Bonne Terre Mine
Dive site in Bonne Terre Mine, United States
Guided trail dives in a flooded mine lit by over 500,000 watts, in constant 58°F water with about 100-foot visibility.
- Usual dive
- 24 m
- Level
- Advanced
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- From shore
- Current
- Moderate
Photo: Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The story
The St. Joe Lead Company began building Bonne Terre Mine in 1864; it closed in 1962 and gradually filled with rain and spring water. In 1983 Jacques Cousteau's Calypso crew explored the flooded mine for a documentary.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The dive
A flooded mine dive from the shore.
Who it's for
Recommended minimum: Advanced (PADI Advanced Open Water, N2).
- OverheadPart of the dive is under a ceiling, without a direct way up.
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- Access is restricted or uncertain: check with local authorities and operators.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Flooded mine
- Current
- Moderate
- Estimated
- Environment
- Cavern (daylight visible)
- Water
- Sea water
Why divers come
- Bucket-list dive
- History
Season in Bonne Terre Mine
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Diveable all year.
Source: scubadiving.comWhere is Bonne Terre Mine?
The point shows the Bonne Terre Mine area, not the exact dive site.
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.