NEW MEXICO

Cool off diving national parks and natural wonders in the scuba capital of the Southwest

- JENNIFER IDOL

A walk through Carlsbad Caverns (above) is worth adding to your dive trip; spring-fed Blue Hole (right) is a popular training destination.

JENNIFER IDOL is the first woman to dive all 50 states in the U.S., author of An American Immersion, and a PADI AmbassaDiver. She’s also a member of the Ocean Artists Society.

Although New Mexico is known for skiing and ballooning, it’s also been described as the scuba capital of the Southwest. Caves and mountains interrupt miles of arid shrubs and rocky landscape best seen in the early morning or evenings. Scattered among them are lakes and springs prime for dive exploration.

The whole family can enjoy diving Blue Hole and Perch Lake in Santa Rosa, a two-hour drive from Albuquerque. Blue Hole is a former fish hatchery that has been explored to its fullest. This recreational dive and snorkel destination is a spring-fed karst system with a small cave that is closed to diving. The coldest dive site in New Mexico, Blue Hole is a hotspot for training and swimming at elevation. It’s a vertical column of clear water where you can see the entire spring in one or two dives. A couple of minutes from Blue Hole, Perch Lake is often used as a training site because of its shallow depths and training platform. Divers here can find a sunken Cessna airplane and car. Perch Lake is also warmer than Blue Hole and far less crowded.

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