As a lot of you know I am basically a "warm water, pretty fish" kind of underwater photographer. However, Sunday I was asked to go over to Weeki Wachee to document their cleanup activities as they remove a lot of the debris and algae from the spring area. I had done a similar shoot before they started.
After that dive I was offered a trip by boat to the "Weeki Wachee Abyss" -- formerly known as "Hospital Hole". This is a sinkhole about 300 yards upriver from Rogers Park on the Weeki Wachee River and about 10 minutes by car from Weeki Wachee Springs. A cold front had moved through Florida so it was hoped that some manatees would have moved in and they had. There were three adults and a juvenile in the shallow water surrounding the "Abyss". The "Abyss" itself is a circular sinkhole starting in about 15-20 feet of water and drops to about 140 feet. There is a sulphur layer at about 80 feet, below which there is very little to no light. Unless you are cave or at least cavern certified it is recommended you stay above this area.
I was with a group of 16 divers from Georgia who had come down to dive both Weeki Wachee Springs and the Abyss. Unfortunately, this many divers in such a small area stirred up a lot of the bottom and limited the photos. However, here is what I was able to get:
Roger's Park
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The boat, the captain, and the guests
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Weeki Wachee Abyss (Hospital Hole)
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Manatees
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Diving the "Abyss"
The Sulphur Layer at 80 feet
The silt at 140 feet -- one bad fin kick and you are in zero visibility!
Solution Tubes in the walls -- they are blind passages and do not go to the surface
More Manatees
After that dive I was offered a trip by boat to the "Weeki Wachee Abyss" -- formerly known as "Hospital Hole". This is a sinkhole about 300 yards upriver from Rogers Park on the Weeki Wachee River and about 10 minutes by car from Weeki Wachee Springs. A cold front had moved through Florida so it was hoped that some manatees would have moved in and they had. There were three adults and a juvenile in the shallow water surrounding the "Abyss". The "Abyss" itself is a circular sinkhole starting in about 15-20 feet of water and drops to about 140 feet. There is a sulphur layer at about 80 feet, below which there is very little to no light. Unless you are cave or at least cavern certified it is recommended you stay above this area.
I was with a group of 16 divers from Georgia who had come down to dive both Weeki Wachee Springs and the Abyss. Unfortunately, this many divers in such a small area stirred up a lot of the bottom and limited the photos. However, here is what I was able to get:
Roger's Park
The boat, the captain, and the guests
Weeki Wachee Abyss (Hospital Hole)
Manatees
Diving the "Abyss"
The Sulphur Layer at 80 feet
The silt at 140 feet -- one bad fin kick and you are in zero visibility!
Solution Tubes in the walls -- they are blind passages and do not go to the surface
More Manatees
