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Monday, October 12, 2009

Sports Big Pool

Posted by Anthony Hecht on Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Try to imagine how big the world's largest swimming pool might be. You're probably imagining a really, really big pool, like 5 regular pools stitched together, or something.

No, it's bigger.

This man-made wonder is 1013 meters long covers 80 acres, its deepest end reaches 115ft and it holds 66 million gallons of water.

Cost? $2 billion, plus $4 million/year for maintenance. The ocean is about 30 feet away.

via coudal.

Comments (26) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Further evidence that we're doomed as a civilization.

Posted by arts&letters on October 12, 2009 at 2:11 PM

As much as I want to hate this waste of money I can't help but think to myself "fucking awesome!!"

And #1's right we are totally fucked as a civilization.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on October 12, 2009 at 2:16 PM

Yes, but have you been in that ocean? It's cold as shit and kind of dirty.

Posted by rum0r on October 12, 2009 at 2:17 PM

That's way cooler than the ocean!

Posted by care bear on October 12, 2009 at 2:21 PM

I can't wait to see what'll happen to it when the sea levels rise.

Posted by keshmeshi on October 12, 2009 at 2:33 PM

That's fucking pointless and stupid and I want to swim in it.

Posted by Dougsf on October 12, 2009 at 2:39 PM

This is going to be great when the water-short masses rise up in rebellion and liberate it.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 12, 2009 at 2:44 PM

The link at the top of that page shows some pictures from Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls. Holy shit. Basically a patch of calm water pushed right against the cliff edge that people dangle precariously from for snapshots.

Posted by Mattini on October 12, 2009 at 2:44 PM

I have to agree that's really cool. It's not like *every* man-made excess has to be twinged with liberal guilt. There's a big difference between playing in the ocean and the pool. The ocean is one big mass of unknown that fucks with my reptilian brain (seaweed, egh) while a swimming pool is 100% safe and comfortable. The 6th shot of the guy on his back blows my mind. It completely changes my perspective on what 'swimming pool' can mean.

Posted by Lumpmoose on October 12, 2009 at 2:45 PM

No sharks, FTW.

Posted by Luckier on October 12, 2009 at 3:01 PM

that site must be mistranslated somehow. The company that did the work (crystal lagoons) quotes ~$350,000/hectare, and the Chilean pool is 8 hectares. Unless the Pentagon was involved in accepting the bid, it probably cost more like $5 million, and the upkeep $500,000/year.

check it out at:
http://www.crystal-lagoons.com/

Posted by samiaint on October 12, 2009 at 3:12 PM

@10 ... or jelly fish or sting rays or crabs...

Posted by Renton Mike on October 12, 2009 at 3:18 PM

Call me a guilty liberal but when This is the case in Chile, I'm more than a little irked.

Posted by Hawke

on October 12, 2009 at 3:21 PM

I think we need to stock it with crocodiles, if sharks don't like it.

Shed not a tear for me, oh croc, thy wisdom teeth do shine from afar, and tear my flesh from spar to spar.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 12, 2009 at 3:30 PM

old link is old

Posted by go out and report some actual news on October 12, 2009 at 3:36 PM

@15 - Oh no! Thanks for pointing that out.

Posted by Anthony Hecht on October 12, 2009 at 3:48 PM

Can you image the tragedy of 10,000 swimmers stampeding out of the pool after someone lays a "floater" there?

Posted by Ty Webb on October 12, 2009 at 5:10 PM

@17: happened to me in Vegas once, at the Tropicana. I know it's supposed to "stay in Vegas", but fuck 'em, it was a human turd.

Jellyfish are taking over the oceans; eventually, possibly as soon as 20 years, all the fish will be gone and giant clusters of inedible jellyfish will rule the oceans. Joy.

That pool in Zimbabwe scares the fuck out of me. No, no, no, no, no thank you. How many people die there?

Posted by Fnarf

on October 12, 2009 at 5:53 PM

Jellyfish are totally editable. I had a jellyfish salad just the other day. Delicious.

Posted by Free Lunch on October 12, 2009 at 6:01 PM

Edible is the word I was looking for...

Posted by Free Lunch on October 12, 2009 at 6:02 PM

@18 Fnarf - I was curious of the same thing, and it's about one death per year. I also learned that it's actually in Zambia.

Posted by Dougsf on October 12, 2009 at 6:03 PM

That thing must be hell to sweep in the evening.

Posted by Toe Tag on October 12, 2009 at 6:47 PM

@19-20: some jellyfish are. Others will paralyze you instantly, and/or cause indescribable agony that not even opiates can assuage. Then you die. Some of these are too small to be kept away by nets. They are becoming more and more common. Someday, possibly soon, it will be impossible to swim in the south Pacific or Indian oceans.

Posted by Fnarf

on October 12, 2009 at 9:30 PM

some of you people hate everything for no reason at all. I loathe you.

Posted by rutabaga pie on October 12, 2009 at 11:16 PM

I thought the "Big Pool" title referred to the waterfront tunnel that Seattle is tempted to dig. Big pool indeed should the sea wall break. Then I assumed the pool was in Dubai.
But no: Chile. I'm impressed.
AND repulsed.
over and out.

Posted by treacle on October 13, 2009 at 9:53 AM