Knocking on Devil’s Door
Knocking on Devil’s Door
The Devil’s Spring System is home to three separate springs: Devil’s Eye, Devil’s Ear, and Devil Spring (“Little Devil”), which together produce nearly 80 million gallons of water daily.
Ginnie Springs enforces a strict “No Lights” rule here. Only certified cavern or cave divers may enter the water at the Devil Spring system while carrying dive lights. This helps prevent untrained divers from entering any area where their lack of training, experience, and specialized equipment could get them in trouble.
Devil Spring (also known as “Little” Devil) is a four-foot-wide fracture at the head of the Devil’s Spring System run. It is 50 feet long and almost as deep. Divers who descend to the bottom of this crack will be rewarded with a breathtaking view as they look skyward.
Discover the Stunning Underwater Worlds of Devil’s Eye and Devil’s Ear
Where Magic Meets AdventureDiscover the Stunning Underwater Worlds of Devil’s Eye and Devil’s Ear
Even from the very bottom, it is not unusual to look up through the clear water and be able to count the leaves on the trees overhead. Devil’s Eye is a round opening, 20 feet across and equally deep. At the bottom is the entrance to a small, intricately decorated cavern.
Devil’s Ear is a canyon-like opening located where the Devil Spring run joins the Santa Fe River. At the bottom of this opening, water gushes from a cave opening with nearly fire-hydrant-like force. Although the water in the Devil’s Ear basin is generally crystal clear, it is common for it to be covered with a thin layer of tannin-stained river water. This phenomenon enables divers to sit in the basin’s clear water and look up at the sun and trees through a unique, stained-glass effect created by the river water.
