Best Sinkhole

The Great Blue Hole is a dramatic marine sinkhole located off the coast of Belize. Formed within a collapsed limestone cave system, it’s one of the world's most notable underwater geological features. Its significant depth – reaching over 125 meters – attracts experienced scuba divers and researcher...

A significant sinkhole formed in Guatemala City during 2010 following Tropical Storm Agatha’s heavy rains. The collapse involved a dramatic breach of approximately 18 meters, consuming a factory building. This event highlighted underlying urban infrastructure vulnerabilities and poses risks to areas...

The Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as “Door to Hell,” is a large sinkhole formed in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan. It originated from a Soviet-era gas field collapse in 1971. To prevent the release of flammable natural gas, authorities ignited the crater, and it has burned continuously ever sin...

A significant sinkhole opened in Guatemala City during 2007. The collapse, resulting from deteriorating sewer infrastructure and porous pumice bedrock, created a dramatic chasm. This event tragically led to fatalities and substantial property damage. It is of interest to geologists studying urban su...

The Humboldt Sinkhole, or Sima Humboldt, is a substantial natural depression formed by erosion within Venezuela’s Sarisarinama National Park. This sandstone sinkhole, part of a larger tepui-sinkhole system, features dramatically steep walls and supports a unique, isolated environment. It's significa...

The Blue Hole of Dahab is a unique marine sinkhole located off Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Formed by collapsed limestone, it presents significant diving challenges due to rapidly changing depths and currents. Experienced scuba divers seeking extreme conditions and challenging underwater navigation are dr...

The 2014 National Corvette Museum sinkhole was a dramatic event involving the collapse of a large hole beneath the museum’s showroom in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Eight Corvettes, including several rare and historically significant models from 2014, fell into the void. The incident garnered internatio...

Sima Martel, also known as the Martel Pit, is a substantial sandstone sinkhole located within the Sarisarinama Tepui in Venezuela. This unique geological feature represents one of the largest tepui-sinkholes globally. Its extreme isolation has fostered a distinct ecosystem supporting endemic plant a...

Dean’s Blue Hole is a remarkable limestone sinkhole located on Long Island in the Bahamas. It represents the world's deepest known underwater cavity, reaching approximately 202 meters (663 feet). The hole’s unique formation and extreme depth make it a significant geological feature and a globally re...

Hoyo Negro is a large underwater sinkhole located near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It’s notable for containing the remarkably well-preserved remains of ‘Naia,’ a young woman dating back approximately 13,000 years. The discovery provides crucial insights into early human migration patterns and life...

Red Lake (Crveno Jezero) is a deep sinkhole in Croatia formed by karst processes. Its notable depth, exceeding 245 meters, makes it one of Europe’s deepest known sinkholes. The distinctive red cliffs are due to mineral-rich water depositing over time. Geologists and researchers studying karst format...

The Bayou Corne sinkhole is a significant geological feature located near Port Fourchon, Louisiana. It formed in 2012 due to the collapse of a large salt dome cavern, triggered by subsurface hydrocarbon extraction activities. The resulting sinkhole displaced residents and created an extensive body o...

The Sacred Cenote is a sinkhole located near Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This natural depression was an important Maya ritual site used for offerings and, tragically, human sacrifice. Archaeological excavations initiated by Edward Herbert Thompson unearthed significant artifacts incl...

Boesmansgat is a significant sinkhole located in South Africa’s Northern Cape region. It's notable for its considerable depth – reaching approximately 283 meters – and contains a substantial freshwater system within a flooded cave environment. The site presents challenges due to its depth and underw...

Cenote Suytun is a unique sinkhole located in Yucatán, Mexico. Its notable feature is a natural stone platform within a flooded cavern, formed by an underground collapse. The clear water and dramatic visual effect make it a popular destination for visitors seeking a memorable swimming experience. It...

Blue Lake, known in Croatian as Modro Jezero, is a karst lake in a deep sinkhole beside the town of Imotski in Croatia. Its water level varies substantially with rainfall, groundwater conditions, and the season, changing the lake's depth and accessible shoreline. In exceptionally dry periods it can...

The 2016 Fukuoka sinkhole was a large road collapse that opened at an intersection near Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Japan, during underground construction for an extension of the city's subway system. The cavity damaged utilities and disrupted traffic, but no serious injuries were reported. Crews fil...

Cenote Maravilla is a deep, partially collapsed sinkhole in Mexico's Yucatan state, notable for its spectacular sunbeams that pierce through the surface opening.

El Zacatón is a water-filled sinkhole in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and part of the Zacatón karst system. Its warm, mineral-rich water descends roughly 339 meters below the surface, making it one of the deepest known flooded sinkholes. In 2007, the NASA-funded DEPTHX autonomous robot explored a...

Dragon Hole, also known as the Yongle Blue Hole, is a large marine blue hole located in the Paracel Islands area of the South China Sea. It was surveyed in 2016 and measured at approximately 300 meters in depth, making it the deepest known marine blue hole at the time of its measurement. Blue holes...

Cenote X'Keken, also known as Dzitnup, is a partially enclosed underground sinkhole located near the city of Valladolid in Yucatán, Mexico. It is distinguished by a natural opening in its rock ceiling that allows a distinct shaft of sunlight to illuminate the interior. The walls of the cave are deco...

Dashiwei Tiankeng is a massive geological sinkhole located in Leye County, Guangxi, China. It measures over 600 meters in width and depth, making it one of the largest tiankengs, or giant dolines, in the world. The steep vertical limestone walls enclose a unique, isolated forest ecosystem at its bas...

Cenote Saamal is a large, open-air sinkhole located in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, situated within the Hacienda Selva Maya eco-park. It is distinguished by a waterfall that cascades from above into the natural pool below. Cenotes are natural sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock, exp...

Cenote Samula is an enclosed, cave-like sinkhole located in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, near the city of Valladolid. It is distinguished by a striking natural feature where long, thick tree roots descend from the surface, piercing through the limestone ceiling to reach the fresh water below. Th...

Xiaozhai Tiankeng, located in Chongqing, China, is a massive collapse sinkhole known as a tiankeng. Measuring approximately 662 meters deep and 511 meters wide, it is recognized as one of the largest and deepest sinkholes in the world. The depression was formed by the continuous collapse of a subter...

Sima de las Cotorras is a large, cylindrical sinkhole located in the karst landscape of Chiapas, Mexico. The pit is inhabited by thousands of green parakeets that roost on its walls and exit in a spiraling flock each morning. At the bottom of the 140-meter-deep cavity, archaeologists have discovered...

The Winter Park sinkhole was a major geological collapse that occurred in Winter Park, Florida, on May 8, 1981. The event created a large crater that engulfed a public swimming pool, two local businesses, and a Porsche dealership. Because it formed in a developed urban area, it drew national attenti...

Cenote Tajma Ha is an underwater cave system and sinkhole located in Quintana Roo on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It is a popular destination for scuba divers due to its extensive cavern zones and distinctive geological features. The site is known for its clear waters, allowing sunlight to create vis...

Cenote Jardín del Edén, also known as Ponderosa, is a large open-air limestone sinkhole in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Its clear freshwater, rock ledges, aquatic vegetation, and access to submerged passages make it a destination for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Divers use the site as an entranc...