Missouri has a very unique amd world famous diving site that lies 1/4 mile below a town.
Bonne Terre mine, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is an abandoned mine that is the largest man made caves in the world. It was made especially popular by Jacques Cousteau in 1985 during what was to be a 1/2 day visit that ended up being a 5 day extended stay. Bonne Terre is considered a top diving site. It is a world famous dive site drawing divers from around the world.
Mining operation ceased in 1964 and the pumps were turned off. Well, mother nature took its course and filled a portion the cavernous mine with over 17-billions gallons of crystal clear water to form a navigable lake that is 17 miles long inside the mine.
The mine is currently operating as a tourist destination as well as a magnificent diving destination with 28 trails for recreational scuba diving. In addition, the owners are currently developing three more trails specifically for technical diving.
Read on for further details about this amazing dive location
Into the Abyss
Some of the underwater scenes in the movie The Abyss were filmed in these waters, so the mine has had its own bit of stardom. The chilly water in the mine fills 88 miles of passages while the surface has 17 miles of navigable shoreline, so there’s plenty of room to film your own movie…
You can see forever
Visibility is easily around 100 feet (30 m) with very little silt on the bottom to muck it up. While the deepest parts are over recreational limits, most dives are done between 40 and 60 feet (12 to 18 m)…
Swim through it
If you like tunnels and swim-throughs, interesting lighting arrangements, crystal-clear water, zero current and just relaxing while swimming under a town, then you should head to Bonne Terre. …
Watch the following video to get a glimpse at what scuba diving Bonne Terre is like.
Bonne Terre is a dive site that you should seriously consider for your scuba diving bucket list.
Images Source: YouTube Clips
