Scuba Diving Ginnie Springs, High Springs-Florida, USA

Florida is home to many amazing things.  Amazing beaches, amazing cities, amazing theme parks, and some pretty amazing dive sites.  For a diver you have an abundance of choices. 

The corals and wrecks of the Keys, the Gulf of Mexico, endless rivers and inland lakes, or one of my all time favorites the caves.  There are several major cave systems in central Florida that are available to divers.  I had the pleasure to visit a great spot called Ginnie Springs.  Ginnie Springs is located in a Town called High Springs that is located West of Jacksonville and North of Gainsville.  It is almost between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The street address is

7300 Ginnie Springs Rd. High Springs, Fla.

  They offer a full service dive shop, picnic area, camping sites and access to one of the largest cave systems in North America. The water is crystal clear and stays a constant 72 *F all year round.

  Jacques Cousteau visited here once and stated it had “Visibility forever”

To access most of the sites available at Ginnie Springs you need to be able to show proof of having completed Cave and Cavern training from a recognized training agency.  If you don’t have a cave card they will issue you an open water wristband and you will only be allowed in certain spots.  If they find you wandering into places you are not qualified to be in they will ask you to leave the park. 

 I had yet to take any Tech or Cave training when I visited here so I was limited to the open water locations as well.  They do host several instructors who provide training on site but I am sure you would need to make arrangements with them before you show up.  I was pretty happy just diving what they call the ballroom.

  The Ballroom is located right behind the dive shop.  There is a large parking lot and picnic area with BBQ’s and tables.  There is easy access to a small shallow basin that is a great place for swimming or snorkeling.  The basin empties into the Santa Fe River and I think you can rent an inner tube for a little float down the river. 

Just inside this basin you will see a large opening in the limestone.  Welcome to the ballroom.  There is a lot of natural light that gets in through the entrance but you want to bring a light to explore the whole cavern because there are some dark spots. 

 If you go straight in and go down to the bottom right of the cavern you will see a small steel grate that covers the aquifer that supplies 35 million gallons of warm clear water to this spring every day.  If you approach the grate head on you will exhaust yourself swimming into the torrent and just float away so you need to go to either side of it and move sideways until you are directly in front of it.  You can hold on to the grate and feel the power of the water as it rushes past and then let go and be swept back into the cavern, it is far safer than it sounds a pretty fun thing to do actually.

  The deepest point in the cavern is about 50’ deep.  And it is large enough to explore on a single tank dive.  There was not much life to see just a couple small fish and a river eel that was about 3 ‘long.  For someone who has never been in a cave or cavern this is a great place to go.  Further down the Santa Fe you will find the entrance to the Devil’s Springs caves. 

 There are two systems the Devils Eye that has several thousand feet of caves and opens into the second system, the Devil’s ear it is a much larger and deeper cave system and many people have died in here.  There are grates in place and signage to warn you that without the proper training and equipment divers are forbidden to enter.  They do not allow open water divers to have a light with them to further discourage you from wandering into a place that you should not be in. 

This is a great place to spend a day diving or if you are so motivated take some cave training.  Though it is more suited to experienced cave divers an open water guy like me can still have a great time.  So put this on your list if you want to try something a little exciting and different from a regular open water dive.  You won’t regret it.

Scuba Diving on The Arabia Wreck-Fathom Five Marine Park, Tobermory Ontario

At the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula that extends like a long crooked finger to form a natural divide between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay you will find the quaint town of Tobermory.

 Tobermory is a sleepy little village of just over 600 permanent residents all winter long but when the snow melts that number explodes as divers make the pilgrimage north to explore Canada’s first underwater national park

 Fathom Five National Marine Park was created in 1987, for the 15 years prior to that it was designated a Provincial Underwater Park  This underwater playground houses 22 ship wrecks like the famous Arabia, the intentionally scuttled Niagara II and the Forrest City, three of my favorites. The Park also offers numerous geological wonders to enjoy underwater such as the caves, the grotto, north otter wall and the lighthouse.

  

There is a plethora of dive boats to take advantage of but also you will find several worthwhile shore dives. There are also several other wrecks located just outside the parks boundary that you are free to enjoy as well.  Aside from the many beautiful sites to explore underwater the area offers a vast array of entertainment options to enjoy during your surface interval.  There is a large Visitor center, lots of shops and great restaurants.  You can take a glass bottom boat to explore some of the shallow wrecks such as the W.L. Wetmore or the James C. King.

 Many also enjoy a good hike or bike ride through the rugged Canadian wilderness. Witness the pitting and scouring of the limestone as huge rocks were dragged south by the receding glaciers.  A boat ride out to the towering limestone formation called Flowerpot Island or even take the ChiChiMon ferry over to visit the remote Manitoulin Island.

 There are plenty of hotels, bed and breakfasts and a great selection of campgrounds to accommodate your every need. The water is clear and offers good visibility and surprisingly few zebra mussels.  However it does tend to be a bit on the chilly side ranging from the mid 40’s to the low 60’s at the surface. 

This is a good place to use your dry suit but many divers get by just fine in a 7mm wet suit.  I will in time write about several of the fantastic dives in Fathom Five but first I am going to focus on The Arabia a 131’ three masted barque was launched in Kingston Ontario in 1853 and a year later she crossed the Atlantic Ocean with a cargo bound for Scotland

  In 1883 she ran aground near Flowerpot Island but was refloated and only a year later she foundered in rough weather just off Echo Island October 4^th 1884.  She was loaded with a cargo of grain headed from Chicago to Midland when she started to take on water. 

The crew of 4 plus the ships dog put up a great fight for several hours manning the pumps and doing their best to keep ahead of the water coming in but eventually the water won.  All 4 crew members and the dog were able to safely leave the ship and she went down in about 108’ of water.

  Now she lays upright and mostly intact pointing north The Arabia has two mooring buoys marking her final resting spot. When diving this wreck try to tie off on the furthest buoy to the north this will bring you down on the bow.  You will see her majestic bowsprit, or jib boom complete with anchor chains running down its length. 

You can really appreciate the great condition this wreck is in thanks to the cold fresh water of the great lakes.  You can clearly make out the 2 large anchors, a windlass, some deadeyes, and a bilge pump no doubt one of the last things used by her crew.  Just behind here you will come to a broken mast laying across the port rail.  Also visible is the ships large centerboard.  As you approach the stern you will see that her stern has broken off but you can find the ships wheel in pretty good shape.  

This wreck is deep and cold and at times you will find a current as well as limited visibility.  Watch your bottom time and closely monitor your air pressure because though this ship went down without any casualties 13 divers have lost their lives exploring the wreck since it was discovered in 1971.  It is an advanced dive and you want to be sure you have the correct training and equipment before you make the dive.  Overall a fantastic dive and one of the most popular dives in the park and any trip to Fathom Five should include the Arabia.