Riviera Beach, Florida, United States

Blue Heron Bridge

Blue Heron Bridge crosses the Lake Worth Lagoon between West Palm Beach and Singer Island, and the artificial habitat below the bridge at Phil Foster Park has become one of the most famous macro-photography shore dives on the planet. Maximum depth on the lagoon side is about 6 metres, with most of the action between 3 and 5 metres. Diving is timed to slack high tide because the inlet is a major waterway and the current is otherwise too strong. The dive site is a 800-foot snorkel trail with intentionally placed concrete reef modules, plus the bridge pilings and rubble, all carpeted in sand and home to a remarkable concentration of cryptic species: striated frogfish, painted frogfish, flying gurnards, batfish, jawfish, octopus (including blue-ringed and Atlantic pygmy), Caribbean reef squid, hairy clinging crabs, peacock flounder, and rare seahorses. The park has free parking, showers and full facilities; it is the most beginner-friendly ocean dive in Florida and a daily destination for underwater photographers.