HMCS Columbia is a Restigouche class destroyer escort sunk as an artificial reef behind Maud Island, next to Seymour Narrows, in June 1996. The 112 m (366 ft) hull lies away from the main current, so it can be dived off-slack, and very large cabezon and lingcod live in its holds and passageways.
Also known as Columbia, former HMCS Columbia.
Where it is and how deep
50.1330° N, 125.3330° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck sits outside the current-intensive part of the passage, so it can be dived off-slack, though there is normally a bit of current. The tower is the shallowest point at 18 m (60 ft), and the hull slopes away to the bow at 37 m (120 ft), lying at a 35° list to port. Very large cabezon and lingcod lurk in the holds and passageways, and a legion of brittle stars occupies the decks and superstructure.
The wreck
- Vessel
- HMCS Columbia
- Type
- Restigouche class destroyer escort
- Length
- 112 m (367 ft)
- Sunk
- 1996
- Cause
- Decommissioned and scuttled as an artificial reef
- Lies
- On a 35° list to port behind Maud Island, bow at 37 m and tower at 18 m
Columbia was the seventh and final ship of the Restigouche class and served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1959 to 1974. The ship was sold to the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia and, after more than a year of preparations, sunk as an artificial reef behind Maud Island, next to Seymour Narrows, on June 22, 1996.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Discovery Passage & Campbell River: Winter brings the clearest water, at times beyond 30 m; August visibility can turn murky, and September trades calmer seas for clearer water.
Know before you go
- Debris shifts inside the ship, so penetration is not recommended; divers stay outside the hull.
Dive videos
HMCS Columbia Dirk · ARSBC - Artificial Reef Society of BC on YouTube
Exploring the Depths: Shipwreck Diving in Campbell River - Discovering HMCS Columbia · Be Sea Adventures on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can divers go inside the HMCS Columbia wreck?+
Penetration is not recommended because debris shifts inside the ship. The hull lies at a 35° list to port, so the dive runs along the outside from the tower at 18 m down to the bow.
Sources
- HMCS Columbia (DDE 260) — Wikipedia
- The Wonder of BC's Discovery Passage — DIVER magazine
- Beaver Aquatics / OceanFix — Beaver Aquatics
- Discovery Passage, BC: September 2015 — Emerald Diving
- World-Class Diving - Campbell River — Abyssal Diving
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