Dive Sites in Victoria BC Canada

GB Church

The GB Church was BC's and Vancouver Island's first artificial reef. A 175 ft (53 metre) 530 ton coastal freighter, the GB Church was built in 1943 in Goole, England and initially served in World War II as a supply ship. Bill Church, who owned the ship for most of this period renamed the ship after his father, George Bennett Church. The GB Church was sunk within the Princess Margaret Marine Park off Portland Island near Sidney on August 11, 1991 (48° 43.323 N, 123°  21.339 W). Preparation of the ship included stripping the ship down to the steel, cutting holes for diver access and removing any hazardous obstacles. Diver safety is a key consideration; confined spaces are either sealed off or opened up for easy entry and exit. The final preparation of the ship included cleaning up all environmental hazards including cleaning the bilges and all fuel and oil lines in the ship.

The sinking site was chosen for its close proximity to local dive shop operators and for its flat sandy bottom on which to land the ship. All coast guard and navigation requirements were also met by this location. On the sandy bottom ,the ship quickly became overcome with rich marine life, including octopus and wolf eels and, today, is a testimonial to the positive environmental impact that artificial reefs have on the marine ecosystem.

Mackenzie DDE 261

The Mackenzie is a 366 foot, 2900 ton Mackenzie Class destroyer escort. It was operated as an anti-submarine destroyer escort ship from 1962 until 1972. For the following twenty years, it was a training ship. The Mackenzie was sunk on September 16, 1995, four miles (6.4 metres) east of Sidney, about 150 yards north of Gooch Island, in about 100 feet of water (48°  40.094 N, 123°  17.170 W). It is an area of sometimes strong current and visibility averages 25 feet. For its sinking, the Mackenzie was surrounded by more than 1,200 watercraft: the largest gathering of watercraft in BC history.

The ship sunk in three minutes, 45 seconds. The ship landed on the bottom and settled with a 20 degree list to port. The stern sits on the bottom in 110 feet of water and the bow in 90. Three marker buoys are attached to the bow, bridge and stern of the ship for direct access to the ship from the surface. Moorage buoys are also maintained by the local diving community for private and charter boats to tie up. The site is just north of the American-Canadian border and about a 30 minute run from the numerous marinas and docks of Sidney.

Clover Point

Clover Point is a jut of land on the west side of Ross Bay in Victoria BC, near the Ross Bay Cemetery. It is part of the Dallas Rd. Park and is a popular place to fly kites and watch sea storms. The dive is off the front of the point. It has limited depth and lots to see. Be sure to check your current tables before diving here, because the tide can really rip through off the point. To get there, turn left off of Douglas St. on to Dallas Rd., and drive till you see a cul-de-sac lookout jutting into the water. This is Cover Point, located at the intersection of Moss St. and Dallas Rd.

Ogden Point

A pretty decent bull kelp forest, big anemones, plumose anemones, a huge variety of rockfish, lingcod, kelp greenlings, cabezon, sculpins, shrimp, crabs, starfish, nudibranchs, some octopus and wolf-eels. The breakwater is ¾ km. long so this can be quite a hike in all your gear. There are a few days a year when it is too rough to dive here. This is considered a fairly safe, easy dive.

Race Rocks

"THE" best dive off southern Vancouver Island. A boat dive off the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The site is a collection of small islands, reefs, walls and pinnacles. There are many places to dive and it would take many dives to see it all. Because of the current, this place is invertebrate heaven. There are walls covered with anemones, soft corals, sponges, basket stars, purple hydrocorals, hydroids and just about everything else. The main reason why most charter boats come here is to dive with California and Steller's sea lions.

There are also tons of harbour seals and a few elephant seals. This place is a marine reserve so any kind of collecting or harming marine life is strictly prohibited. Lots and lots of current. Even if you dive on slack, you will probably still feel current. You must have a live boat that is ready to pick you up at any time if you don't want to end up in the middle of the Pacific. Be prepared with a signal tube, dive alert and a whistle at the least. These rugged islets lie off the southern tip of Vancouver Island and are the most southerly point in western Canada. Marked by a distinctive black and white lighthouse, they guard the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Spindrift

This is not a popular dive site. Entry is at the end of Cranford Place off of Queenswood Drive. There is a shallow lagoon surrounded by rocks.

SaxePoint

A small memorial park in southern Esquimalt, Saxe Point is a popular training site and a good dive for beginning divers. An excellent place to see octopus Octopus.

To get there from downtown Victoria, cross the Johnson St. Bridge (going out Pandora St.) and find yourself on Esquimalt Rd. Continue straight past Lampson St. and the Esquimalt Rec Centre and Mr. Grocer. Just past this complex, turn left onto Fraser St. Drive to the end of Fraser St where you will see a sign for Saxe Point Park. The site is at the end of this road. There are washrooms here as well.

Spring Bay

Visible from Ten Mile Point, Spring Bay is essentially the same area. It is a series of shelves dropping about 10 feet for each one. There is lots of parking here, with stairs to the beach, which is a small bay. Check the current before diving. It can be quite strong and pull you all the way to Ten Mile. Generally, the current is at the surface only, and disappears or even reverses direction at depth.

Again, ask for directions at a dive center, but Spring Bay may be found by following the directions to Smuggler's Cove, except that instead of turning right onto McAnally, you continue on straight. The road continues until you see it split around a tree growing in the middle of the road. Just past that tree is Spring Bay

Telegraph Bay

Not a popular dive site, Telegraph Bay is a calm, shallow dive that is good for novice divers. To get to Telegraph Bay, drive out Blanshard to Hillside, turn right and go till you meet Cadboro Bay Rd. Turn right and follow Cadboro Bay past the village and through a few twisting curves to its terminus, a gravel parking lot and beach access.