Top 10 Scuba Dives In Florida

Best scuba dive sites in Florida. This is Florida. It's popular for its exquisite beach resorts, theme parks, aquatic recreations, and sunny climate. While it's packed with massive tourist attractions, it's also home to some of the best diving spots you can imagine. Hey there, we provide vacation travel guides for some of the most adventurous regions around the world. Before we begin, please hit those like and subscribe buttons below to help our channel grow. It's no mystery as to why Florida has so many scuba diving opportunities. The state is a peninsula carefully dipped into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. In the Sunshine State, over 8,000 miles of coastline are neatly packaged into 10 unique coasts. The International Dive Hub is easily reached for American divers by air or interstate. Many of the country's best dives are located within reach of Florida. Whether you're a beginner, eager for an incredible experience, or master diver, you've come to the right place. With beautiful crystal clear waters and great temperatures all year round, Florida is the perfect place to go scuba diving. Florida is the only place in the continental United States with a subtropical climate, so you'll never be too cold. Let's look at our list of the top 10 scuba dive sites that you absolutely must visit when in Florida. Devil's Den. The Devil's Den, contrary to what its name implies, is a turquoise wonderland that is as fascinating as it is breathtaking. The Devil's Den is located in Williston, Florida and is a geological formation called a karst, an underground river that flows beneath the collapsed water reservoir, created an underwater cavern paradise. This amazing landmark is the only prehistoric underground spring in Florida. The water temperature is a constant, comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. The steam that rises through the cave on the cold winter morning is how the site got its sinister name. Underwater, you'll see a surprising number of curious fish, including guppies, crappies, catfish, and turtles. Divers can explore swim-throughs and ancient rock formations, including fossil beds dating back 33 million years. Animal remains from camels, dire wolves, mastodons, and saber-toothed cats have been discovered here. The depths of the crystal-clear water spans approximately 50 to 60 feet. The deepest portion of the basin's cave system has been closed. However, there are some swim-throughs with gorgeous sunbeams streaming in overhead. Molasses Reef. Molasses Reef is a coral reef preservation located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Molasses Reef Sanctuary preservation area is one of the most visited coral reefs in the world. There are over 30 marked Key Largo dive sites located within this reef area, making it the biggest in the Florida Keys. The reef is about six miles offshore and one of the closest reefs to the warm, clear waters of the Gulf Stream. The site is famous for its clear water, abundant fish life, and marine life with numerous boulder corals. Hundreds of species can be found on Molasses Reef, and most of the corals found in the Caribbean are represented here. Elkhorn, staghorn, star, brain, and fire corals, as well as many soft corals like sea fans, gorgonians. In the nooks and crannies of the many coral heads, you can find nurse sharks, coral crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and moray eels. Marathon's Dive Sites. Around Marathon, the Midway Point in the Florida Keys, there are about 30 to 40 great dive sites. Sandy areas and grass beds provide a home to shrimp, crabs, small fish, anemone, and conch. Sombrero Reef is a good starting point for getting your underwater experience in this maze of nearly limitless dive opportunities. Prepare to see snappers dazzling in the sunlight, a huge grouper lurking in the shadows, and sea parrotfish feasting on the coral for supper. Nurse sharks and eels hide among the reef's finger-like patterns. Coffin's Patch is a group of six distinct patch reefs, each showing a predominant coral species. Snorkelers will like this reef system, as in many places, the water is only about 8 feet deep. There are shallow elkhorn coral forests found throughout Coffin's Patch in less than 20 feet of water. Yellow Rocks, about three and a half miles off Key Colony Beach, is a set of ledges running east and west for more than 200 yards, rising about 12 feet from the bottom. Of course, ledges are a great place to find lobsters. Vortex Spring. At Vortex Spring, one of the state's westernmost freshwater dives, nearly 30 million gallons of water bubble to the surface daily and at a year-round temperature of 68 degrees. In the springtime, you can swim alongside river catfish, koi carp, and American freshwater eels. Divers can explore a huge basin as well as two 55-foot-long human-made tunnels. The passengers are suitable for open-water divers because both endpoints are open. The natural cavern entrance is located at a depth of 60 feet, which is the maximum safe depth for anyone other than qualified cavern divers. However, you can enter the cave's passageway with the proper credentials, but once it becomes too dark to see surface light, you must turn back. The cavern continues another 100 yards to the depth of 115 feet at the cave system security gate. The white sand bottom and shimmering air pockets make for a breathtaking experience. Panama City. Panama City, Florida has always been famous with beachcombers and spring breakers, but it now also attracts scuba divers. Panama City Beach offers an abundance of excellent dive sites for both beginners and experienced divers. Within miles of many of the world's most beautiful beaches, there are over 50 artificial reefs to explore, including ships, barges, bridge spans, and hundreds of natural limestone reefs, ranging in depths of 18 feet to 110 feet. Since the 1970s, the Panama City Marine Institute has been spearheading an ambitious artificial reef project that has brought ships, Navy scrap metal, towers, pontoons, tanks, bridge spans, and hovercrafts beneath the Gulf. Blue Heron Bridge. Scuba diving at the world-renowned Blue Heron Bridge, also known as Phil Foster Park, is something every diver should experience. You'll encounter numerous sea creatures that are a rarity to find throughout the world. Seahorses and pipefish in all sizes and colors make the top of the list at this amazing dive site. Photographers will love the abundance of marine life and exotic relics, so go explore an underwater world filled with seahorses, octopuses, batfish, rays, mini wrecks, and shark statues. This site is very shallow. Expect an average depth of only 10 feet. Best of all, no matter what the weather is like out on the open ocean, the Blue Heron Bridge is still accessible for diving thanks to its location in the protected Lake Worth Lagoon. Hog Heaven. Located just off Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hog Heaven is a dive site that includes a 180-foot barge that was intentionally sunk in 1986 as part of the Florida Artificial Reef Program. The wreck has now been transformed into modest homes for various fish species, such as porkfish, angelfish, grunts, and barracuda. Near Hog Heaven are also two large pipes, the wreck of another barge, and remnants of the Pacific Reef Lighthouse. Crystal River. Known as the Sea Cow Central, manatees cluster in large numbers in the Kings Bay area between November to April when they migrate across the Gulf of Mexico to stay warm. Start the morning snorkeling with the curious and playful manatees before scuba diving into the entrance of the King Spring Cavern. An abundance of fish hang outside the cavern, where you'll spot snappers, crabs, and even prehistoric fossils. Sarasota. Sarasota is a small city on the Gulf Coast of Florida, just outside the southern end of Tampa Bay. From the shoreline, the sea bottom is mostly a gradually sloping sandy plain. Limestone ledges that offer a great foundation for gulf fish are located about five miles offshore of Sarasota's high-rise condominiums. The large number of artificial reefs in the region consist of ships, barges, boxcars, concrete structures, and rubble that have very quickly developed into rich sites for divers and fishermen with massive numbers of fish and other marine life. The Bay Ronto shipwreck, which lies upside down in approximately 100 feet of water, is situated about 30 miles away. When she was destroyed by a hurricane in 1919, the 11,000 ton British vessel was sailing from Galveston, Texas with a shipment containing wheat. Fortunately, the entire crew safely made it to life rafts before the ship sank. The wreck is now a marine wildlife refuge in a huge desert of sand, with snapper swimming in and out of holes in the hull. Jenny Springs. The Jenny Springs Park has three distinct crystal-clear diving sites, the Santa Fe River, the Jenny Ballroom, and the Devil's Spring System. Divers who descend to the bottom of these sites will be rewarded with a breathtaking view as they look skyward. Even from the very bottom, it's not unusual to look up at the clear water and be able to count the leaves on the trees overhead. Aside from the excellent visibility, there are underwater caverns to discover and ancient fossils to uncover. During their surface intervals, divers can also enjoy camping, paddle boarding, tubing, and kayaking. Jenny Springs is one of Florida's most popular freshwater dive destinations due to its serene view and wide range of activities. Blue Grotto. Blue Grotto in Williston is home to the largest accessible underwater cavern in north-central Florida. This is one of our favorite freshwater dives, offering a variety of diving opportunities for enthusiasts of all experience levels. The extremely blue and translucent water stays that way all year round, owing in part to the dazzling lighting system providing a perfect setting to savor the multitudes of sea species lingering for free treats. The fish choose to hang out in the crescent shaped cavern, which is about 50 feet beneath the surface and where a collection of fossils diligently cling to the thick walls. The lower chamber has no ambient light and offers no direct sight of the entrance. In this environment, highly specialized training and equipment are essential. Alligator Reef. Alligator Reef is a sanctuary preservation area located six miles south-southwest of Windley Key and can be easily identified by the reigning 136-foot-tall lighthouse tower. Don't let the name make you nervous. This site was titled after the USS Alligator, which many believe wrecked here in the early 1800s. The dive site is a great place for underwater exploring and has many crevices and ravines that beg the diver to investigate. Upon further discovery, the diver will be able to identify hard and soft corals, several shells, and a plethora of tropical fish. According to local research, the preserved reef is home to a minimum of 189 species of fish. Along with the plentiful fish, you may spot eels, groupers, nurse sharks, spiny lobsters, and perhaps turtles on this shallow reef dive. The depths of the dive range from a shallow 8 feet all the way down to 40 feet. Spiegel Grove. The Spiegel Grove, one among Florida's most famous wrecks, is located in 130 feet of water off of the coast of Key Largo. The ship is enormous and much larger than any natural reef structure in the Keys. The 510-foot U.S. Navy landing ship dock was sunk in 2002 as an artificial reef and settled on its starboard side until Hurricane Dennis turned it upright in 2005. Almost immediately after the sinking, the ship began to attract marine life from large groupers to schools of shimmering smaller fish and colorful tropical fish. Marine scientists expect natural corals to eventually envelop the Spiegel Grove. The Spiegel Grove is so wide that on many days, the view of the superstructure will fade into a green-blue abyss. On the clearest days, the sandy bottom will be visible at a depth of about 130 feet from the surface. A Thousand Mermaids. The One Thousand Mermaids Artificial Reef Project and Gallery is an art display and research facility that combines tourism, science, and art. The sculptures beneath the surface are molded from actual people and constructed of ecological concrete. In addition to providing a one-of-a-kind dive destination in Florida, the art provides a home for juvenile coral and assistance in the restoration of the Florida Reef. Sculptures can be found off the coasts of Hollywood Beach and West Palm Beach. The exhibit's primary objective of crafting and deploying 1,000 sculptures has not yet been met, but progress continues every day. Christ of the Abyss. The vibrant reefs at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, located off the coast of Key Largo, draw divers and snorkelers, and it offers some of the outstanding scuba diving in the Florida Keys. The Christ of the Abyss diving site offers a popular photo opportunity in the form of an 8.5-foot-tall, 4,000-pound bronze statue of Jesus Christ that is submerged in 25 feet of water. This sculpture is among the most popular underwater attractions around the world, but the site's grove coral formations, shallow depth, and unexpected sightings of marine species, such as stingrays and eagle rays, are also impressive. Florida is a land filled with stunning attractions, but scuba diving is the only way to experience and explore what lies beneath the calm and clear waters of the Panhandle. Come and enjoy swimming along with the marine species you can encounter while under the sea of Florida Keys, Key Largo, and Fort Lauderdale. If you enjoyed the video and you want to watch more videos like this, show your support by hitting those like and subscribe buttons below. Also, feel free to leave a comment if you have any recommendations for future videos. Thanks for watching, have a great day, and stay tuned for more soon!