Claim:
A photograph shared online since 2018 authentically shows a man sitting on the edge of an "underwater cliff."
Rating:
True ( About this rating? )
Context:
The image is real and does show a man sitting on the edge of what looks like an underwater cliff. But, technically speaking, he was sitting on the edge of an underwater sinkhole, known as a blue hole.
A photo of a man wearing a dive mask while sitting on the edge of what looks like an underwater cliff has been widely shared online for years .
One example of the image, which boasted dramatic hues of blue water and a white sand outcropping, was posted to X on Oct. 3, 2024, and had amassed more than 55.3 million views as of this writing.
Its caption read: "The terrifying beauty of the ocean ... Sitting on the edge of an underwater cliff."
Outdoor sports and recreation company Outside Inc. also shared the picture to Facebook on Oct. 4, 2018, and credited it to a freediver named Adam Stern.
Outside's caption accompanying the Facebook post read:
A whole new meaning to living life on the edge. Who can guess where this photo was taken?⠀
Stern is a professional freediver who has held eight Australian freediving records, according to his Facebook page and website .
A search through Stern's Facebook photos revealed he shared the image on Sept. 29, 2018, and identified the person in the picture as Michael Board — an international freediving competitor who has held multiple British records, according to his own Facebook page.
In the comments section, Stern identified the location as Dean's Blue Hole, a tourist attraction in The Bahamas.
(Facebook)
Board, the man in the picture, also shared the image in a December 2018 Facebook post , where he stated he took part in a competition called "Vertical Blue." The invite-only Vertical Blue Free Diving Competition is held at Dean's Blue Hole, The Bahamas, every year.
Meanwhile, photographer Stern's other Facebook photos showed many similar images , including the one below .
(Adam Stern Freediver)
Therefore, given all the above evidence, we have rated this claim as true. However, technically speaking, the seascape showed a blue hole, rather than a cliff.
Dean's Blue Hole is the third deepest in the world at 663 feet deep, according to the tourism website for The Bahamas.
A blue hole is an underwater sinkhole, similar to sinkholes on land, according to the National and Oceanic Atmospheric Association :
A blue hole can be an oasis in an otherwise barren seafloor. Blue holes are diverse biological communities full of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, sea turtles, sharks, and more. The seawater chemistry in the holes is unique and appears to interact with groundwater and possibly aquifer layers. This link contributes to the knowledge of carbon cycling between surface and groundwater.
Little is known about blue holes due to their lack of accessibility and unknown distribution and abundance. The opening of a blue hole can be several hundred feet underwater, and for many holes, the opening is too small for an automated submersible. In fact, the first reports of blue holes did not come from scientists or researchers, but actually came from fishermen and recreational divers. Now, the two groups are working together to conduct scientific surveys and exploration of these mysterious holes.
Dean's Blue Hole, in particular, is enclosed on three sides by a natural rock amphitheater, with the fourth side facing "a turquoise lagoon and powdery white beach," the Bahamian tourism website said .
Snopes contacted Stern for further information about the photograph and we will update this article if we receive a response.
Sources:
'Adam Stern Freediver | Australian Record Freediver'. Adam Freediver, https://www.adamfreediver.com/ . Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
'Dean's Blue Hole - Long Island in The Bahamas'. The Islands of The Bahamas, https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/deans-blue-hole . Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fadamsternfreediver%2Fphotos%2Fpb.100044484304227.-2207520000%2F1806070206166689%2F%3Ftype%3D3 . Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
---. https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F%40verticalblue%2F . Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists Embark on Journey to the "Deep" to Explore Blue Holes: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/20blue-holes/welcome.html . Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
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