The deepest depths of the world remain a mystery to scientists and researchers. With the advent of science and technology, scientists have been able to travel deep enough to unearth their origins. Even with the help of technology, only 0.002% of the Earth’s crust has been reached successfully. Here is a list of 13 of the deepest places exist on Earth. Be prepared to learn about the fascinating information on what lies beneath the Earth’s surface.

1 Y-40 Deep Joy pool – the deepest indoor swimming pool in the world is located in Italy. It reaches a depth of 130 feet which is equivalent to the height of a 14-story building.

The cylindrical pool was artistically crafted by renowned Italian architect Emanuele Boaretto. Opened in 2014, the deepest indoor swimming pool holds a staggering 4,300 cubic meters of water. The temperature of the pool is regulated to 32°C to 34°C. Due to this regulation, the divers who explore the depths of the pool need not wear a wetsuit, unlike the deep sea divers.

Platforms have been constructed for guests at specified depths. The depth of the pool varies from 4.3 feet to 39 feet and then narrows into a funnel straight down to reach 131 feet. The pool also features underwater caves and a see-through suspended underwater tunnel for walking. The pool is open for free diving as well as for scuba diving. If you are brave enough, you can try swimming as well.

Shortly after its opening, the pool was awarded the title of “Deepest Swimming Pool for Diving” by the Guinness World Records. (source)

2 Great Guatemalan Sinkhole – a sinkhole with a depth measuring 325 feet is located in the middle of Guatemala City.

On May 30, 2010, a massive sinkhole measuring 60 feet wide and 325 feet deep appeared smack in the middle of a busy Guatemala City. The sinkhole swallowed an entire three-story factory as it developed. The city has a high probability of encountering a sinkhole since it was built on weak materials such as volcano pumice. A similar sinkhole had appeared in 2007.

The sinkhole that occurred in 2010 has been attributed to various reasons such as Tropical Storm Agatha, the Pacaya Volcano eruption, limestone, and broken underground pipes. The broken underground pipes are presumed to have gushed water underneath the building making the soil loose. (source)

3 Dragon Hole – it is the deepest known blue hole in the world. It is located in the South China Sea and is roughly estimated to be 987 feet deep.

Blue holes are giant pits located on the sea bed and plunge hundreds of feet and are identified by their distinctive blue color. The Dragon Hole holds the record of being the deepest known blue hole in the world. It is located about 25 kilometers south of Discovery Reef in the Paracel Islands, South China Sea.

According to a 16^th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, the Dragon Hole is specified as the place where the Monkey King discovered his golden cudgel. Experts believe that this blue hole can provide insights to climate change based on water level changes over the years. Marine life exists only in the upper portion of the hole since there is no oxygen below 330 feet. The depth of the hole was explored using a robot fitted with a depth sensor. (1, 2)

4 Nongle sinkhole – a team of Chinese-British speleologists discovered a massive natural sinkhole in the Limestone Mountains of Nongle in southern China.

In 2018, a group of Chinese-British speleologists discovered a massive sinkhole that could fit two Great Pyramids inside it. The sinkhole measures a staggering 1,476 feet from the access point on the mountain ridge. The Nongle sinkhole holds the record of being the world’s deepest natural sinkhole. The sinkhole is presumed to have formed due to limestone deposited by oceans 250 million years ago and tectonic forces.

The team was able to reach down to 650 feet with the help of a single rope. The group was also surprised to discover a vast cave hall located inside the sinkhole. Two cave halls were found interconnected to each other. The entrance of the cave measures about 100 meters wide and 200 meters long. The deepest point in the cave was discovered to be 387 feet. (source)

5 Mir Mine – a 1,722 feet deep inactive diamond mine located in Russia. Helicopters flying over the mine can be sucked into it by downward airflow.

The Mir Mine is touted as the most expensive mining hole in the world valued at £13 billion. Famously dubbed as “Diamond City,” the mine is located in eastern Siberia. The mine measures a staggering 1,722 feet deep and has a diameter of nearly a mile. The diamonds excavated from the mine were crucial in transforming the USSR from a war-torn nation to a global superpower.

The crater is so huge that it creates a vortex that is powerful enough to pull a helicopter flying over into it. An air space that was located 5,000 miles off the mine was shut down after several helicopters were pulled downwards due to the vortex. The company ceased its operations in 2010 and plans to build a gigantic, domed city over the inoperative mine. (1, 2)

6 Lake Baikal – the deepest freshwater lake in the world with a depth of 5,387 feet. It holds 20% of the world’s fresh water reserve.

Lake Baikal, meaning “The Natural Lake,” is a freshwater rift lake located in southern Siberia, Russia. The lake is bounded by the Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. It holds the record for the deepest and largest freshwater lake by volume in the world. It holds nearly 22% to 23% of the world’s fresh water.

The world’s deepest lake is also considered to be the world’s oldest lake. It is an ancient rift valley and is estimated to have formed around 30 million years ago. The lake is home to thousands of plant and animal species among which many are unique to the lake. The lake was declared as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1996. (source)