Barkley Sound · Canada · Reef
Puffin Islet
A shallow circuit around a sheltered Broken Group islet
Puffin Islet is a small islet in the Broken Group of Pacific Rim National Park and one of its beginner sites. It is shallow and relatively protected from wind and ocean swell, which makes it a gentle introduction to diving the Broken Group.
Where it is and how deep
48.9024° N, 125.3754° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Boats anchor on the northeast side of the islet, in its lee, and divers swim south from the anchor to explore the perimeter of the island. The bottom never goes past 11 to 12 m, so the whole circuit is a shallow dive in water sheltered from wind and ocean swell.
The bottom is large boulders, nooks and crannies carpeted with pink coralline algae, home to sea stars, nudibranchs, kelp crabs and octopus, and schools of small rockfish follow divers as they explore. Marine life increases toward the more exposed side of the islet.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Barkley Sound: Dived year-round; autumn is the prime window, winter brings the clearest water and June a plankton bloom near the surface.
Sources
- Pacific Rim National Park diving — Tourism Vancouver Island
- OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in Barkley Sound
Pinnacle
Twin pinnacles crowded with anemones, nudibranchs and sea pens
Wreck
A 1950 Japanese-built freighter broken in two on the Austin Island reef
Pinnacle
Rock pillars and a great canyon cut into the outer Broken Group
Wall
Short cliffs off Gibraltar Island over a steep shell-sand slope
Reef
A canyon lined top to bottom with giant white plumose anemones
Similar dives elsewhere
Two rocks at the mouth of Port Quin, diveable at any tide
Reef
Axelsro
Gotland & Fårö · Sweden
The easy-to-reach Visby site of small passages and stone atolls
A shallow training site known for its lobsters
Old diver-training rigs and wreckage scattered around the base of a sea fort