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FreshwaterSpringCaveTechnical DiveSource Checked

NBM Dive Site Resource

Hole in the Wall Cave

Marianna, Florida, United States

TECHNICAL CAVE DIVE ONLY — Hole in the Wall is a long, structurally complex Merritt’s Mill Pond cave with upstream and downstream passages, restrictive sections and penetration extending thousands of feet.

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Historic Picture Placeholder

Old-fashioned maritime line drawing reserved for a future historic photograph
Historic Picture PlaceholderHistoric photograph pending research and rights review
WaterFreshwater
AccessBoat or paddle access across Merritt’s Mill Pond; certified cave-diver procedures required
ExperienceTechnical cave diving only — certification and configuration must match the planned route
Maximum depthApproximately 40–100+ ft / 12–30+ m
Best seasonSeasonal details pending
VisibilityVisibility varies

Aquatic life at this dive site

What divers may encounter

Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) — photograph
Common pond-edge encounter

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Bluegill are among the prominent sport fish documented in Merritt’s Mill Pond; divers are most likely to see them around the clear-water cave entrance and vegetation rather than deep in the overhead passage.

USFWS Mountain Prairie

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Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) — photograph
Established pond resident

Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

Merritt’s Mill Pond is nationally known for redear sunfish. Look near vegetation and open-water habitat around the spring entrance; encounters farther inside the cave are less likely.

Ltshears

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Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) — photograph
Regular open-water resident

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

FWC documents quality largemouth bass in Merritt’s Mill Pond. Divers may encounter bass around the spring basin and entrance, especially near structure and vegetation.

USFWS Mountain Prairie

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Site media

Photographs

Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending
Illustrated scuba diver reserved for a future dive-site photograph
Dive Photograph PlaceholderDive-site photograph pending

Contributor media

Dive videos

Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.
Dive-site video pending
Dive-site video pending
Dive-site video pending

Recent field observations

Diver-reported temperatures

Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.
Automatically checked
No recent diver reports from the past 14 days

A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.

Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.

Diver field observation

Report temperatures

Reports publish automatically when the date, depths, and temperatures pass the checks. You must be signed in to submit.

Depth readings

Why divers know this place

Highlights

One of the longest documented cave systems in Merritt’s Mill Pond, with architecturally varied upstream and downstream routes.

Before you arrive

Access notes

Do not enter beyond personal training or the daylight/cavern limit. Confirm current access, water level, flow, visibility, land-manager rules, buddy-team requirements and emergency plan before diving. Exact navigation coordinates are intentionally omitted.

Plan within your training

Conditions and hazards

Permanent overhead, small entrance and chimney, seasonal flow or siphon behavior, sediment-sensitive floor, silt-out potential, restrictions, complex navigation, line entanglement and no direct ascent.

Independent resource notice

This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.