A stunning karst fed by underground springs, New Mexico's Blue Hole, which is located in Santa Rosa, is located 4,623 feet above sea level. A popular destination that attracts divers from all over the US as well as from other locales around the world, this unique dive site features crystal clear water that remains at a refreshing temperature of 62 degrees all year - cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. Brace yourself and take a giant stride, or ease your way in from the stairs at the Blue Hole's edge, and enjoy all this unique New Mexico dive site has to offer.
A Dive in the Blue Hole
An artisan well that has attracted animals and humans since its formation, and which has been a popular swimming hole since the days before the first railroad made its way into Santa Rosa in 1901, New Mexico's Blue Hole is a bell shaped cavern.
As you stand on the edge, you'll be able to look down to the platform at 30 feet and see it clearly, and that is because the spring that emerges from the adjacent cave system to keep Blue Hole brimming with water generates about 3,000 gallons per minute. When you arrive, you might think the site looks tiny, since its opening is only about 60 feet across. The deeper you go, though, the wider the formation gets - at its widest, it is 130 feet across. Maximum depth is 81 feet, and since you can only reach the site by traveling across mountain passes, all dives done here are altitude dives.
Try to arrive early for solitude and the best visibility. As more divers enter the site, visibility lessens due to stirred up silt from the bottom, and due to lots of bubbles coming up to the surface from divers down deeper than you might be. Before you dive, be sure to get a permit from the local dive center or from city hall; or, if you visit on a Saturday, you can buy a permit at Blue Hole. The site is monitored and permits are checked. Dive without one, and you'll pay a hefty fine in the hundreds of dollars.
Once in the spring, you can either make a free descent or follow a buoy line down to one of the platforms. While there are barely any plants in the spring, there are lots of goldfish and lots of crayfish; plus, there is a massive steel grate that has prevented divers from entering the adjoining cave system since a fatal accident occurred there decades ago. A pair of gravestones sit nearby.
Blue Hole is open for diving all year, and night diving is permitted. The site is much busier in the winter than it is in the summer, so the admonition to arrive early applies doubly during the cooler months of the year. The nearby dive shop offers air fills and equipment for rent or purchase, and there are amenities including restrooms and picnic tables here as well.
Santa Rosa has plenty to see and do topside, as well. You'll find historic sites, plenty of outstanding dining opportunities, spring fed lakes, and golfing, plus the famous Route 66 Auto Museum, to name just a few attractions. Various accommodations in the area range from camping to hotels. Whether you're planning to pass through or stay for a few days, you're sure to enjoy a memorable and unique dive.