Expedition Survey of Belize’s Great Blue Hole with Ellipse INS sensor

The Aquatica Submarines Expedition

Aquatica Submarines conducted an expedition survey of Belize’s Great Blue Hole from November 27th to December 13th, 2019.

Over two weeks, a team of scientists, explorers, and filmmakers gathered data, while capturing photos and videos of this geological wonder. Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson and Fabien Cousteau, grandson of the conservationist Jacques Cousteau, also participated in the expedition.

The Blue Hole is the largest marine sinkhole in the world, with its 300 meters diameter and its 125 meters depth.

This major scuba hotspot is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This expedition marks the first attempt in history to explore the Blue Hole on such a large scale.

This high-tech exploration aims to realize a sonar scan of the Blue Hole, collect scientific data, and to raise educational awareness.

Two submersibles equipped with sonar

The expedition team utilized two submersibles to carry out the survey: its Stingray 500 submarine, and the Roatan Institute of Deepsea Exploration’s IDABEL submarine.

Both (submarines) can carry up to 3 persons for a maximum duration of 12h. They provide large equipment platforms which are ideal for exploration technology.

They used a Kongsberg dual-axis sonar to create a 3D representation of the sinkhole.

The surface and submarine-mounted sonar equipment were also equipped with SBG Systems’ Ellipse inertial sensor.

We positioned the Ellipse over suspended tripods to mark the Blue Hole perimeter. Scientists instantly processed the recorded data with their MS1000 processing software.