Lighthouse Reef as seen from space. The Great Blue Hole is near the center of the photograph. The Great Blue Hole is a giant submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 m (984 ft) across and 108 m (354 ft) deep.