Artificial Reefs

The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia maintains numerous reefs and investigates additional ships which can be made into new sea playgrounds. An artificial reef is any structure placed by man in the marine environment. Properly prepared and strategically-located, artificial reefs then attract marine life of all kinds and provide easily-accessible and safe locations for divers to enjoy.

In recent years, marine life along many coastlines has been affected by over-fishing, ecological problems and pollution. Artificial reefs help to provide distressed marine life with a new habitat. Typically, marine creatures are attracted to a new artificial reef within days. Abundant life will be established within six months and within two to three years, all exposed surfaces of the reef will be covered with marine life and cavities will be filled with a range of sea creatures. Not only do artificial reefs promote marine life, they also reduce diver impact on surrounding natural and historical shipwreck dive sites by diverting diver traffic from those sites.

The waters off Vancouver Island are home to five artificial reefs:

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.

Columbia DDE 260 
The Columbia was sunk on June 22, 1996 off Maud Island near Campbell River (50°  08.031 N, 125°  20.152 W). It is a 366 foot, 2900 ton Restigouche Class destroyer escort. The Columbia was the third naval destroyer sunk in Vancouver Island waters as an artificial reef, just nine months after the Mackenzie. Knowledge gained from two prior destroyer projects further improved the preparation efficiency, budget control, and diver access and safety features incorporated into the ship. The Columbia sunk to the bottom in three minutes and 45seconds, bow first, quite similar to the Mackenzie sinking. It sits on a rock bottom near Maud Island, not far from Discovery Passage. Maude Island provides excellent protection from the swift currents of the nearby waterways, allowing for a spectacular second dive site after timing a slack tide dive at nearby current-swept dive sites.

Saskatchewan DDE 262
The Saskatchewan was sunk on June 14, 1997 off Snake Island near Nanaimo (49°  12.96 N, 123°  53.070 W). It is a 366 feet, 2900 ton Mackenzie Class destroyer escort. Saskatchewan, the fourth destroyer project and the fifth ship sunk as an artificial reef by the Artificial Reef Society of BC was the subject of a international contest to push the button to sink the ship. The renowned Cousteau Society sponsored the contest as a fund-raiser to replace its former ship Calypso which sunk unexpectedly two years earlier in Singapore Harbour. Saskatchewan was moored at a Nanaimo pier for two weeks prior to its sinking and was open for public tours for a last look prior to being passed into the arms of the sea. Saskatchewan was sunk in two steps. On the day prior to the sinking, the engine room was flooded in an attempt to lower the ship’s center of gravity. The engine room had been opened up for diver access; this was a first for any of the artificial reef projects completed by the Artificial Reef Society of BC. Other preparatory work had been completed to reduce the instability caused by air trapped below decks during the sinking. The Saskatchewan sunk to the bottom in only two minutes and 45 seconds and ended upright, with minimal list. The site has mooring buoys adjacent to the ship and marker buoys attached at the bow, bridge and stern of Saskatchewan.

HMCS Cape Breton 
The HMCS Cape Breton is the world’s largest artificial reef. The Artificial Reef Society of BC, together with the Nanaimo Dive Association, sunk the Cape Breton on October 20th, 2001. This 120 metres, 10,000 ton vessel was the last of the Canadian Victory Ships which served as vital supply links for allied forces during World War II. In May 2001 the last 30 feet of the stern and the triple-expansion steam engine were removed to serve as focal points for the new North Vancouver Museum and Maritime Interpretive Centre created at the very site this ship was built. HMCS Cape Breton sunk in three minutes, 37 seconds. Listing as it sunk, the Cape Breton settled squarely on its keel on the ocean floor. The mast is 10 metres below the surface and the bottom of the six-storey ship is 40 metres below the surface.