Blue Heron Bridge

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A map of Blue Heron Bridge courtesy of Blue Heron Bridge Scuba

None other than Sport Diver Magazine called this site the best shore dive in the entire world in 2013 and it's still one of the most popular and best loved dives there is. Even better, it has its own dive shop to support the bustling activity, the Blue Heron Bridge Scuba shop.

Blue Heron Bridge

Coordinates	26.785929, -80.025704
Depth	20 feet
Skill Level	Beginner
Access Method	Shore
Protection Status	None

Attractions & Wildlife

"Diving enthusiasts, especially underwater photographers, can expect to see a wide assortment of sea life in a fairly small area. Under and around the East Bridge is where you will find arrow crabs, banded coral shrimp, angelfish, cuttlefish, bat fish, barracuda and sea horses. On the North side of the East Bridge is a sunken sailboat, and a sunken powerboat sits to the South of the East Bridge. The 800 foot long Snorkel Trail runs parallel to the beach just inside the boat exclusion zone and is composed of concrete and rock formations, three hammerhead shark statues, shopping carts (yes there are several) and brick structures placed by the Boy Scouts of America. Along the Snorkel Trail can be found grunts, frog fish, sea horses, and octopi. The West span’s cement columns are filled with all sorts of amazing marine life such as schooling french grunts, sea horses, frog fish, spotted eels, golden eels, yellow rays, starfish, and nudibranchs. Many of these and other exotic and rare species of marine life can be found all around Blue Heron Bridge and if you’re lucky, you just might spot an eagle ray, sea turtle or even a manatee! Be careful NOT to touch or disrupt the marine life as this can be dangerous to both the diver and the fragile ecosystems forming around the bridge."

See what other people have observed in the waters of Phil Foster Park via iNaturalist.

Entry & Access

"Phil Foster Park is located at 900 Blue Heron Boulevard, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. Heading East on Blue Heron Boulevard from I-95, Florida’s Turnpike, or Hwy 1 you cross over the Blue Heron Bridge and look for the traffic signal at the entrance to Phil Foster Park just before exiting the bridge onto Singer Island. Turning into Phil Foster Park from Blue Heron Blvd look for the parking lot on the left side of the entry road that runs parallel to the beach and the bridge. Your water entry will be from the beach under the bridge. To the right you will see a restroom, the boat trailer parking and the boat launch areas. Do not park in the boat trailer areas (there is a fine) or enter the water from the docks around the boat launch ramps. The parking spots along the South side of the park bordering the beach under the bridge fill up fast, so give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot and arrive a couple of hours prior to high tide on weekends and holidays. Park your car in one of these locations or in the West side of the park avoiding long spaces reserved for vehicles with boat trailers."

"Equipment setup along the beach area is simple and there are picnic tables and grassy areas alongside the South parking. Phil Foster Park has three main diving areas with a great variety of life in each one; the East Bridge, the Snorkel Trail/Artificial Reef, and the West Bridge. The area in front of the life guard shack bordered by round white buoys is the guarded swim area and divers are prohibited from submerging in this area. Surface swimming is permitted in the guarded swim area as long as no regulators are used for breathing (snorkels only). Blue and white signs on the beach near the swim area indicate where diving is not permitted. Water entries are typically made from one of three areas along the beach; the beach area in the Southeast corner of the park (East of the Guarded Swim Area), the beach area near the children’s playground (West of the guarded swim area), and the Southwest corner of the park near the kayak launch ramp. Once you enter the water, head east towards the smaller east bridge, sometimes called the Old Bridge, South to intersect the Snorkel Trail, or West to explore the area around and under the main/larger span of the Blue Heron Bridge (the West Side)."

Skill Level & Hazards

"The dive depths at Blue Heron Bridge range from 2-6 metres/5-20 feet, making it great for every level of dive experience. The tidal movement around the Blue Heron Bridge area can be strong when it is not high slack tide. Scuba divers are required to use dive flags and snorkelers swimming outside of the guarded swim area should also use one, otherwise there is a chance of being injured or fined. There is a boat channel that runs about 30 meters/100 feet parallel to the shore and under both bridges. At high tide, boats cannot pass beneath the East Bridge due to low clearance, but they may run under at other times of the day. Use caution and stay clear of the channels. The park is also a favorite spot for fishing so snorkelers and divers are cautioned to avoid the area under the fishing pier on the Southwest corner of the park and should exercise caution under the East Bridge as it is also a common fishing area."