Should recreational cave diving be allowed at Wakulla Springs State Park? NO
NO: Wakulla Springs should remain closed to recreational diving
by SANDY COOK
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wakulla Springs is renowned for its unique boat tours that have been offered since the mid 1800s.
Dining or spending the night in the historic lodge or taking a plunge in the massive spring are other unique opportunities offered. It is a travel destination for both locals and those who come from afar and who contribute significantly to the local economy.
In today’s tough economic times, ideas are often touted as good for the local economy. But in some cases new activities can have a significant impact on existing activities.
It has been suggested by a few that Wakulla Springs be opened to recreational diving. Opportunities to dive are currently provided at Cherokee and Emerald Sink, two areas managed by the park staff. There are numerous good reasons that Wakulla Springs has always been closed to recreational diving.
One primary reason is safety.
Florida Geological Survey (FGS) Bulletin 66 reports that the Wakulla Springs Basin is 185 feet deep. The spring basin in the 10 state parks that allow diving ranges from 18 to 61 feet deep.
The depth of the massive cave system at Wakulla Springs is 300 feet deep and miles long which is significantly greater than other state park cave systems.
The most current diving accident/fatality report indicates depth as the most significant factor in fatalities among certified-trained cave divers. One might contend that it is the diver’s responsibility to dive within his or her limits and is not the responsibility of the Florida Park Service to prevent park visitors from engaging in dangerous activities.
However, there is a responsibility to those who manage public lands to balance the benefit and risk associated with a proposed activity. In this particular case the risks far outweigh the benefit gained.
State parks do not charge a fee to dive so it would not result in increased park revenue. In fact, recreational diving could actually reduce revenues.
Generations of families have grown up riding the tour boats and the park has been voted as “the best place to bring an out of town guest.”
The boat tours generate almost a half million dollars annually and provide educational and entertaining experiences to an average of 80,000 people each year.
All or part of two types of tours (river boat and glassbottom) operate over the spring basin.
Florida law states that a person operating a vessel make a reasonable effort to remain at least 100 feet from a diver. The size of the spring basin would require that the tour route be drastically reduced when divers were in the water.
This would diminish the tour and might keep people from returning. Furthermore, it could possibly be a violation of Florida Statute.
During the peak summer months thousands of people come to Wakulla Springs to take a plunge off the dive tower and swim in the spring water.
During the months on May through August nearly $150,000 is generated on park admission fees with a large number of those folks coming to swim.
When a swimmer is in distress or has to be rescued, the swimming area is cleared until the issue is resolved.
The time period is usually minimal.
When a diver is in distress the period of time to resolve the issue will be greater. During this time period the swimming area would be closed, reducing the recreational opportunity for hundreds of park visitors and resulting in lost revenue for the park.
So think about these scenarios. You have planned a picnic or cookout (birthday party, reunion, company or church party) during the hot summer months at Wakulla Springs. This is an annual tradition for many that goes back generations. It is a safe and family friendly place for your gathering.
You discover the swimming area has been closed due to an unfortunate accident involving a diver. Due to the depth and complexity of the cave it could take multiple days for the recovery effort.
Unfortunately, the reality is that the extreme conditions of the Wakulla Springs cave system will result in someone losing their life in a diving accident should it be open to recreational diving.
Another scenario is that you have company from out of town and you want them to see one of the world’s largest and deepest springs so you bring them to Wakulla Springs. You choose to go on the Riverboat ride or as many call it the Jungle Cruise.
You ooh and ahh over the wildlife observed but the tour boat does not go over the spring basin as you anticipated. There is a group of divers in the basin and the Park Ranger advises that by law he must keep his distance from the divers.
Your friends do not get to experience gliding over the spring basin which looks like a large emerald bowl filled with large fish.
For 16 years I had the pleasure of serving as the park manager for Wakulla Springs. During my tenure our staff made every reasonable attempt to accommodate requests from park visitors, often times resulting in additional workload for the staff. Our staff had a reputation of going above and beyond the “call of duty” to ensure each guest had a memorable visit to the park.
I felt then and continue to feel strongly that recreational cave diving is an incompatible activity within the spring basin of Wakulla Springs.
If you feel as I do please contact DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard at (850) 245-2011 or by email at
herschel.vinyard@dep.state.fl.us.
Let’s keep Wakulla Springs a special place for all to enjoy.