Comox Valley & Hornby Island · Canada · Wall
Flora Islet
Sixgill sharks cruising a terraced wall in mid-summer
Flora Islet lies off the south end of Hornby Island and is a year-round wall dive, terraced from 6 m to 25 m before a sheer face drops past 75 m. In mid-summer the wall is cruised regularly by sixgill sharks, normally a deep-dwelling species, and that is the main reason divers come.
Also known as Flora Island.
Where it is and how deep
49.5172° N, 124.5767° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The anchorage is on a large shallow shelf, with a couple of permanent buoys for tying up, and the dive starts with a sudden transition: an almost sheer wall drops away from the edge, so buoyancy has to be under control from the first fin kick. Below, the wall steps down as a series of terraces from 6 m to 25 m, where a vertical face falls to over 75 m.
The ledges hold large lingcod, wolf eels, giant Pacific octopus, rockfish and greenlings, set among sea pens, anemones, bryozoans, tubeworms and cloud sponges. Heading along the wall towards Hornby Island means working into a mild current while dropping slowly down the face. In mid-summer sixgill sharks appear along the wall, and they are most often seen between 18 m and 30 m (60–100 ft).
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Comox Valley & Hornby Island: Sea lions and great visibility come November to February; sixgill sharks appear May to September, and the March herring spawn can cloud the water to nothing.
Know before you go
- The shallow shelf ends abruptly at an almost sheer wall, so a diver without good buoyancy control can sink well past the planned depth.
Dive videos
Flora Islet, Hornby Island, B.C. Diving · FEdiveguy on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When are sixgill sharks seen at Flora Islet?+
In mid-summer, when they regularly cruise the wall. Sightings are most likely between 18 m and 30 m (60–100 ft).
Sources
- Hornby & Denman Islands — Vancouver Island Dive Sites
- Hornby Island Dive — Buccaneer Inn
- Hornby Island — Elasmodiver
More dive sites in Comox Valley & Hornby Island
Reef
Sea lions sharing the reef with rockfish and huge lingcod
Similar dives elsewhere
Hydroid-covered boulders off the Ballyhenry navigation tower
Green copper-stained bluffs above a sheer wall and boulder pile
Hanging beside a Baltic cliff face on Gotland's best-known wall
Wall
Donegal Point
Kilkee & the Clare Coast · Ireland
An airy cavern on the swim back to the anchored boat