It’s called the “Dragon Hole,” and Chinese scientists believe it may be the deepest “blue hole” on the planet.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency says the Dragon Hole is 987 feet deep or more than 300 feet deeper than Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Discovery Reef in the Paracel Islands at 16.5249°N 111.7679°E
Blue holes are essentially giant pits in the sea that can plunge hundreds of feet, and are known for the distinctive blue colors visible from above that give them the name.
Dragon Hole is located in the Paracel Islands, also known as Xisha in Chinese, a disputed island group in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.Although scientists only just determined its depth, the blue hole has been known for centuries.
Local fisherman say it’s where the Monkey King found his golden cudgel in the 16th-century Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” according to the Washington Post.
