Manatee Springs
Manatee Springs is an excellent cave dive. A lot of people
don't like it because of its black walls. Just be sure to bring a
lot of light. The flow is usually considerable but you can
catch this cave when the flow is down. These images were taken on
a dive to Manatee Springs back in 1994.
All Images © Andrew Donn 1993-2003, All Rights
Reserved. All Images taken with a disposable Kodak camera in an
AquaShot housing.
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Catfish Hotel
Divers gear up and get into the water to cool off. It is
quite the hike from the parking lot over to the sink. Catfish Hotel is
an offset sink about 500 feet upstream of the main spring. Divers
usually get in here or up at Friedmans sink. The flow is coming out the
main spring with so much force that entry is next to impossible. I've
made it in that way once, a feat not to be repeated.
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Catfish Hotel
My buddies and I get ready to go on our dive. A couple
of divers are doing a cavern dive. The rest of us are doing a cave
dive.
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Sue Sink
Sunlight streams through the duckweed and water lettuce
as we come up for a peek around in Sue Sink. Few divers visit this spot
as access by land isn't possible.
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Sue Sink
Duckweed and water lettuce cover the sink like a mat.
Bubbles from our exhalations gradually push the mat back and let the
sun stream through.
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Trees
The water at Catfish was crystal clear as we returned.
You can see the trees through the clear water.
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Official Manatee Springs Site
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