|Introduction||Becoming a Guide||The Grotto||Risks
Factors||Bringing Divers||Policies| How Warm is the Grotto?
Visitors to Florida often have no clue as to how warm (or cold)
the water is. They may assume that, in so far as Florida is
famous for palm trees and sunshine, the state’s waters must be
bathtub warm. That’s not necessarily true. Water temperatures in
the Grotto can range from a seasonal low of 18° C/65° F to a
high of 22° C/72° F. This is slightly colder than many of the
surrounding springs, where year-round water temperatures
maintain a constant 21°-22° C/72°-73° F. Why is this? The water
in most neighboring springs and sinkholes comes almost entirely
from the Floridan Aquifer, deep under ground. This water
maintains a constant, year-round temperature, largely unaffected
by the temperature above ground. In contrast, a significant
portion of the Grotto’s water comes from local rainfall. This
means that, in the winter (when air temperatures are at a
seasonal low), the water coming into the Grotto wil