The 5 Blues Lake, it's one of Belize's natural wonders, but tonight the only wonder is where all the water went! Ecologist Jan Meerman who works out of the Cayo district reports that the lake has collapsed. 5 Blues is known as a karstic lake, which means it was built on limestone formations. Meerman explains that the lake was formed when an underground waterway was blocked. And it made for an incredible sight: as the varying depths of the lake reflected in various shades of blue.
Well no more, reportedly in the past two weeks, the water level has dropped 15 feet. According to Meerman, this was most dramatic on Thursday July 20th when people fishing in the lake report hearing a strange noise coming from the lake "as if the lake was crying." Following that, a big whirlpool appeared in the lake. Meerman, who has studied the lake extensively believes that the blockage that actually created the lake could have dissolved and much of the water got sucked out like someone took the plug out of a bath-tub.
These before and after pictures show the dramatic difference. Most of the before pictures were taken in 2001 and the after pictures were taken two days ago. Meerman points out that the lake could continue to go down even further. But the big question right now is where did all the water go? It's a question that will take some study to get a definitive answer.
See more of the dramatic transformation here: Five Blues Lake Collapses.
