Blue Hole (New Mexico)
| Blue Hole New Mexico | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Guadalupe County, near Santa Rosa, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 34°56′26″N 104°40′24″W / 34.940447°N 104.673239°WCoordinates: 34°56′26″N 104°40′24″W / 34.940447°N 104.673239°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. width | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Max. depth | >80 ft (24 m) |
| Surface elevation | 4,600 ft (1,400 m) |
| Frozen | never |
| Islands | none |
The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa is a circular, bell shaped pool east of Santa Rosa, New Mexico that is one of the most popular dive destinations in the US[1] for SCUBA diving and training. The Blue Hole is an artesian well that was once used as a fish hatchery.[2] It is a clear blue body of water with a constant 64 °F (18 °C) temperature and constant inflow of 3000 gallons per minute. While the surface is only 80 feet (24 m) in diameter, it expands to a diameter of 130 feet (40 m) at the bottom.[3]
Since Route 66 and Interstate 40 pass through the Sandia Mountains on the way back to Albuquerque, NM, it is necessary for divers to use high-altitude dive tables to compute the dive profile and decompression stops when diving in the Blue Hole.
A diving permit is required to use the pool and can be obtained from the city of Santa Rosa ($8 for a one-week permit).
Tanks may be filled or rented as well as some equipment at a private dive shop located at the site.
References
- ↑ Sachs, Andrea (2004-12-19). "On Route 66, the Blue Hole Beckons (washingtonpost.com)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ↑ "Santa Rosa, New Mexico's Blue Hole | Scuba Diving". scubadiving.com. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
- ↑ "Santa Rosa, New Mexico : City of Lakes". Retrieved 2008-12-06.
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