Richard Branson to head down Great Blue Hole sinkhole in a submarine

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Great Blue Hole.Image source, Getty Images

Global business celebrity Sir Richard Branson is taking a submarine down the world's largest sinkhole - the Great Blue Hole.

Located in the Caribbean sea off the coast of Belize, the Great Blue Hole has fascinated scientists and explorers for decades.

It is the largest sinkhole in the entire world - big enough to swallow two jumbo jets and still have room to spare!

In December, Sir Richard will be diving right to the bottom of it to raise awareness about protecting our oceans, along with ocean conservationist and film maker Fabien Costeau.

The expedition will take them deeper into the sinkhole than any human has gone before.

Scuba divers have explored it, but they've never been as far down as this submarine will descend, so there's a lot that is yet to be explored.

Sir Richard describes it as "planetary inner space".

Image source, PA
Image caption,

The businessman has described the inside of the Great Blue Hole as "planetary inner space"

The expedition will be streamed live and broadcast across the world on the Discovery Channel.

It is hoped the dive will help to show the world the importance of science, research and exploration in understanding more about the natural world.

Facts about the Great Blue Hole
  • It was named by marine explorer Jacques Cousteau in 1971, although he didn't actually discover it, and it is his grandson who will accompany Richard on the dive

  • It is a Unesco world heritage site

  • The hole is 318 m in diameter and 407 ft deep