Blue Grotto
- ️Michael Blitch
Location:
Blue Grotto is located just west of Williston on
Alternate US 27. Take I-75 exit 74 of you're going south or exit 70 if traveling
north. Go west on Hwy 121 or Hwy 27 respectively. Once you get to downtown
Williston (watch for speed traps) head west on Alternate Hwy 27. Blue Grotto
will be about four to five miles past the shopping center (next to the town
water tower) on the left side of the road. Just look for the Blue Grotto sign on
the highway and take the left onto the dirt road. Travel another few hundred
yards and the entrance will be on your right.
Description:
Blue Grotto is a cavern system great for OW divers,
and even a snorkel can get you around to several of interesting views.
One of the more unique aspects of Blue Grotto is their fresh air filled
"bell" at 30 feet that is a novelty many divers enjoy checking out. This air
bell is constantly being supplied by a compressor, so you don't have to worry
about CO2 retention. It can fit several diver in at once. While in the bell, you
can look through the glass at the people swimming above you while you are just
talking to your buddies without a regulator. You
can explore the open cavern system without any more than open water certification,
although it is recommend that you limit yourself to a 60 foot maximum depth.
Past his point it can become silty and quite dark. Permanent heavy duty
guidelines tour through the entire system with a maximum
depth of 100 feet. There is a cave site elsewhere on the property that is not
connected to the main cavern. I recommend diving either early morning or late
afternoon. During the weekends classes in the basin kill the visibility very
quickly. No mater how many times the video tells you to stay off the bottom,
there will always be a few people that think they need to kneel down in order to
do anything. Click here for
the official web page. The entrance fee is generally $27 per diver. There is a
large area for picnics and outdoor sports, although the tables are usually used
to set up your dive gear. The water is a constant 72 degrees year round. There
are showers, changing areas, and a full service dive shop on site.
Click here for Blue Grotto cavern map
Click here for street map
