Bonneville SeaBase–Utah’s tropical sea

Do you dream about scuba diving or snorkeling with exotic sea creatures in some tropical paradise? Well, grab your gear and head out into Utah’s desert. Bonneville SeaBase offers just such an adventure and it’s only 40 miles west of Salt Lake City.

SeaBase offers a series of interconnected ponds that are home to thousands of tropical fish, including four sharks that are over seven feet long. A naturally warm, naturally salty spring feeds the ponds. The water is not exactly the same composition as ocean water, but it’s close enough to allow the fish to thrive–including colorful, exotic fish from around the world.

SeaBase is basically a huge salt-water aquarium where you can snorkel or scuba dive year-round. The deepest spot, at this writing, is 42 feet, but work is underway to create a hole that is 60 feet deep. The ponds are big enough to allow more than a dozen people to dive simultaneously without interfering with each other.

People of all skill levels are welcome at the facility, from beginning snorkelers to advanced divers. This is a popular place for Boy Scout troops and other youth groups. It attracts people who just want to snorkel and watch the fish, classes with students working to certify as scuba divers, and experienced divers who want a close, warm, scenic place to dive.

SeaBase is a private venture owned and developed by Linda Nelson and George Sanders. They are long-time scuba enthusiasts who also own Neptune Divers. When they discovered the property with its warm, salty spring, it was undeveloped. They recognized its potential, purchased the land and began to develop the ponds. They opened for public use in 1990. Since then, they have expanded and lined the ponds and built up a tremendous population of fish.

A greenhouse-like structure has been built over part of the main pond. It provides benches to sit on and a place to enter and exit the water, even during cold, stormy weather. The remainder of the main pond is covered by fiberglass sheeting during the winter months. Another large pond is completely uncovered, even during the winter. The two large ponds are connected by a tunnel, so you can snorkel or swim back and forth. There’s also a sunken boat–the Shipwreck–for divers to explore.

The surface temperature of the water in the ponds varies from about 75 degrees during the coldest part of winter to about 85 degrees during the summer. Deeper water stays close to 85 degrees year-round. In winter, the top layer of water is cool enough that a wetsuit makes diving more comfortable.

SeaBase maintains a large stock of snorkel and scuba equipment for rent to patrons. There are also facilities to fill air tanks, freshwater showers and a snack bar.

SeaBase is an ideal classroom for scuba instruction. New classes start every few weeks, taught by various local dive shops, or by certified independent instructors.

The sharks at SeaBase are mild-mannered nurse sharks–they really are over seven feet long, and generally hang out in an underwater cave in the main pond, though it’s only large enough to admit three of them at a time. Scuba divers enjoy seeking out the sharks. They are docile enough that divers can pat their heads.

Employees bring in about 15 pounds of frozen squid a day to feed the sharks–to keep them from eating the exotic fish in the ponds. Still, fish disappear now and then…

Millions of tiny "mollies" live along the edges of the ponds. Small tropical fish often found in home aquariums, mollies reproduce prolifically in the ponds and provide forage for the larger exotic fish.

SeaBase is a wonderful place for adventuring close to home!

SeaBase Details

Location: From Salt Lake City, go west on I-80 to the second Grantsville exit (84), then go south on Highway 138 for five miles. A sign along the highway clearly identifies the facility.

Reservations: Recommended but walk-in patrons will be accommodated if space allows. For reservations call 435-884-3874, or use the Internet (www.seabase.net). To register for scuba lessons, visit Seabase or a dive shop.

Cost: Daily use fee: $14; Scuba package rental: $20; Snorkel package rental: $10. Group rates are available for non-profit organizations.

Some species of fish found in the ponds are listed below:

• Angel Fish

• Damsel Fish

• Eels

• Groupers

• Grunt Fish

• Hog Fish

• Jacks

• Nurse Sharks

• Orange Tailed File Fish

• Pork Fish

• Puffers

• Sailfin Molly

• Soldier Fish

• Squirrel Fish

• Tangs

• Triggers