Florida Springs and Ghost Manatees
Blue Springs
October 6th, 2023
Blue Springs State Park was established in 1972, where originally only 14 manatees were tracked. As time has progressed the population has grown, to over 200 in 2005, and then growing up beyond 730 in 2023 due to park improvements and manatee protection efforts, and the natural progression of animals (Manatee sex). However, on this trip the only manatee that was seen was on the surface and it quickly moved on before we were in the water, yet another disappointment. Oh, Florida you never fail to disappoint, maybe next time.
There are two main entrances to the springs. The first being primarily for snorkelers and swimmers, there is another entrance a quarter of a mile up the spring that’s closer to the cavern. However, dive gear is heavy and swimming up current is easier, but slower. Also, if you haven’t been, Florida is warm and humid and wetsuits are sweaty-betty.
Blue Springs is a naturally fed spring, with an upwelling that comes up from a 120’ deep hole, which has several small offshoots with lots of nooks and crannies to get wedged against. The spring pumps out over 10 million gallons of water a day, so getting to the bottom of the crevasse means swimming down, against a strong current, into a cavern system without dying or getting shoved into a rock ledge by the currents. Simple. No big deal. Being over weighted will significantly help with getting down, as the space can be…cozy in some spots, I, however, was not.
Blue Grotto Dive Resort
October 7th, 2023
Blue Grotto dive resort offers camping, lodging and is a full-service dive center. Opening for divers in 1965 it was the first cavern open to recreational divers that allowed for safe diving. Safety features that were put in, and still used today include a light chandelier to prevent complete loss of light, as well as a diving bell with fresh air pumped down from the surface. Being an inland cavern there is minimal aquatic life. A small school of bluegills, small catfish and small minnows live in the shallows. However, the most interesting aquatic creature is Virgil the Turtle. She is a soft-shell turtle who has been around since 1997 when she was donated by an aquarist after outgrowing her original tank. She’s estimated to be at least 66 years old, being born in ‘57. There is a smaller, male soft-shelled turtle named Turbo that was donated in 2012 that is much less common to see out and about.
After entering the water from the dock, you are instantly greeted by a swarm of curious fish, below you sit a couple of large metal platforms before dropping off down to 40’. The diving bell is mounted to the ceiling at roughly 30’, an interesting enough spot to come up and chat with your buddy while underwater, you know, the whole point of scuba diving. But still interesting.
Going past the second chamber takes you to nearly a 90* bend as you descend further into the cavern system. Here ambient light from the surface is lost and a torch is required for illumination. Proper buoyancy is vital as there are lots of fine particles of silt that will easily ruin visibility if divers get too close to the bottom or any of the sunken artifacts. The cave system goes off further, with plenty of signs that warn untrained individuals from going in deeper.
Paradise Springs
October 8th, 2023
The final adventure of the three took us to a privately owned spring near Ocala, FL. Driving down a private drive, you are greeted by the owner and her son to check you in and watch a quick video about the spring. After the video, paying the fee, and the blessing of the Lord, you are allowed to drive down to the spring.
There are plenty of tables up top to set up on, before clambering down a set of uneven steps that are partially overgrown with plants. The opening to the spring is roughly 10’x20’, and looks like a small pool in the middle of the forest. As you descend into the water you can see a small platform in roughly 20’ of water with a line to the surface, and the main cavern opens beneath the trees above you. Small minnow-type fish, catfish and a family of plecostomus swarm around you in the crystal-clear water.
From the platform is a spike with a line leading down into the cavern. The cavern opens and for the first ~60 and slopes down fairly quickly. After ~60’ the entrance narrows to roughly 20’ tall and then opens into a second chamber. This is where the line ends at 100’ with a large grim reaper sign saying to go deeper into the (much narrower) cave system will result in death. Do not follow the call of the void, it will only end poorly.
The second chamber contains several small statues tucked away into the nooks and crannies of the cavern. After making a loop of the chamber and finding as many of the statues as possible it’s time for a slow ascent up around the chambers looking at fossils and soot marks from when the cave was dry. Fossils of interest include a large whale bone, fist sized sand dollars and several types of clams and gastropod. This was the most interesting of the three dive sites, the entrance is surrounded by large plants, chirping birds and quiet nature sounds.
