Richard Branson takes a submarine in the biggest chasm of the world

I At first glance, it looks like a giant ink stain in the sea, but below this pit – the largest in the world – is a cave big enough to engulf two Boeing 747 with enough space

The famous marine explorer Jacques Cousteau did not discover the chasm, located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Belize, but he named it "The Great Blue Hole" in 1971 , and he has always attracted divers. since.

Now, in the first mission of this type, the grandson of Cousteau and Sir Richard Branson sink into the dark background of it in a submarine as part of an expedition that will be broadcast in live and broadcast worldwide to the Discovery Channel.

It will be quite an achievement. Scuba divers usually go down only to a maximum depth of 130 feet under water. What lies beneath this territory remains largely unexplored, and much remains.

Branson and Fabien Cousteau join Erika Bergman, Aquatica Submarines chief pilot, and make several expeditions into the chasm this weekend in a remotely piloted Stingray 500 submarine to collect data and map the submerged cave.

100,000 years ago A long time ago, this natural wonder was a network of caves above sea level, with suspended ceilings with stalagmites and limestone stalactites. Over time and during the last ice age of our planet, the rise in sea level finally flooded the structure and it collapsed to form the chasm that she is today.

The Great Blue Hole was measured by scientists in 1997 using sonar technology. The Bergman team's experience is to collect scientific data on marine aspects, including water quality and bacterial activity, and to produce high-resolution sequences and a detailed plan of the internal structure of the body. Hole for the

Curiously, they seek to discover what it is theorized to call an oxygen depleted layer at the base, which could offer vital clues to the environmental forces potentially related to the fall of the Mayan civilization between 800 and 1000 AD.

"One of the most interesting signs that we really want to do is the oxygenation test," Bergman told Endgadget. "We have heard that in the Blue Hole, there is an anoxic layer near the bottom [and] that things do not degrade in anoxic areas so we can find a preserved life."

Branson hopes that his involvement in the project will raise awareness of ocean conservation and supports the goal of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.

L & # The show will be broadcast live on the Discovery Channel from 2 am to 11 pm on Sunday, December 2nd. Richard Branson will talk to Telegraph Travel about what the team will discover next week.