Here's What Video Footage From a Dead Diver's Camera Revealed About a Mysterious Blue Hole

Unsolved mysteries and phenomena that can't be explained are fascinating as much as they are dangerous, which is why myths and conspiracy theories are also woven around them. When it comes to the ocean, the intrigue associated with the infamous Bermuda Triangle is matched only by the mystique of blue holes. IFL Science has called the blue hole off the coast of Dahab, Egypt a "diver's cemetery" since Many have lost their while trying to get past it. The reason divers are so attracted to the blue hole is that it is filled with picturesque beauty in every corner. As people swim deeper, they encounter stalagmites, limestone walls, mineral formations, and fossils.

But lured by its appearance, 40 divers have met their death trying to dive into this place. A memorial plaque has been erected around the entrance, as a tribute to the divers who lost their life pursuing their adventures. Researchers have not been able to come up with a definitive cause behind these deaths so far, but the general assumption is that the place's geological structure is the main problem. The entrance is shallow, measures 6 meters, and is known as “the saddle.” Thereafter, there is a plunge straight down for 120 meters, and a 55-meter tunnel leads to the perilous hole. The space between the floor and ceiling is 65 meters and it stretches for 26 meters. Despite the dangers associated with the spot, there is no dearth of divers wanting to take up this challenge day after day.

Tarek Omar, a technical driver from Dahab started his exploration in 1992, and five years later he began retrieving bodies from the hole. Considering the number of bodies that he managed to collect, the man was given the moniker of the "bone collector." The native population of the area believes that lack of knowledge regarding the area leads to so many deaths. Correct guidance and training can prevent such mishaps from happening. If divers miss the entrance and continue down the 120-meter hole, there is a huge chance they might fall victim to nitrogen narcosis, also known as “the martini effect”, which causes physical and mental impairment similar to the effects of alcohol. Moreover, the energy required to swim the length of the tunnel and against the current is immense, and oftentimes the length of the journey causes the oxygen to run out.

As reported by Slate, one of the divers who fell victim to the whole was Yuri Lipski, a Russian diver who strapped a camera to himself and disappeared inside it in 2000. Even though his body is missing to this day, his helmet camera was found and it showed what exactly transpired in the hole. As he reached a depth of 91 meters, he was afflicted by nitrogen narcosis, which ultimately caused his death. Despite, being a diving instructor he could not manage to swim back to safety, and this proves how complicated and arduous things can get inside the infamous blue hole.