Bonneville SeaBase - Grantsville, Utah - Scuba, Snorkel, tropical fish, diving lessons

There is no ocean in Utah, but there is Bonneville SeaBase. A commercial scuba and snorkel site near Grantsville, it serves as Utah's "inland ocean." This site was originally a series of warm, salt-water springs-the "hot-pots" have been deepened, enlarged, and interconnected. The shoreline and bottom were stabilized to reduce silt in the water. Then tropical fish were added. Really big tropical fish. Now the four interconnected ponds form SeaBase. These pools vary in temperature, depth, fish life, and visibility.

The salt water in these ponds is almost as salty as the ocean. Because there are no natural currents and plenty of sunshine, algae will build up in the summertime. This means the water is light green in color and visibility is better in the winter and early spring. At this site you can swim year-round in warm salt water with large tropical fish.

Here is a breakdown of the ponds:

White Rocks Bay - is the most popular pond. It is nine to twelve feet across. Most of the fish are in this pond. The temperature in this pond varies from place to place, usually running between 72 and 80 degrees. There is a dome over the water entry area for gearing up and entering the water out of the weather. There is also a Plexiglas cover protecting the pond. This cover helps trap warmth and reduce algae growth. Depth in this pond is seventeen feet. Water entry and exit is via a ladder inside the dome.

Habitat Bay - is connected to White Rocks Bay by a swim-through tunnel. Exposed to surface winds, the upper water is cooler. Visibility varies around five to nine feet. This pond has a concrete water entry and exit ramp with handrail. There is a giant-stride entry platform, a four foot platform and twenty three foot platform for scuba instruction. You'll find an underwater habitat at fifteen feet. Maximum depth in this pond is around twenty five feet. In the south end of this bay there is a sunken twenty two foot cabin cruiser called the Sheer Joy, you can explore inside it.

Grantsville Trench - connects Habitat Bay to Iron Bottom Bay, which then connects to Bubbling Sands Bay. These bays are small and fairly shallow and the bottom is covered with pond weed. Temperature remains around 74 degrees here, with visibility of six to nine feet. There are few fish and some large shrimp for viewing, these areas are great places to practice underwater navigation.

SeaBase is usually open from 9am to dusk, Thursday through Monday. Normally closed Tuesday and Wednesday, special arrangements can be made for group dives on these days. Full dive services are available, including replacement parts, rentals, lessons, air fills, Nitrox, and rebreathers. There is a small snack shop and dive store available, indoor and outdoor eating areas, classrooms, warm-water showers, freshwater rinse tanks, and heated changing rooms. There are small trailers available for overnighters. There is a daily dive fee that allows you to dive all day and special activities such as night dives or shark feeding available for an additional charge.

To get to SeaBase, take I-80 west out of Salt Lake. Take the second Grantsville exit (Exit 84) to U-138. Turn left and drive five miles. Bonneville SeaBase is just off the highway on your left. The physical address is 9390 West Highway 138, Grantsville, Utah.

Tips for visiting:

-Multiple divers affect the visibility in these ponds; weekdays are the best for diving.

-Classes aren't allowed in White Rocks Bay so this stays fairly clear even when there are people in the other ponds.

-White Rocks Bay is where most of the fish hang out. The fish have been taught to come up to shallow for feeding, so snorkeling is great.

-Invest in some Romaine lettuce to bring with you to use as fish food. Instead of watching the fish swim by, you'll be mobbed by dozens of the biggest tropical fish you've ever seen.

-You must have your certification card.

-No dogs.

-No smoking.

-You must view a 15-minute video and sign release form before diving or snorkeling.

-There are rebreathers and Nitrox available on site.

-Classes to learn to scuba and for advanced skills are available.

-Great place to practice your fish photography.

-The fish are used to divers, and come right up to you.

-There are several nurse sharks, with the largest over six feet in length.

One online reviewer said, "Bring your older children, they can snorkel under the dome of White Rocks Bay with untold swarms of small fish. They'll enjoy discovering the giant shrimp among the rocks and will never forget feeding the big tropical fish. It is important you visit SeaBase with appropriate expectations. This isn't the ocean. These are salt-water ponds. On a bad day, algae and silt can reduce the visibility to a few feet.''