Sink Hole, underwater air bell at 30', underwater lighting system

5390 NE 180th Ave; Williston, Florida 32696; 352 528-5770; 7 days 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; $27 per day to dive

Blue Grotto

Busy, multiple dive classes, they have updated their docks and getting in and out of the water is much easier now.

#3 - Blue Grotto

Spanish Rocks Reef is unique in that it is one of the very rare saltwater shore dives on the west coast of Florida.  This dive site consists of limestone ledges that vary in height off the bottom from about a foot to about five feet high in certain locations.   Life on the ledges are sponges, tunicates, lots of sea weed, and some corals (hard coral, sea fans, gorgonians).  Various tropical fish live on an around the ledges with turtles and nurse sharks spotted on occasion.  Average depth is from 15 to 20 feet based on tides.  Visibility is highly dependant upon prevailing wind direction and strength.

This dive site located off of Bradenton Beach, FL on Anna Maria Island.  To get to this location find the beach access point on Gulf Drive North and 33rd Street.  33rd Street is only 50 to 100 feet long and serves as the parking lot for the local beach access.   A way to get there from the mainland is to take SR 64 (Manatee Ave.) to Gulf Drive North and then go south about a quarter mile.   If you keep going south along gulf drive for about another 1.5 miles you will get to the other Brandenton Beach shore dive site the Wreck of the Regina (aka Sugar Barge).  The 33rd St. Gulf Drive N. beach access is marked by a small blue green sign to the west.   From the Beach access point find the reef by walking south along the beach six houses and then head out from there due west for a couple hundred yards.  You have to go past the sandy bottom area.  If the visibility is poor it can be easy to miss.  The ledges then heads towards the west away from shore at an angle.

Spanish Rocks Reef

Easy to find, park at the beach access, go south 6-7 houses along the beach then go due West. You can hear the reef before you can see it.

#2 - Spanish Rocks Reef 

Sunk in 1940 after it was washed ashore in a storm sits the Regina. Local divers also know this wreck as the Molasses barge. I dove this site which is very convenient due to the fact that it is a shore dive across the street from a dive shop. You must cross a street and about 100yds of sand. Once you hit the water, it is about a 100yd swim to the floating milk bottle in 18 feet of water that marks the spot. When I dove this wreck about 6 months ago, the only structure was about a 15 foot section of the bow that Jets out of the sand. There are a few ropes attached that a large amount of Sea Horses have made what I've heard to be a permanent residence. Also seen were Conchs, Sand Dollars, Wrasses, Jellyfish and a large school of Spade Fish which was the highlight for me. Visibility on the first dive in the early AM was aprox 10 to 15feet. The second dive was only about 5 feet visibility in the late morning. This is the perfect beginner shore dive due to the shallow water and location of the Dive Shop.

Directly across the street from the SeaTrek Dive Shop at Bradenton Beach and approximately 100 yards of shore sits the remains of the 247 foot tanker Regina.

Regina Wreck Or Molasses Barge

Still visible, align yourself with 6th St and go due west to find it, it is closer to shore than you think, being only 75-100 yards from the beach.

Jeremy Shepard's Dive Log

@jsaquaproject

3 dives