Underwater Wakulla
By RUSTY MILLER
Here are the eastside springs we use for the late fall, winter, and early spring. Let’s start with the Blue Grotto.
Blue Grotto is located on U.S. Highway 27 just 11 miles west of Williston. From Wakulla you get on U.S. Highway 98 eastbound to Perry, then turn right onto U.S. Highway 19 south. You will drive to Chiefland and then turn left onto Highway 27 towards Williston.
There is a road sign when you are close to your right turn but don’t be fooled you turn a little past the sign, if you turn at the sign you will be in someone’s driveway.
Once you make the correct turn you will drive almost a mile down a dirt road then on your right you will see the gated entrance to the Blue Grotto. You will then see a small office/shop on your right just past the entrance. When you get parked you go to the office porch and you will see a few tables and chairs, those are not for your comfort but you use them to fill out the required paperwork. You then have to watch a video on the TV about Virgil and the other requirements needed to dive the Grotto.
Once you finish the paperwork and video you go into the office/shop to turn in the paperwork and pay the entrance fee of $48. They do have veterans and Law Enforcement Officer discounts available.
A note here, if there are several divers (four or more) you can call in advance to secure a pavilion at no charge or you can take a tarp and set your equipment on it to keep the sand out of the regulators.
If I know well in advance that we are going to the Grotto, I will reserve a pavilion so everyone can have space to assemble their gear and a place to picnic. Now that your vehicle is unloaded you are ready to set up your gear. After your gear is set up you should walk to the Grotto to look around. They have rebuilt the floating dock and have added two stairwell entrances to the water. The dock will allow you to practice your giant stride entry or you can take the stairs into the water.
The temperature of the water is a constant 72 degrees year round so if you step off the dock your shock will be quicker than entering the water slowly. The features of the spring are a little different than, say, the Vortex springs because this spring is not a flowing spring. It is a still spring, since a long time ago the actual spring caved in they now have a lift pump system that actually makes the spring flow.
When you look above the cavern you will see a waterfall, that waterfall is man-made to keep the spring circulating and clear; it’s pretty ingenious. They also have several platforms beneath the spring at various depths to practice your skills.
The most important skill you need to dive the Grotto is your buoyancy control. As I stated earlier the spring does not have your typical flow so there is a lot of sediment that will be kicked up by divers with poor buoyancy control. They do have a celebrity turtle named Virgil. Yes, she has lived there for about 40 years or so and loves to interact with the divers.
Please remember she needs to breathe air and can hold her breath a long time but not indefinitely so please under no circumstance grab her and keep her from the surface. If you are cavern -certified you should not penetrate all the way to the bottom because it then becomes cave-like conditions and the depth is about 110 feet.
Blue Grotto is a great dive and I highly recommend it. Until next week, make bubbles.
Russell Miller is the manager at Wakulla Diving Center in Medart. NAUI Instructor #59999