I quickly get into my scuba gear and as I slip into the crystal-clear water, a squadron of spotted eagle rays, led by the enormous 8-foot-wide polka-dotted ray, “Mr. Big,” glides by with grace and elegance. Right away, unusual winged fish with electric blue designs called flying gurnards circle over my fins, and a loud, wet "pfuff" announces that a manatee is nearby. Heart pounding with excitement, I can’t wait to dive and see what I will find. Looking out at the lumbering sailboats, my soul inhales the picturesque serenity. Gazing through the looking glass, flecks of movement tease that innate desire to photograph something that no one has ever seen before. What will I find today?

In a land where snorkeling and diving is encouraged, world renowned underwater photographer Alex Mustard will be the first to tell you:

"A dive at Blue Heron Bridge is like discovering a shop in the most unlikely area that turns out to be a real Aladdin's cave, packed with little treasures. It is the most improbable setting, beneath a four-lane bridge, surrounded by boat docks and overshadowed by towering cement pilings. And the feeling that you’re not in the right place continues underwater. Most of the dive is on flat, featureless sand and less than 15 feet deep. But soon you're seeing wonders: frogfish, seahorses, sea robins, nudibranchs, batfish, stargazers and always a surprise or two. I have seen hairy frogfish in waist-deep water and watched both long-arm octopus and seahorses mating here. Blue Heron Bridge is clearly an important place not just for divers to see these marvels, but for the next generation of these species too."

Situated smack in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway at Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach, Florida, the Blue Heron Bridge has undergone a major transformation over the past couple of years. Spanning more than 14 acres, the park now offers two boat launches, designated fishing piers, a guarded swimming area, a playground facility overlooking the water, and four picnic areas.

But wait, there’s more -- the Phil Foster Park Artificial Reef and Snorkel Trail has been born.

The Blue Heron Bridge has become internationally recognized by scuba divers, underwater photographers, and scientists as one of the top muck dives in the world for its unique marine life and urban legend of the illusive “Muck Monster.” With all the hoopla about the bridge, more and more folks have been flocking to this beach.

To enhance the harmonious balance between divers, swimmers, boaters and fishermen and to raise public awareness of our backyard resources, the Blue Heron Bridge was approved to create an artificial reef to span a 2-acre area south of the park in the Lake Worth Lagoon. This reef is built from limestone boulders and some prefabricated concrete reef modules and placed in 6 – 15 feet of water. The design of each reef will attract more marine life with ledges and cubbies for fish, seahorses and octopus.

Signs will be posted in the channel warning boaters of the rocky terrain from the new reef. Hence the artificial reef will double as a protective barrier to snorkelers and divers. A marine life kiosk will be placed on the beach to help newcomers identify the amazing creatures that they are seeing.

More importantly though, and keeping the public’s safety in mind, the boating channel will be marked with more buoys, alerting boaters of the snorkel park’s perimeter, and from below, divers will have a clear indication when they are getting too close to the channel. The underwater markers will be placed far enough apart so as not to obstruct manatees and other large flying objects like Atlantic stingrays from passing through.

Special thanks goes out to the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Karen Marcus, the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Environmental Resources Management and a very lovely group of concerned divers to protect and enrich this little diamond in the rough.