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May 9, 2020: Optical Image of Taam Ja'

Hidden in Plain Sight : How SkyFi Had Images of Taam Ja' Before It Was Even Found!

The Discovery

In September 2021, scientists exploring Chetumal Bay in the Caribbean Sea discovered Taam Ja', the second-deepest blue hole on Earth. The discovery confirmed the existence of the nearly 300-meter-deep underwater sinkhole providing new insights that will enhance our understanding of geologic processes and environmental change over time. According to the scientific journal Frontiers In Marine Science, the discovery of Taam Ja' was made by a team of researchers who scuba dived, took water samples, and used echo-sounding to find out more about the blue hole. 

We checked Google Earth first.

If you search Taam Ja' on Google Earth, nothing looks out of the ordinary. You'll see lo-res satellite images with no "deep blue hole." No researcher or scientist would be able to identify the blue hole from the images provided on Google Earth.

Google Earth over Taam Ja'
Google Earth over Taam Ja'

Then, we checked SkyFi's Existing Image library.

SkyFi gives users access to a library full of millions of Existing Images, updated daily and dating back to 2020. We input the coordinates of the Team Ja' into the SkyFi search bar and were happily surprised to find 8 images of the scene including both Optical and Multispectral sensors.

SkyFi's web app with Existing Images of the area of interest
SkyFi's web app with Existing Images of the area of interest

SkyFi has images captured before the discovery.

SkyFi's Existing Image library has a treasure trove of images captured before the discovery of significant geographical features such as Taam Ja', the second-deepest blue hole on Earth. In fact, SkyFi’s library proves that scientists could have identified the blue hole with a simple $20 SkyFi image long before it was discovered through arduous, manual labor. 

This raises an interesting question - what other secrets of the world might be hidden in plain sight within SkyFi's Existing Image library? How much time and money could these images save scientists currently searching the world for similar discoveries? Imagine being able to identify new findings with just one simple image, saving time, money, and research.

Anyone Can Be A Scientist With SkyFi's Image Library

SkyFi's Existing Image library holds the potential to uncover hidden secrets of the world, and Taam Ja' serves as a prime example. With the ability to access millions of satellite images, SkyFi is making Earth observation data accessible to everyone, creating an untapped market that's bigger than anyone realizes. So next time you're curious about what secrets the world might be hiding, consider exploring SkyFi's image library. You never know what you might discover.

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