My son and I are newly certified divers so going here on our own was a stretch for us!! Easy dive, but if you have a chance to talk to some of the locals, take the time to do so! They gave us great tips on how to handle the rip-tide before and after high tide. Learned a lot and had a good dive, but barely scratched the surface of tie potential! I can see why some of the locals dive it multiple times every week!!
Either way you chose to go, this place is the place to go. There is great diving or snorkeling right off the beach with lots of things to see. Plenty of parking, a small beach, but you can hang out under the bridge when it's to hot.
If you are in this area and want to snorkle look no further. This is a great place to go to. Also has life guards on duty from 9-5 which is a plus. You will see lots of sea life here. Outdoor showers and bathrooms here too. There are grills and picnic tables as well. Snorkle under the bridge thwts whereguard stand is also.
We visited the park, and snorkeled around the beach area by the bridge. We saw a couple barracuda, and a few other fish. We saw a Manatee from shore, too. After we got out, then we found out that we had missed the high, or even time, when the viewing is a lot better. This is the first time we had diving flag used enforced so close to shore. The facilities were quite nice all the way around.
Free parking. Clean facilities and bathrooms. Picnic tables. Playground. Public Boat Ramps. Easy access for fantastic diving or snorkelling under Blue Heron Bridge. Can be very busy with dive clubs and boaters at the weekend. Be careful of fisherman and pay attention to boat traffic. Force-E Scuba and Pura Vida nearby for help. Publix just off BHB Blvd for picnic supplies. Please keep the park tidy and respect local wildlife.
I reviewed this also under, "Blue Heron Bridge." Great place for free scuba diving. Go right before high tide for clear water. Snorkeling is fantastic, since it's shallow. Parking is limited, so get there early when the weather is nice on the weekends or holidays.
We dove the bridge three times renting tanks and weights from Pura Vida Divers (which, is the only place to use as far as we are concerned- they are the nicest and most accommodating dive center we have ever used and they have excellent guides who can help point out some of the macro critters if you don't have a keen eye.) We dove the east spot twice and the west side once. In total, we saw 3 seahorses, 5 spotted eagle rays, loads of batfish, jawfish with eggs, starfish, tons of fish, a decorator crab, lobster, the list goes on and on...Since you can only dive the bridge during high tide, the parking lot fills up quickly. The key is to get there early...even if it means sitting around for a while- especially on the weekends. The visibility can vary from day to day- stay for a few days to let your eyes adjust to seeing the macro life and get the best chance of having good viz. This would be a dive suitable for any skill level- it is shallow and the entry/exit is easy. There were lots of folks fishing, boating, snorkeling, sunbathing and having picnics. Very well maintained park.
Always a great place to snorkel and swim from... it's nice to have the cover of the bridge so we don't have to carry our sand umbrellas all the time. Get there early, because parking is a nightmare and the police will shut the park access down once the lots are full.
We were there to dive and the underwater life is fantastic. There is also a boat ramp and a dive shop at the park (opposite from the beach). Lifeguard is on duty but best to go at slack tide as the current is strong. On the weekends parking can be an issue since several dive shops take students there.
This park offers boat ramps for many sizes including jetski's They have plenty of parking but if its a holiday it tends to fill-up fast. They have floating docks so your friends can pick you up. The facilities are well kept and clean. This park offers many grilling areas with picnic tables. A must see!!