A mysterious occurrence at Jamaica’s Blue Lagoon (and an explanation)

Blue Lagoon (or “Blue Hole” as it is often called locally), in Portland, eastern Jamaica, was declared a National Monument in August, 2018. According to the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, the area protected includes “all those bodies of water up to the high water mark during high and low tide known as Unity Bay, Lime Kiln Bay and the inlet called the Blue Lagoon which together constitutes the Controlled Area.  The boundary also includes the parochial access road known as the Blue Hole Road.  It does not include the cay called Pellew Island.”

I am always in awe of Blue Lagoon. It has its own mystique. It is alive. I have swum in it a few times, and the experience is like nowhere else. The water temperature changes from warm to cold and back again as you swim, reflecting the pulses of the many underground springs that feed it. Barracudas and rays prowl around the shallower waters at the edge. The waters flicker in the sunlight, moving through every shade of blue and green in the spectrum as the light changes: turquoise, forest green, sometimes even a coppery yellow. It’s magical.

Last week, a video began circulating of a strange phenomenon, which is rarely seen. A large amount of sand-coloured, beige water welled up, in ever-widening circles, in one part of the Lagoon. A puzzled tourist in a kayak lingered on the edge, wondering what it was.

A still from the video, with perplexed tourist…

I shared the video online. It was a little surreal. What on earth was this? On social media, there were all kinds of comments. Many Jamaicans are a little superstitious about the place. If you want to see the full range of strange and indeed nonsensical reactions to what happened here, just go to Instagram! There were a number of comments about a possible “River Mumma” (a Jamaican legend) who might drag you down – and the golden table, a story closely associated with the Rio Cobre. Did Blue Lagoon have its own River Mumma? For the fundamentalists among us, it could be yet another sign of the “End of Times.”

Environmentalist Diana McCaulay shared it on X/Twitter and as we all puzzled over it, she received a response from someone who knows Blue Lagoon very well – a world record-breaking Jamaican free diver:

Dear Diana,
I hope this message finds you well. I’ve noticed your interest in the recent viral video showing mud bubbling in the Blue Lagoon, and I wanted to share some insights, given my extensive experience with this remarkable place.

My name is David Lee, a resident of Port Antonio and a five-time freediving world record holder. Perhaps you might recall my somewhat eccentric endeavor about 20 years ago, where I free-dove to the bottom of the lagoon without fins while holding my breath.

I’ve been fascinated by the Blue Lagoon since I was four years old, scuba diving and freediving alongside my mother, Jan Lee, of Lady G’Diver. This fascination evolved into a lifelong pursuit, during which I’ve explored every corner of the Blue Lagoon. My adventures include numerous dives to the bottom, both scuba and free, so many that I’ve lost count.

To clarify some common misconceptions: the lagoon is not bottomless, nor does it harbor any mythical monsters. The depth of the lagoon stands at about 52 meters (170.5 feet) today, whereas in the 1980s, it reached depths of up to 65 meters (213 feet). Changes in depth over the years are due to land slippage around the lagoon’s edges, tree falls, and the accumulation of silt and runoff from heavy rains.

The intriguing muddy bubbling you observed in the video stems from freshwater springs at the base of the lagoon, approximately 30 meters (98 feet) deep. When heavy rains hit the hills, groundwater travels rapidly and is expelled from these springs, creating the bubbling effect. Also why the lagoon has the drastic temperature changes you feel while takin a swim there. The intensity of this phenomenon correlates with the amount of rainfall we’ve been having recently. Port Antonio has experienced about two and a half months of continuous rain, leading to saturated soil and the subsequent ‘awakening’ of what some playfully refer to as the Blue Lagoon’s ‘scary monster.’

On a lighter note, perhaps floating the idea of a monster in the lagoon isn’t such a bad one—it might help in keeping visitor traffic at bay. 😉

Best regards,
@DavidLeeUnderwater

David Lee, Twitter/X

By the way, David Lee teaches free diving. Here is one of his students practicing. Lee and colleagues will be conducting a course in Port Antonio, Portland, from March 1 – 4, 2024. See his Facebook page for details.

In recent times, Blue Lagoon has been clouded with controversy. The parochial road was closed on August 29, 2022, by private interests. Vendors were removed and their rafts destroyed. There were protests last year over the continued closure. Now the lands around the Lagoon are owned by Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals, who has taken over the lease and presumably has a plan for the property, as yet unknown. The parochial road and the gate to the Lagoon remain closed, and the only access is across private property.

Many Jamaicans were hearing about the situation at Blue Lagoon for the first time. Now, there is a court case, continuing on January 29, 2024, in which the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JaBBEM) and Portland Environmental Action (PEA) are suing the Portland Municipal Corporation, Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), as well as special interest beach-front property owners Blue Lagoon (Jamaica) Limited, Blue Hole Investments Limited, Blue Hole Holdings Limited, and Cold Harbour Limited, regarding access to the Lagoon. Yes, there are plenty of special interests in Portland.

Back to the eerie bubbling in the Lagoon last week. As I mentioned Portland Environmental Action, I heard from the group’s spokesman, Wilbourn Carr, yesterday. He was of the same view as David Lee regarding the strange occurrence at Blue Lagoon, noting that it is quite rare and only happens after unusually heavy rains. Following a long period of severe drought in Portland, the hills and mountains just above the Lagoon have been inundated with heavy rains for months (in fact, beginning last October). This has all built up in the porous limestone rocks underground, and in the springs themselves. Finally, it all burst up and out, into the Lagoon itself. You could say that it might be a sign of climate change – extremes of weather.

There are a couple of other small possible questions: the bubbling water almost has the colour of marl, which is used in road construction. The road nearby has been undergoing drastic changes recently. Could it have been partly the effect of the road works?

This map pinpoints the earthquake last October, with the epicentre near Hope Bay and not far from Blue Lagoon.

It also crossed my mind: could the strong earthquakes last year have had any effect? The 5.4 magnitude earthquake, ten kilometres deep, and subsequent tremors, had their epicentre in and around Hope Bay, just about 15 kilometres down the road. I am not a geologist! But, I wonder…

And could it be – dare I ask – something volcanic? Jamaica is a much “older” island than its counterparts in the Eastern Caribbean, which have all kinds of volcanoes in various shapes and forms (even an underwater one near Grenada). We don’t have those, but we do have hot and cold springs. I don’t know, just throwing it out there!

So, what would Portland Environmental Action like to see happen? Apart from the regularising of public access to the Lagoon, it would like to see the surrounding lands protected by law, thus protecting not only the Lagoon itself, but its environs, in perpetuity.

In the short term, the group wants the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to go down there and test the water, as soon as possible. The quality of the water may have changed as a result of this upsurge; it might contain new minerals, even contaminants (from agriculture in the hills, for example) that were not there before. It is important to check on all of this, and I hope that NEPA will be visiting soon, to take a look.

We know that almost three quarters of our Planet is covered by oceans. However, fresh water is an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity, even in the Caribbean. Jamaica’s Taïno name means “Land of Wood and Water.” Take a look at the UN World Water Development Report 2023.

Jamaica has to take water security seriously. The effervescent, healing underwater springs of the beautiful Blue Lagoon are one example of the importance of conservation. Let’s take it on.

And Blue Lagoon is a treasure.