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Agamemnon Channel
Just north of Pender Harbour there are as many untouched dive sites as there are places to jump in the water. Every little crevice, every rocky outcropping, every little cove, offers new possibilities to observe some of a most varied and interesting marine life in the world.
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Anderson Bay and Upwood Point
These two spots across Malaspina Strait off Texada Island are quiet and pristine, gorgeous places even above water. Below, the terrain is steep and life abounds. You'll find fabulous sponges, millions of fish, and more of that colourful fauna. Don't be surprised to run into a Chinook salmon! These are popular fishing spots, so use caution when surfacing.
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Cape Cockburn
On the southwest tip of Nelson Island, this site offers a smooth, rolling rock ledge alternating with sandy slopes tumbling to the depths of Malaspina Strait. This is wilderness... totally isolated from civilization and this part of the island is uninhabited; definitely a fair-weather dive. Access is boat only.
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Charles Island
A ten-minute boat ride from Fearney Bluffs , Charles Island features a steep drop from shore to 40 metres. Look for wolf eels, octopus dens and a variety of life comparable to a tropical reef.
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Chaudiere Artificial Reef
This is considered one of the top four dives on the Pacific Coast. The WWII submarine tracker HMCS Chaudiere was placed as an artificial reef in 1994, off Kunechin Point at the mouth of Salmon Inlet. Several lesser known wrecks in the area also deserve investigation.
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Fearney Bluffs
This world-class dive site, only 3 km northwest of the mouth of Pender Harbour, offers a breathtaking, 80-metre vertical drop wall, giant cloud sponges, chimney sponges, octopi, and a colourful medley of anemones, corals, starfish, and rockfish. This dive will be the highlight of your day.
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Grand Island
The area around the Thormanby Islands deserves exploring. Grand Island, with its hydrocorals, gorgonians and king crabs, features an abyssal wall where rock fish, rat fish and sculpins mingle among the bull kelp. Access is by boat only, and be sure to have a tender in the crew to protect from topside marine traffic.
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Lee Bay
This shore dive offers a steep, open ravine to the north, and a rocky drop and wall towards a little island to the south. You can drive almost right to the water's edge, and except for some boulders and logs, the entry is easy. This site has potential as a night dive.
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Martin Cove
This shore dive on Francis Peninsula offers a safe and pleasant dive on stormy days. Moon snails, green anemones, purple crabs, blackeye gobies, flounders and sponges are found below 20 metres.
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Pirate Rock
This is one of the most dramatic spots on the coast, located about 5 km southwest of Thormanby Island. An underwater Matterhorn, Pirate Rock is an ecosystem unto itself, plummeting to a depth of 25 metres. Every form of undersea life imaginable flourishes among the arches, ledges and bizarre rock formations (lots of lost anchors and fishing gear around). The best boat launch sites are at Cooper's Green (Halfmoon Bay) and Secret Cove.
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Skookumchuk Tidal Rapids
The Skookumchuck tidal rapids are at the entrance to Sechelt Inlet. Well-known diving author Betty Pratt-Johnson rated the Skookumchuck as the best dive in British Columbia; it's well worth being called the highlight of one's diving career. Skookumchuck Trail access is about 25 km by car north of Pender Harbour off Egmont Rd.
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