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Revision 4/01/2015 8:18 AM by LatitudeAdjustment
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From ScubaDiving.com; some 27 miles southwest of Gordon Pass, in 65 feet of water, is the Naples Black Hole. Spanning 100 feet in diameter, this massive sinkhole drops more than 215 feet. Inside its circular shaft, the walls follow an hourglass shape, tapering at 115 feet. Nearby is the Naples Spring, an 82-foot-wide hole in 70 feet of water, with a well shaft that plummets to 224 feet.



Black Hole is also known as Naples Spring even though it is 27 miles offshore of Naples in the Gulf of Mexico. Generally, the only divers to visit this site are very advanced with cavern experience. Some liveaboard charters stop at this site.

In prehistoric times Black Hole was a spring or sinkhole, but the circular opening is now 65 feet below the Gulf of Mexico’s surface. The entrance to this large drowned sinkhole is close to 100 feet in diameter. From the rim, the limestone shaft plunges to depths of 224 feet, taking on an hour glass shape at 100 feet.

Sea turtles frequent the area along with large grouper and many other kinds of fish. Several sponge-covered ledges can be found near the entrance. Visibility fluctuates between 10 and 50 feet.

Waypoint: BLKHOL

Latitude

Longitude

Degrees 25.8427166666667 -82.1519
Degrees/Minutes
N 25 50.563

W 82 9.114

Degrees/Minutes/Seconds
N 25 50 33.780

W 82 9 6.840