Current Blue Heron Bridge Status?

[Dantastic]

I haven't been to this forum in awhile, but am glad to see thatt everything is still very active, i get tons of info from here.

Anyway, i havent been diving in a few months, and my younger brother hasn't dove in an even longer time, so i thought we would go out to Blue Heron Bridge to practice up some skills for this summer. After searching on here i read that they had closed down phil foster park after the hurricanes, and now opened parts of it.

I was hoping someone could give me a current status weather it is open to diving or not, i wouldnt want any trouble with the police.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Dantastic]

Well i was able to answer my own question, a quick call to Kevin at Splashdown was able to clear things up. Park is still closed. Too bad cause that was a very fun spot. Hopefully it will open up for the summer. Guess that means ill be out with Splashdown.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

Actually, I have been diving at the Blue Heron Blvd bridge several times over the past six months since the rash of hurricanes. The large span is still closed and fenced off, but you can dive the smaller span (east of the large span). Previously, you could dive this area from the sandy beach on the south side of the causeway. That area is also fenced off now. Currently you have to park in the boat launch area on the north side of the causeway and walk in by the boat ramp. I haven't seen any park rangers there myself, but a friend dove there when one was around. The park ranger told him and his wife that only the large span was closed.

That having been said, while the diving there is still good it is different than before. There are still several sailboats sunken around and under that span so there are lots of schooling fish now. A lot of the sponges are gone since the hurricane and I haven't been able to find seahorses, batfish, frogfish, and stargazers like before. The small eels, crabs, lobsters, blennies, starfish, angelfish, etc are still around. Hopefully, everything else will come back with time.

 

[Divesherpa]

What are your protocols about dealing with fishermen? Kevin and I went up to try that span, but the fishermen ran us off with heavily weighted leads.

Cheers,
Jamie

 

[Dantastic]

Thanks for the info debersole, i had heard that people were getting some trouble from the rangers. I would also like to know how you did with the fisherman, because i heard some people were having problems with them as well. Thanks again for the update.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

I haven't had any problems with fishermen. I'm a photographer and usually dive that site solo on a semi-closed rebreather. I just drop under the water at the boat ramp and then swim over to the western-most span and work my way inside the spans. I purposely don't spend much time north or south of the span because of concerns over entanglements from fishing lines.

I'm planning a trip there to teach some underwater photography students in a couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it goes!