Bonneville Sea Base

Fortunately, I've only had one opportunity to dive this location. This site is as 'fine' as the state of UT.... A HELL HOLE!!! Before I entered the water, one of the employees informed me the vis. was in the 10' range. I dove in and could barely see my hand. However, it is pretty cool to dive with sharks in the middle of the desert. The best part about this dive was watching the feeding of the sharks and pelagics from the surface. (Note: UT doesn't sell beer on Sunday...Something is wrong here!)

We visited Bonneville Seabase in May '07. The site consists of 2 shallow springs (abt. 30') and on deep spring (60') These are inland saltwater springs stocked with tropical fish, nurse sharks and lots of other cool stuff. If you bring romaine (not iceberg) lettuce, the fish will swim up to you and chow down. The nurse sharks will tolerate you for a few seconds, even let you pet them, and then they swim off so you can find them again. The facilities are great with a dive shop right next to the springs with changing facilities indoors. The springs are warm, but a shorty is probably a good idea. 2 out of the 3 springs are covered, making it more comfortable getting in and out in the winter. The vis is the key issue with the Seabase. When we were there in the late spring, the algae bloom had started and the vis was less than 4 feet. They say winter and early spring is the best time of year for good vis. On their website (www.seabase.net) it says they've recently installed a new filter system that is supposed to improve the vis in the future. Right now they're advertising 6' in the shallow springs and 12' in the Abyss. Overall, it's a unique dive, especially in Utah, and is definitely worth a visit.

For being as far from the ocean as it is, the wildlife at this site is impressive. Take a head of lettuce (iceberg if I remember correctly) down with you and watch the fish become instant friends with you. Vis was about 3-5' for us but if you stay long enough you get used to it (or maybe if you're used to diving in low-vis conditions like we are). Work on your navigation skills and find various objects such as a wreck, a turtle, Pierre, and others. Finding nurse sharks there was mortifying yet intriguing. I'm not a fan of zoos or aquariums containing large animals in small cages (if you get my drift). However the fact that one can go so far from the oceans and still swim with sharks was kind of cool. If you find yourself in the area, this place may be worth looking into. Happy diving! K