Canada is an amazing place, not only for SCUBA diving, but for freediving as well. While there are hundreds of excellent sites to try, including lakes, quarries, and coastal areas, some do stand head and shoulders above the rest. Here are seven of the best freediving sites Canada has to offer.
Boeing 737 – British Columbia
Not only is this a fantastic site, it is the word’s very first artificial reef created from a sunken Boeing 737. Situated about an hour north of Victoria just offshore of the town of Chemainus, the decommissioned Canadian Airlines jet was sunk on January 14th of 2006, after being carefully prepared for diver safety. Mounted a few meters above the seabed and looking as though it is preparing for takeoff, the plane is well marked with floats at the midsection and tail, plus there is a buoy for tying up, along with a yellow marker buoy. The top of the tail is located at 18 meters, the front passenger doors are at 22 meters, and the rear passenger doors are at a depth of 25 meters. Maximum depth is 32 meters.
Covered in tubeworms and anemones, tunicates, and starfish, the jet is home to red sea urchins, wolf eels, and a variety of fish; take a peek inside the cockpit for a look at the interior, which has been completely stripped. It is advisable to avoid overhead environments, including the interior and underside of the aircraft, and as its shallowest accessible point is at 18 meters, the site is suitable for intermediate to advanced freedivers only.
Horseshoe Lake – Alberta
Located about 25 kilometers south of Jasper, along the road to Banff, Horseshoe Lake is easy to find. Parking is in a roadside lot, and after a short hike down a steep trail, you’ll find a barely submerged ledge where you can sit down and finish gearing up. A pair of walls await here – one is just across from the access point, and the other is right below the access point. Depending on the time of day, one area might be in shadow – pick the one with the best light, and make your way down. The lake bottom here is at 26 meters, and the wall is peppered with lovely overhangs where brown trout hide. Look out for swimmers jumping from the cliff tops, and be prepared for a thermocline at 15 meters. While the lake is cold, averaging 14C at the surface during the summer months, it is fed by glacial springs and offers excellent visibility of about 10 meters, until you get to about 15 meters, where you’ll be surrounded by darkness along with freezing water.
There are no amenities other than a park toilet in the parking area, but you can camp in Jasper if you like, plus the town offers a wide range of services.
Ansell Place – British Columbia
A fascinating wall dive and an excellent site for training, Ansell Place is named for the exit from the Sea to Sky Highway. After heading toward Squamish and taking that exit, you’ll turn left across the overpass and left onto Ansell Place itself. Turn left again at Citrus Wynde, follow the road down the hill and under the railroad tracks, and then take a right; just park in the cul-de-sac. A set of wooden stairs leads to the dive site; be careful as the rocks at the bottom can be very slick. Once in the water, you’ll find the wall just a few meters from shore, dropping straight away past thirty meters. Here, you’ll find chimney and cloud sponges, beautiful feather stars and sunflower stars, lots of sea peaches, lingcod, and even wolf eels along with a few friendly and curious seals. During the summer and early fall, red jellyfish pose a hazard, and people do fish from rented boats, so look out for lost fishing tackle and overhead traffic.
Morrison’s Quarry – Quebec
Located just four kilometers south of Wakefield, Morrison’s Quarry is probably best known as the jumping off point for Great Canadian Bungee. Open during the summer months, usually from June to September, the quarry is popular with scuba divers, particularly on weekends and Wednesdays. In order to get into the water, you’ve got to be a certified SCUBA diver yourself; present a valid c-card, sign in, and pay a small fee, and you’ll be ready to explore the many sunken attractions the quarry has to offer, which are situated along a sunken road. Attractions include a twin engine plane, a small car, a picnic table, and a tugboat, all of which are marked with buoys. Spring fed and cool, the quarry offers maximum depth of about 40 meters, and features visibility between 2 and 15 meters. Use caution as there are some jagged pipes; there is no supervision.
Flora Islet – British Columbia
Located near Hornby Island just off Vancouver’s east coast, at the end of a long peninsula, Flora Islet is accessed via charter. There are regular trips to the site, as it is very popular with scuba divers; the dive store in Courtenay can help you with planning, and some charters also leave from Fords Cove, on the other side of Hornby Island. There are three permanent mooring buoys along the islet’s southwest side, in about fifty feet of water, anchored to the top of the wall. Near the islet, there’s a shelf at twenty feet. Here, you’ll find a fantastic array of marine life, including lots of anemones and sea pens, tubeworms, starfish and anemones, and plenty of fish, plus the odd wolf eel. If you’re very lucky, you might even encounter a rare six gill shark, as they have been seen in the area before.
Tobermory – Ontario
The site of the famous Fathom Five Marine Park, there are a number of shallow wrecks to explore at Tobermory, many of which are situated in just a few meters of water and visited by tourists in glass bottomed boats. Many sites can be accessed from shore, and others are a short boat ride from the harbor. During the summer months, visibility is exceptional, but be prepared for cold water no matter what time of year you visit. Check out the Big Tub Lighthouse, where rocks and grottoes shelter all kinds of marine life, including some very large fish, and don’t forget to take a trip to the visitor’s center, where you can find interesting historic data on the wrecks, plus information about the area’s aquatic life. While scuba divers must pay a nominal fee to dive in the park, there is no fee for snorkeling or freediving.
Ogden Point Breakwater – British Columbia
A fantastic shore dive with inexpensive parking, this site is fantastic for snorkeling, freediving, and scuba diving. There is a dive store right next to the breakwater where you can park, or you can walk a short distance and park along Dallas Road. The breakwater’s rocky structure supports an immense variety of life, including crabs and other crustaceans, lingcod, kelpfish, and wolf eels, octopus, and lots of anemones. Look for orange burrowing sea cucumbers and swimming scallops, as well. Be careful of sharp barnacles, and use caution as the area is popular for fishing; lost tackle presents an entanglement hazard, as does the kelp forest. Pay close attention to overhead boat traffic, as well. Once you’re finished with your dive, you’ll find coin operated showers and a coffee shop at the dive store; great for warming up after a visit to this chilly, yet absolutely magical underwater world.
A fantastic and inexpensive way to enjoy Canada’s underwater splendor, freediving is becoming more popular. There are freediving clubs in Vancouver and Toronto, plus there are a number of different competitions held annually. Whether you want to try for a new record, or simply enjoy exploring aquatic environments, you’ll be certain to find that Canada is a great place to do it.