United States

Map

Not to be missed

• Devil's Eye & Devil's Ear (Ginnie Springs) →

  A classic entry at Ginnie Springs with a cavern from cavern level, camping next to the water and a brown river layer above Devil's Ear you won't forget.

• Peacock Springs (Peacock I) →

  A well-known state park near Luraville where intro-to-cave divers can already see a fine stretch of cave, down to 55 m.

• Madison Blue Spring →

  A state park where you're welcome from intro-to-cave level, down to 44 m.

• Jackson Blue Spring →

  One of the Marianna caves, which hold up fairly well against floods: a good alternative when the rivers around High Springs run brown.

• Eagle's Nest →

  A deep full cave target down to 94 m in a hunting area: only for experienced trimix divers with the right registration and permit.

Regions

• North FloridaNorth Florida's springs and sinks, from Ginnie Springs and Peacock to Madison Blue, Jackson Blue and the deep Eagle's Nest. Long, clear caves at ~22 °C, often with stairs from the car park. With the state park rules and river levels.23 springs · down to 107 m

Good to know

• Open-water divers may not carry lights in the state parks, and 'grim reaper' signs stand at the entrances: this is how Florida keeps untrained divers out of the overhead. Grates close off the most dangerous parts, such as in the Ginnie Ballroom and Vortex.
• Every spring has its own rules. In the state parks you show your certification, sign in, never dive solo and finish 1 hour before sunset. Ginnie, Blue Grotto, Devil's Den and Vortex are private dive parks with their own hours and rates; Cow Springs is for NSS-CDS members only.
• Scooters are banned at Peacock, Lafayette Blue, Ichetucknee and Blue Spring, among others, but allowed at Ginnie, Little River and Manatee.
• After heavy rain the Suwannee and Santa Fe push brown, tannic water into the river caves. Telford is 'first to blow, last to clear', and Peacock is often dark in the wet winter.
• Spring water is about 22 °C year-round around High Springs and Luraville, and 19–21 °C around Marianna. Blue Spring (Orange City) closes from 15 November to 15 March for the manatees; keep 15 m away everywhere.

Tips for safe and enjoyable diving

• Check the USGS gauges on the Santa Fe and the Suwannee before your dive day. When the rivers are high, pick the Ginnie Ballroom, Manatee, Blue Grotto, Devil's Den or the Marianna caves.
• You can fill trimix and O₂ in High Springs, Fort White, Luraville and Marianna. Order trimix in advance in Marianna; personal compressors are banned at Ginnie.
• In an accident, call 911. The DAN emergency line +1 919 684 9111 (24 h) arranges the nearest available chamber; options in the Panhandle are few.
• If you dive Eagle's Nest, wear fluorescent orange on hunt days and check the FWC hunt calendar.
• Plan a rest day in open water: the wreck of the Madison in Troy Spring, Devil's Den, the Ginnie Ballroom or Blue Grotto. December and January are the quietest months at the springs.

Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.

News

News articles that mention one of the caves in this region, collected automatically and not checked by us.

• In 2017, scientists poured Rhodamine WT pink dye into Porter Hole Sink under Florida's Lake Jackson; 35 days later instruments picked it up at Wakulla Spring through limestone caves ↗

  Wakulla Springsscienceblog.com·6 Sept 2026

• Scientists poured pink dye into Florida's Lake Jackson to trace hidden water; about 1 month later, it appeared at Wakulla Spring through limestone caves ↗

  Wakulla Springsindiatimes.com·6 Sept 2026

Access and rules change: check what applies locally right before your trip. Source: GDELT Project.

Searched automatically, last on 5 Oct 2026.