Things to See and Do

The sense of environmental awareness that has spread throughout the world in the past half century has not always extended to north-central Florida’s springs and sinkholes. In the days before divers started coming to the Grotto, a sinkhole was often seen as little more than a convenient dumping ground for everything from cars and trucks to household trash.

Over time, however, divers have managed to remove most of the junk, leaving only some venerable car wrecks. To this have been added an airplane, a motorcycle, a two-person tow sub and two different boat wrecks.

For the careful observer, there are a number of Eocene-epoch fossils embedded in the natural limestone walls, including ancient sea biscuits and other invertebrates. (Your guide can point these out to you.)

Among the Grotto’s most famous landmarks is this Suzuki motorcycle, suspended on cables at a depth of 40 feet. Divers can easily sit astride the motorcycle and pose for pictures.

Perhaps the most whimsical addition to the Grotto is the Gnome City, a collection of miniature castles and people, located in a tiny cavern at 40 feet.

These are but some of the many attractions divers can discover below the Grotto’s surface. You will find the location of these items on our latest Grotto Map.

Dealing with depth and other factors »