An American company, OceanGate, wants to explore Bahamas' 'portal of hell'
Guillermo Söhnlein, the co-founder and former CEO of US based OceanGate, plans to lead an expedition to Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas, a site known for its extreme depth and often referred to as the 'portal to hell.' Söhnlein, who left OceanGate to start Blue Marble Exploration, will be joined by scientist Kenny Broad and former NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski. The team aims to explore this virtually untouched underwater cavern despite its complex challenges.
Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas is described as having a unique «vase» shape with a narrow surface opening that leads to a much wider chamber below. This characteristic, along with the sinkhole's extreme depth, presents significant hurdles, including unexpected currents and thermal layers which could complicate underwater operations. “To date, Dean’s Blue Hole has been virtually unexplored,” the company stated on its website. “Venturing into uncharted waters, our team will have to ‘expect the unexpected.’”
At 664 feet deep, Dean’s Blue Hole is one of the world’s deepest ocean sinkholes and was formed approximately 15,000 years ago. Little is known about the site due to its depth, a factor that heightens both interest and risk for Söhnlein's team. Handling the intense pressure at the sinkhole's floor, estimated at almost 300 pounds per square inch—about 20 times the pressure found at the surface—poses a critical challenge. Additionally, the majority of the sinkhole remains in complete darkness due to its narrow opening.
The expedition also faces local
