1. Andros Black Hole
Bahamas, South Andros
Crossection of South Andros Black Hole in south - north direction, compared with Boeing 747-400.
Gatis Pāvils, basing on S.Schwabe, R.A.Herbert, 2005, CC-BY-SA-3.0
Black holes are the only formations known in the world where microorganisms have increased the temperature of water - in Andros Black Hole it reaches 40°C. Approximately 300 m wide and up to 47 m deep round karst formation.
2. Crveno Jezero - Red Lake
Croatia, Split-Dalmatia
Crveno Jezero sinkhole. User Tieum512, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
One of the largest and most impressive sinkholes in the world - approximately 530 m deep, with nearly vertical walls. Contains 280 - 290 m deep lake with endemic species of fish.
3. Dean's Blue Hole
Bahamas, Long Island
Freediving teams at Dean's Blue Hole, Bahamas.
Wikimedia Commons, user Mjbt, CC-BY-SA-3.0
The 202-203 m deep Dean's Blue Hole is the deepest known blue hole in sea. It is used in yearly world championship of freedivers and numerous world records are set here.
4. El Zacatón sinkhole
Mexico, Tamaulipas
Crossection of El Zacaton sinkhole, compared with Boeing 747-400. Gatis Pāvils, compilation of DEPTX mapping (2007) and M.O.Gary and J.M.Sharp Jr., CC-BY-SA-3.0
The second deepest water filled sinkhole in the world. Total depth of sinkhole is 339 m, lake is 319 m deep. On the surface of lake there are floating several round travertine islands. Lake is formed by volcanically heated acidic groundwater.
5. Great Blue Hole
Belize, Belize District
Great Blue Hole, Belize.
Chris Alnatt, www.ambergriscaye.com, public domain.
124 m deep, perfectly round, submerged, deep blue sinkhole in the middle of atoll. At the depth of 40 metres contains numerous stalactites which provide valuable information about the past of Earth climate.
6. Minyé sinkhole and cave
Papua New Guinea, East New Britain
Crossection of Minyé sinkhole.
Gatis Pāvils, basing on T.Waltham, 2006, CC-BY-SA-3.0
Up to 510 m deep, giant sinkhole in equatorial jungle. Below it is crossed by powerful underground river, opening entrances into enormous, at least 5.4 km long cave with some of the largest cave chambers in the world.
7. Sima Humboldt and Sima Martel
Venezuela, Bolívar state
Sima Humboldt in the middle part of picture and Sima Martel in the far background.
Photo taken in 1992 by Luis Ruiz Berti, public domain.
Some of the oldest and most unique sinkholes in the world. Sima Humboldt is 314 m deep, Sima Martel - 248 m deep, both formed in extremely resistant sandstone over the course of hundreds of millions of years. Bottom of both sinkholes contains patches of unique rainforest with endemic, little explored species.
8. Sótano de las Golondrinas - Cave of the Swallows
Mexico, San Luis Potosí
Caver rappelling down into the Sótano de las Golondrinas. User Stubb, Wikimedia Commons, Free Art License
Sinkhole with enormous, 372 m deep entrance hole and characteristic swarms of birds sprialling up the shaft every morning.
9. Teiq sinkhole
Oman, Dhofar Governorate
One of the largest sinkholes in the world with volume of 90 million m³, depth up to 250 m, width 750 - 1000 m. Two perennial streams enter this sinkhole and disappear underground. This giant pit is especially impressive due to high perennial waterfalls falling into it.
10. Xiaozhai tiankeng
China, Chongqing Municipality
Crossection of Xiaozhai tiankeng, compared with Boeing 747-400.
Gatis Pāvils, basing on T.Waltham, 2006, CC-BY-SA-3.0
Largest known sinkhole in the world, up to 662 m deep and 626 m wide pit with vertical walls. On the bottom grows unique forest.
Source: .wondermondo.com
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