Rabid Otter Closes Blue Spring!

[metaldector]

Last Saturday several persons swimming in Blue Spring, Orange City, Florida were bitten by a (now confirmed) rabid otter. As a result, the whole spring area is closed to divers, swimmers, floaters, etc. For more information you can read the article at :11:
http://580wdbo.com/common/ap/2004/04/21/D82363A00.html
I've called the park to verify that it is indeed closed to all water activites and no date to open has been posted. They are going to have to catch other animals and test for rabies prior to opening again.

Blue Spring is a favorite dive site in Central Florida with depths to 125'.

 

[USAF Diver]

I hope it doesn't stay closed for too long. I really like diving there.

BTW I have gotten a depth of 132' there

 

[The Chairman]

You know,

we try to keep that Otter guy over in California... River otters do like to play and nip.

 

[CBulla]

He shouldn't otter have done that!

 

[The Chairman]

I know, I know... he's otter here... we could keep this up a while, eh? (now I sound Canadian!)

 

[metaldector]

USAF DIVER it is possible that you dove 132' but only when the river is very high adding a lot of water over the boil. This happens of course after the St. John's backs up into the spring's run.

 

[The Chairman]

Most people measure the depth with a salt water calibrated depth guage... some have a fresh water depth guage. That's a 4 foot difference right there.

 

[Wendy]

I saw a few otters swimming there a few weeks ago, but they were way up by where the speing run meets the river.

My max depth there was 120'.

 

[CBulla]

Wow... all this chat about depts and guages is making otter nonsense to me...

 

[Otter]

You know,

we try to keep that Otter guy over in California... River otters do like to play and nip.

Now where is that floss, I need to get some neopreme out between my teeth!