South Florida: Snorkeling at Phil Foster Park
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau
When I moved to Florida, I was on the hunt for a snorkeling treasure. I checked out a few local spots, but they were a bust. Last year, I wanted to hit the Keys to get my fish fix. Time and weather had other plans for me, and then I moved to Massachusetts.
Last month, a charity close to my heart, YATC, led me back to Florida. When I told Gisela I would be visiting she asked, “Do you want to go snorkeling?”
I responded, “Absolutely, but I don’t think I’ll have time for the Keys. Maybe…”
She said, “You don’t have to. I found a park nearby where we can snorkel. It’s called Phil Foster Park. I’ll send you the link. Are you interested?”
I yelped, “Yes!”
When I arrived, I bought snorkeling gear. We found rental places nearby, but I decided I wanted my own equipment.
On Monday, we got up bright and early. Stephanie met us at Gisela’s, and our adventure began. We were not sure what to expect, but we were hopeful. Would a man-made snorkel trail attract a kaleidoscope of tropical fish? Would the site be lame? Would we be driven indoors by Florida’s spontaneous showers? We were not sure, but we were curious.
We arrived and parked. As we wandered around, burgers and hot dogs grilling lingered in the air. We could not find the snorkeling spot, but fortunately we wandered into Blue Heron Bridge Scuba & Watersports. Stephanie rented her gear, and we inquired about the snorkeling.
The lady at the counter, Janine, was super helpful. She told us how to find our way to the water, as well as where the trail was. She told us about the shopping carts, which were news to us. She also pointed out the shark statues and sunken ships. All of these items were placed in the water to attract the fish. Kudos to her for spending so much time with us and being so thorough!
The beach was not inviting, and we decided we would leave when we were ready to sunbathe. We put on our snorkels, and entered the ocean. The first thing I saw was a rather large jellyfish, and the water was murky. I frantically looked for my friends.
Luckily, I found them before my mind could create a whirlpool of scary images. The goose bumps that started to form deflated, as we plotted our plan. We would swim to the spot where we thought the trail started. Off we went… into the murky waters.
After a few tries, we finally found what we were looking for. We were rewarded by a so many colors swimming below us. The visibility was not the best, but the fish were bright. To our delight, there were so many of them!
We followed the trail for a bit, then decided to explore some more. We were on the hunt for sunken ships, shopping carts, and shark statues.
We found the carts, as well as a new set of colorful fish. We were at a loss as to where the other items were. The clouds started to form, and we felt a few raindrops. We took off, and went to West Palm Beach to soak up some rays… until the clouds chased us away.
Would we go back? Absolutely! The trail had so many beautiful, tropical fish. Sure, the visibility could have been better, but the fish were plentiful. I would love to snorkel there when the water is still and the tide is right. This is truly a great, little spot for snorkelers. 🙂
Check out Blue Heron Bridge Scuba & Watersports on Facebook.
