Discovered by marine biologist Johnny Gaskell courtesy of Google Maps, the large hole turned out to be a hidden lagoon which descended approximately 65 feet.
Once he ventured into the hole himself to check it out, he discovered remarkable coral growth in the area, which had managed to escape the decline affecting other parts of the famous reef.
“After spotting this deep blue hole on google maps we decided to head far offshore, out further than our normal Reef trips to see what dwelled within,” Gaskell wrote on Instagram.
“At around 15m – 20m deep there was huge Birdsnest Corals (Seriatopora) and super elongated Staghorn Corals (Acropora) both of which were among the biggest and most delicate colonies I’ve ever seen. Totally unaffected by the cyclone.”
“The position of this deep hole within the lagoon walls has obviously protected these corals for decades.”
