of video footage he had posted online depicting the alleged handling of a pipefish . Ott was asked to attend a police station on the island of Ko Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand , to be charged with violating wildlife laws .
Attila Ott
Swimmer discovers ancient cargo
A man swimming off the coast of Israel has discovered a rare cargo of centuries-old marble artefacts , the Israel Antiquities Authority announced in May . The artefacts are 1,800 years old , the agency said in a Facebook post , making it “ the oldest sea cargo of its kind known in the Eastern Mediterranean .” The finds are architectural pieces , including several decorated Corinthian column heads and a large marble architrave , the decorative moulding