The Blue Hole is the most dangerous diving site in the world
The small seaside resort of Dahab in the Gulf of Aqaba is home to one of Egypt's most famous natural wonders: the Blue Hole.
This is a fascinating diving place with an incomparable underwater world. And not only that - even inexperienced divers can find themselves in another world because there are no dangerous currents or animals. But it is this beauty, according to the magazine Galileo, that has already claimed the lives of at least 150 people.
The danger of death lurks at a depth of about 52 meters, because a kind of tunnel opens in the Blue Hole, a passage to the open sea. On good days, sunlight almost magically illuminates the sea through it and encourages people to dive. Inexperienced divers often make the fatal mistake of diving even deeper.What inevitably happens is called deep drunkenness - feeling like you're drunk, but with potentially fatal consequences.
Deep intoxication can lead to dizziness, perceptual disturbances, hallucinations, and eventually even loss of consciousness, which means certain death underwater.
In addition, oxygen becomes toxic at a depth of 64 meters, which can be devastating to the body. Deep intoxication is a consequence of pressure under water, as a result, unlike exhalation on land, the nitrogen contained in the breath does not leave the body, but, on the contrary, accumulates in the brain.
This disrupts the communication of nerve cells and prevents the transmission of impulses - as a result, first there is a euphoric feeling of happiness, which then turns into panic and, finally, loss of control. The only antidote is to surface immediately, but that's not possible in the Blue Hole Tunnel.The popular diving site gained notoriety in 2000, when Russian Yuri Lipsky not only fell victim to this beautiful site, but also filmed his agony with an underwater camera. The reason for the fatal outcome is not only his inattention, but also the fact that his diving vest burst when he tried to inflate it - this would probably have saved him.
Recreational divers are not allowed to dive deeper than 40 meters, but the first effects of deep intoxication can now appear at 30 meters. This means that the Blue Hole is still quite dangerous.