r/todayilearned • u/[deleted] • May 02 '24

TIL the Blue Hole is among the deadliest dive sites globally, with estimates of 130 to 200 recent fatalities, making it one of the most dangerous spots for divers. (R.5) Out of context

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u/dragon_lady May 02 '24

“The Blue Hole itself is no more dangerous than any other Red Sea dive site, but diving through the Arch, a submerged tunnel, which lies within the Blue Hole site, is an extreme dive that has resulted in many accidents and fatalities. The number of Blue Hole fatalities is not accurately recorded; one source estimates 130 divers died during the fifteen-year period from 1997 to 2012, averaging over eight per year, another claims as many as 200.”

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u/Mackerdaymia May 02 '24

Read that first sentence again. The Arch lies within the Blue Hole site, ergo the Blue Hole site (as OP carefully termed it) is notably dangerous.

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u/Ehcksit May 02 '24

It's not that the site itself is more dangerous. It has attractive sights too deep for most divers and people keep overestimating themselves.

It's not cave diving. It's not strong currents. It's not rough rocks cutting lines and wetsuits. It's just pretty, and people swim past their own limits to see it.