|
| An Introduction to Artificial Reefs by John Nunes (November 23, 2008) |
|
|
Canada's West Coast is known as the Graveyard of the Pacific for the scores of shipwrecks lost in these waters. Many wrecks have succumbed to this rugged coastline and its oftentimes treacherous conditions over the years. These wrecks are not much safer underwater than the day they sank, with many disintegrating over time in their new environment. Wooden wrecks are eaten away by worms. Steel ones crumble due to oxidization. Not all damage inflicted is because of the elements. Salvagers remove anything they think they can sell. Souvenir hunters do their part in stripping these shipwrecks of artifacts, in most cases ignorant to the damage they cause in the process. For older wrecks, all that remains may be a few pieces of broken machinery or a partial skeleton of the ship's frame. Even relatively recent shipwrecks have begun deteriorating to the point where their structures are no longer stable. In the end, while still offering very interesting wreck diving experiences, penetration opportunities on natural shipwrecks in these waters can be both limited and unsafe. For wreck divers in British Columbia, there is another option: artificial reefs. The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC), Nanaimo Dive Association (NDA), and others have reefed a number of artificial reefs in recent years, and continue to come up with plans for more in the future. These can be ships, planes, automobiles and other objects purposely sunk for divers to enjoy. They are prepared prior to sinking by removing hazardous materials, sealing off confined spaces and cutting diver-accessible holes. Artificial reefs present excellent training opportunities for wreck divers to perfect their technique and accumulate experience. It is important to stress that while a tremendous amount of time and effort has gone into making these reefs as diver-friendly as possible, the hazards inherent to diving in overhead environments are still present. Proper training and equipment are a must.  GB ChurchDate Sunk: August 11, 1991 Location: Portland Island, Sidney (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 48o 43.323' N, 123o 21.339' W Length: 175 feet GB Church is the first artificial reef sunk by the ARSBC. This ship saw service in World War Two as a supply ship, before being used as a coastal freighter on the BC coast. There are penetration opportunities in the aft superstructure, and all of the cargo holds are open. GB Church rests upright on a sandy bottom in 90 feet of water and is home to a rich variety of marine life, which includes octopi, wolfeels, lingcods, various rockfish and giant plumose anemones.  ChaudiereDate Sunk: December 5, 1992 Location: Porpoise Bay, Sechelt (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 49o 37.694' N, 123o 48.699' W Length: 366 feet (actually a bit shorter because bow piece is missing) This Restigouche class destroyer escort lies on its port side at 90 degrees with her bow hanging over a ledge. Being on its side creates its own sets of challenges and opportunities for divers, making Chaudiere ideal for wreck training purposes. There are plenty of areas to explore inside, although access to decks 4 and 5 was sealed off prior to sinking. Aft deck at 60 feet, superstructure at 80 feet, bow deck at 100 feet, with bottom depth ranging from 80 to 140 feet. Stellar visibility.  MackenzieDate Sunk: September 16, 1995 Location: Gooch Island, Sidney (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 48o 40.094' N, 123o 17.170' W Length: 366 feet Flagship of the Mackenzie class, this destroyer escort rests upright in 100 feet of water. Divers can spend more time on this artificial reef than the other destroyers without racking up as much decompression, courtesy of her shallower depth. Located in a high current area, Mackenzie has accumulated plenty of silt over the years, and has some exposed wiring and entanglement hazards.  ColumbiaDate Sunk: June 22, 1996 Location: Maude Island, Campbell River (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 50o 08.031' N, 125o 20.152' W Length: 366 feet Another Restigouche class ship, Columbia lies on a rock bottom at a depth of 120 feet with a list of about 35 degrees to port. While located in a current-swept area, nearby Maude Island shelters Columbia from the brunt. As of writing, anecdotal evidence indicated a fish farm located close by was negatively influencing visibility.  SaskatchewanDate Sunk: June 14, 1997 Location: Snake Island, Nanaimo (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 49o 12.96' N, 123o 53.070' W Length: 366 feet Another Mackenzie class ship, Saskatchewan sits in 130 feet of water with a slight list to port. A very popular artificial reef both for the abundance of giant plumose anemones and other marine life such as octopi, cabezons, lingcods and swimming scallops, as well as for her training opportunities. There are many diver-accessible holes, plus many interior compartment walls have been removed to make areas more open. Mast at 45 feet, bridge at 65 feet, top of guns at 85 feet, fore and aft decks at 95 feet and aft mortar bay at 105 feet.  YukonDate Sunk: July 14, 2000 Location: Mission Bay, San Diego (click here for dive site map) Length: 366 feet Yet another Mackenzie class ship, Yukon rests in 100 feet of water on its port side at a 90 degree angle, well within recreational diving limits. This reef has numerous openings providing access to all areas, and features interesting interior wall murals for divers to find.  Cape BretonDate Sunk: October 20, 2001 Location: Snake Island, Nanaimo (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 49o 12.88' N, 123o 53.067' W Length: 411 feet This Victory class ship was completed just after World War Two ended, and had served as a repair ship and training establishment for technical apprentices before being converted to an escort maintenance ship, and later as a towed mobile support facility and accommodation vessel. Sunk in close proximity to Saskatchewan, the quantity and type of marine life on both artificial reefs are now on par with each other. Crow's nest at 40 feet, top of funnel at 50 feet, captain's quarters at 85 feet, bow starts at 70 feet, bottom below bow at 130 feet, stern (after helicopter deck) starts at 90 feet, bottom below stern at 150 feet and bottom of engine room at 142 feet.  Rivtow LionDate Sunk: February 7, 2005 Location: Newcastle Island, Nanaimo (click here for dive site map) Length: 157 feet Before becoming known as the Rivtow Lion and used to tow log booms on the BC coast, this oceangoing tug took part in World War Two, towing damaged convoy ships for the Royal Navy. Rests on a sandy bottom, with bow down at a 15 degree list to port. Depth is 80 feet below bow, with bottom of rudder at 60 feet. Aft main deck and bridge windows at 45 feet and top of funnel at 36 feet. A hole in funnel allows swimthroughs, hence the large air pocket inside. Engine room is accessible, as is the superstructure, although some confined areas have been sealed off as a precaution. Offers training opportunities in shallow depths, and is an excellent fallback if weather conditions prohibit diving the artificial reefs near Snake Island.  XihwuDate Sunk: January 14, 2006 Location: Stuart Channel, Chemainus (click here for dive site map) Co-ordinates: 48o 56.142' N, 123o 43.130' W Length: 100 feet A Boeing 737-200 aircraft, this unique artificial reef rests on 15 foot pedestals, with the depth below the nose at 70 feet and below tail at 120 feet. Passenger compartment at 70 feet and top of tail at 35 feet. Cockpit, passenger areas and luggage compartments are all accessible. As of writing, nearly 100 different marine species have been spotted on this sunken plane, including octopi, wolfeels, cabezons and various types of rockfish, perch and crab.  AnnapolisDate Sunk: TBA Location: TBA Length: 371 feet Preparation is underway for the sinking of this helicopter destroyer escort in Howe Sound in 2009, making it the closest artificial reef for divers in the Lower Mainland. Resources Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) |
| [back to top]
Copyright 2004 Benthic Canada. All rights reserved. Click here for terms and conditions. Comments, questions, suggestions? Click here to send us feedback. |