Although the natural beauty of Blue Grotto is more than sufficient for most visitors, prior Grotto owners have added a few whimsical touches to the cavern. While we haven’t added any of our own, we recognize that many visitors expect to see these items, so we’ve left them in place.
You may have seen at least some of these if you’ve previously dived the Grotto. But, if have not been to Bluie Grotto or you’ve not seen them all, here is the complete list. These are in the order we generally follow when doing guided dives. You don’t have to follow this; however, doing so will help ensure you don’t miss anything.
1 Elmer the Elephant
Elmer stands guard over the right side of the cavern entrance. To meet him, swim in along the right-hand wall while moving your light up and down along the rock face. Approximately 30 feet in, you will see Elmer resting in a naturally formed alcove carved from a bedding plane.
After seeing Elmer, continue along the right-hand guideline. Soon, you will reach the first of the boulders that line the back of the cavern. From here, you can start moving along the back of the cavern. As long as you stay above 60 feet, you will be able to see the cavern entrance and at least one of the guidelines at all times.
2 Brassy the Brass Turtle
We can’t tell you where to find Brassy because she could be anywhere. The only logical explanation for this is that, during the day, Brassy plays possum and holds perfectly still.
At night, however, Brassy must come to life, often wandering off to a new location. You will generally find Brassy resting on one of the boulders in the back of the cavern — but she could be anywhere.
3 Castle Rock
You will find Castle Rock in the very center of the cavern. It’s a stone pier extending from the cavern’s back. At the end of the pier are several loose rocks. Visitors seem to delight in stacking these into an incredible assortment of spires.
If you find nothing but a collection of loose stones when you reach Castle Rock, try creating your own stone castle. Otherwise, be careful not to knock over the work of others.
4 Melissa the Mermaid
Melissa sits at the back end of Castle Rock, a short distance from the stackable stones. Years ago, some cretin pushed Melissa off one of the boulders at the back of the cavern. From here, she tumbled down to the deepest part of the Grotto. This is an area where only properly trained and equipped cave divers should go.
Recently, we rescued Melissa using a huge lift bag. She is now in a place where any certified diver who visits the Grotto can see her.
5 Daryl the Dolphin
Daryl rests atop Dolphin Rock, a large boulder at the back left corner of the cavern. You can reach Daryl by moving from right to left across the back of the cavern or simply following the left-hand guideline back to his perch.
Daryl is the largest of the cavern’s monuments, standing nearly three feet tall. Divers often pose with Daryl while buddies shoot photos or videos of the two.
6 The Gnarly Stump
Straight out from Daryl the Dolphin is a large pile of tree limbs, logs and other wooden objects. Atop this is what we refer to as the Gnarly Stump.
Years ago, there was a large tree perched precariously on the edge of the cliff overlooking the water. Because of the need to cling tenaciously to the cliff’s edge, the roots formed in incredibly complex shapes. The tree was eventually cut down, but the stump remained.
Over the next several decades, the stump slid further and further down the face of the cliff. Finally, late this past summer, the stump could hang on no longer and fell into the water. It now rests at the summit of the woodpile.
As you pass, take the time to shine your light on this. You’ll be amazed at the complex shapes.
7 Molly the Manatee Momma
On the left-hand side of the cavern entrance is a massive pile of rock. Until a few years ago, this was part of the cliff over the Grotto. Then, one night, during a massive storm, this chunk of rock broke off and fell into the water.
We’ve dubbed this rockpile Manatee Mountain in honor of Molly the Momma Manatee, whose statue sits at the very top of the mountain. Molly is lying on her back with two baby manatees resting on her tummy. It is very touching to see.
8 The Air Bell
You’ll find the Grotto’s famous air bell a short distance from Molly. It rests on the ceiling, a little over twenty feet from open water. The bell is supplied by fresh air pumped from the surface.
Remember that this is compressed air. So, if you breathe air from the bell, you must resume breathing normally from your regulator when you exit.
And don’t miss…
Things to see in Blue Grotto are not limited to what’s in the cavern.
- An often-overlooked feature is the bedding plane that runs the width of the Grotto, just above the cavern entrance. By shining your light inside, you will see an assortment of interesting rock formations and the occasional catfish.
- In the past several months, there has been a population explosion among our Blue Tilapia. These beautiful fish can grow to well over a foot long. When the Grotto is busy, they have a hiding place they go to. However, there always seem to be at least two or three swimming out in the open. Because they frequent some of the siltier portions of the open-water basin, you should not approach them unless you have perfect buoyancy control and trim. Then, if you move slowly and carefully, you can get surprisingly close. This photo was shot from less than a foot away.
- Of course, no list of things to see in the Grotto would be complete without our star attraction. Although Virgil and its buddy Turbo spend several weeks each year doing the reptilian equivalent of hibernating, she is mostly out and about and eager to interact with divers.
By the way, this is the design for our new My Dive Buddy is Virgil the Turtle t-shirt. We will have it for sale in the store shortly.