The RMS Empress of Ireland, once a proud ocean liner, is now one of Canada’s most amazing shipwreck dive sites. As we explore the water and life that now surrounds her decks, let us hold a thought for the one thousand twenty four lives that ended on the foggy morning of May 29, 1914, when Empress of Ireland met her fate. Struck amidships by a Norwegian coal freighter called the SS Storstad while making her way up the Saint Lawrence River, the ship took on water and sank quickly and only 465 passengers and crew escaped with their lives.
Today, the wreck of the Empress of Ireland is marked by a sea buoy. She rest in forty meters of water at the bottom of the Saint Lawrence, just eleven kilometers off Pointe-au- Père, Quebec. Unlike many shipwrecks with masses of lives lost, hundreds of her victims, including most of the bodies of the 134 children who died in the tragedy, were later recovered, and are buried in the cemetery at Métis-sur-Mer.
Diving the Empress of Ireland Wreck
If you hope to dive the Empress of Ireland wreck, you will need to obtain certifications in both wreck and technical diving, and you will need to be accompanied by an experienced guide. In addition, you may be required to make a pre-qualifying dive to ensure that you can experience Empress of Ireland in as safe a manner possible. Several divers have been injured or killed while trying to penetrate the wreckage, which is slowly degrading. While there are many artifacts still inside Empress of Ireland’s murky reaches, penetration is risky, even for experienced wreck divers. Although this wreck is in much shallower water than many of the world’s other very notorious shipwrecks, the current can be unpredictable. Sometimes non-existent, it can become swift and treacherous in the blink of an eye. In addition, the water is ice-cold. Most expeditions keep bottom time relatively short.
Empress of Ireland was, and still is, massive. At 570 feet long, and a little over 65 feet wide, she had two enormous stacks and several promenade decks. Today, although the wreck is slowly being covered over with river silt, and much of the wreckage is scattered on the river bottom, her name is still visible on her bow. You can still see lifeboats, which serve as a poignant reminder of the swiftness with which the accident occurred. Divers can also access the chain locker, and view the ship’s massive ten ton anchor.
As a Royal Mail Ship, the Empress of Ireland carried important cargo, including 318 bags of mail, and silver bars that would be worth over one million dollars today. These items have been recovered, along with the ship’s bell, numerous personal effects, a ship’s compass, and Marconi radio equipment.
Local dive operators provide divers with excellent briefings before, as well as debriefings after, the dive. In addition, tours to local museums and memorial sites are offered, where you can see the artifacts that have been recovered, as well as learn more about the wreck and the history of both Empress of Ireland and Quebec’s maritime history.