THE

THE DENVER POST H	SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2005


Steve Bradburn The Washington Post
At the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa , N.M. , divers swim 80 feet down year-round in the crystal-clear water. The area of the landlocked state has emerged as a haven for divers.
No ocean? No problem for divers drawn to "City of Natural Lakes"
Landlocked New Mexico 's Blue Hole a prime destination
By Andrea Sachs The Washington Post Santa Rosa , N.M. - Among diving sites, there are the big fish ( Great Barrier Reef , Egypt 's Red Sea , Bonaire ) and the small fish ( U.S. lakes and quarries). And then there are the goldfish - of Santa Rosa 's Blue Hole. Two hours east of Albuquerque , this unassuming New Mexico town plunked on old Route 66 has no open water, no exotic marine life and no boozy party boats nearly capsizing with neoprene-coated boomers. One thing it does have: a reputation, however puzzling, as one of the top diving destinations in the United States . Known as the "City of Natural Lakes," Santa Rosa is overflowing with pristine bodies of water that provide an invigorating blue splash in an otherwise arid landscape. Most of the lakes are used for everyday summer activities - fishing, swimming, boating - and one, Perch Lake , has a sunken twin-engine plane that attracts scuba divers partial to large, corroding objects. The town of 2,744also touts its Mother Road lore, whose ghosts still rumble like a '57 Chevy along the neon-bright drag. And then there's the famous outlaw Billy the Kid, who though neither a diver nor a driver, still found time to kick up some dust in Santa Rosa . Yet it's the Blue Hole, an 8o-foot-deep artesian spring fed from an underwater aquifer, that draws visitors (about 8,000 diving permits are issued per year) from around the world. With limited scuba spots in the Southwest, novice divers drive all day to practice their skills in a sinkhole that's as safe as a bathtub. " Santa Rosa could have been just another Route 66 town washed to the side. But people will drive 10, 13 hours to come here and dive Blue Hole," said Dave Seelig, a diver and student in Albuquerque . "It's a great spot for diving, but there's not enough fish to see. You'll probably know all of them by name by the end of the weekend." Locals say the Blue Hole often attracts triple digits of divers per weekend, filling the watery void with tiers of fins and tanks. (PADI, one of the diving world's biggest associations, considers it a reputable diving spot.) With 3,000 gallons of water flowing per minute, the water is as clear as Evian, and word is you can look down at the bottom and discern a nickel from a bottle cap. But that's not until midweek, when silt kicked up by the weekend crowd settles. I was there on a Sunday and couldn't see much beyond the carp, goldfish and coi pursing their lips for food. For scuba purists who want their coral reefs protected and their sharks unbaited, the Blue Hole might be sacrilege. The walls are made of craggy limestone and the bottom is fairly flat and covered with leaves, so it seems as if you are hiking underwater. The aquatic life mainly comes from backyard ponds and children's bedrooms. And the temperature remains a constant 64 degrees, whether you are dog-paddling at the top or resting 80 feet below. Best, or worst, of all are the novelty items that past divers have tossed in. As if scuba diving weren't entertaining enough, now SpongeBob SquarePants greets divers 25feet below the water. On a chilly November weekend, I entered the Blue Hole from a set of steps that faces a spiraling sweep of rock that climbs high to a flat peak – a good spot for plunging in (sans scuba gear) or viewing divers underwater. I sunk slowly to the bottom, as the gray sky began to recede and the shale bottom crept closer. The 360 degrees of serrated rock, forming alien faces in its crags, made me miss the soft seagrass and white sand of the Caribbean , but seeing the goldfish so at home cheered me. I went to see what Mitch and Cathy had to say. The two had scribbled their names on the rock face using a remarkably waterproof marker. Then I realized I wasn't alone: SpongeBob SquarePants was grinning at me like an idiot. He's part of the Toy Museum , a collection of diver-donated baubles also known as the Golf Store, Golf Course and Toy Store (no one can agree on a moniker). It included an odd assortment of golf balls, candy-colored toys nudged into the hard crannies, an eerie skull (maybe Joe Cool?) and the porous cartoon figure. Just as I was trying to read the museum sign – something about please don't remove the items but feel free to add to the collection - my air gauge hit the danger zone. I had to ascend, before I too turned blue, from lack of oxygen. Albuquerque is only 117 miles away, but divers must wait at least a couple of hours before driving back, as the combination of Santa Rosa's 4,620-foot, elevation and the high-altitude commute can cause the life threatening "bends." Fortunately, Santa Rosa has a history of tending to travelers who are hungry, too hot or too cold, overtired and in dire need of not moving a muscle. " Santa Rosa used to be an accident stop for people going east to west and west to east," said Mayor Joe Campos, who was making an appearance at his Route 66-era restaurant, Joseph's. "They had to come through here. But now it's becoming a destination." The details The Blue Hole is off Route66, just minutes from Santa Rosa . The Hole is open 24/7, though the on-site scuba shop (the only one in town) is open only weekends and sporadically through the week (call Stella, who runs it, at 505-472-3370 for information). Rentals are $30 for two tanks and a set of gear, $5 for tank only, $4 air. Divers need a permit, sold at the scuba shop or information center on Route 66 (look for the scuba flag). Information: Santa Rosa Visitors Center , 505-472-3763, www.santarosanm.org.