Blue Grotto

[normblitch]

...up for sale...???

http://www.stpetetimes.com/2005/11/1...rinking_.shtml

nhb

[Limestone Cowboy]

...up for sale...???

http://www.stpetetimes.com/2005/11/1...rinking_.shtml

nhb

PPPFfffffffffftttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been there a few times. It's a sinkhole, plain and simple.

Furthermore, the water is not significantly different then what you'd get from a nearby well. (Other than the high urine content....)

Anyways, no matter who buys it you can probably kiss diving goodbye.

Drew

[Tegg]

...up for sale...???

http://www.stpetetimes.com/2005/11/1...rinking_.shtml

nhb

I'll post my same opinion here as I did elsewhere on this issue...


---

It is only a matter of time before ALL of the private sites go up for sale and the commercial bottling companies (who have VERY deep pockets) buy them all up and shut them down for diving.

I wish he would do what I would do... give the actual sink/spring to an organization that can keep it protected and then sell the land to a buyer and includes "use" of the site for diving and conservation activities.

He would still get a nice chunk of money from someone wanting to take over the diving operations, but instead this is more of a greedy transaction then a "conservation" one as he tries to "make it out"...

It's a shame that money is before conservation for him... the truth always comes out in situations like this...

I saw a flier from the auction company earlier this week. It referred to the Blue Grotto as a "cave diver's paradise."

[Walter Pickel]

I saw a flier from the auction company earlier this week. It referred to the Blue Grotto as a "cave diver's paradise."

There is more on the property than just the commerical blue grotto -- a lot more.

[D1V3R]

I saw a flier from the auction company earlier this week. It referred to the Blue Grotto as a "cave diver's paradise."

so yah, i just about had a laughing induced stroke, thank you sludge

[MikeH]

I saw a flier from the auction company earlier this week. It referred to the Blue Grotto as a "cave diver's paradise."

Depends on what cave diver you're talking about....

If you ask nicely, and can prove(or have somebody vouch for you) that you have the skills, you may be allowed to dive the real cave there...not the pit that they allow anybody into. You should be an experienced sidemount diver, though....and no-mount in some of the areas.

Mike

[Ken Hill]

There is a cave that sits under the pavilion and changing area and measures rectangularly about twice the size of two football fields. The primary entrance is down a ladder located within one of the buildings on the property and the other is through a passage that has an impeller that draws water from the commercial cavern in order to provide flow. You don't want to go through that one. If you recall two stone and concrete structures that look something like a well, they lie over about dead center of the large room. Sadly there is always debris that was thrown in there over the years.

The depths of the large room is from 20ffw to 80 ffw. On the far side of the large room there is passage as posted that requires side mount or no mount. It is silty and relatively pristine. The line is not to be trusted anywhere in the room or the passage.

The owners are long time divers and their family owned not only Blue Grotto but at one time Paradise Springs. They have been involved in diving since holding movie lights for the cameramen shooting "Sea Hunt" series filmed at Silver Springs forty plus years ago.

Exiting is cool. Find the ladder and inflate, sort of like sliding UP a ladder.

/K

Blue Grotto is more than a sink hole. It has an obvious siphon you can see and hear, even though you can't feel a flow in the main section. I was there on Sunday with an AOW course and it was awe inspiring to them. Its a scuba diving treasure that I hope falls into good hands (not some city or water bottling company), that will continue to share it with the world.

[OFG-1]

Humph! Only 5 million? No Problem. Anyone have change for a billion?