Les Escoumins · Canada · Wreck
Bergeronne Trader
A 1930s wreck's engine at 40 m, reached on a line from the pilots' wharf
The Bergeronne Trader is the wreck of a vessel built in 1930 that sank at the foot of the pilots' wharf at Les Escoumins in 1936. Only its frame, part of its deck and its large engine remain, at 40 m (133 ft) straight out from the shore entry. It is a shore dive at the limit of recreational depth, reserved for advanced divers used to the difficult conditions at Les Escoumins.
Also known as Bergeronnes Trader.
Where it is and how deep
48.3182° N, 69.4143° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts at the launch point beside the pilots' wharf at Les Escoumins. A line runs from the east corner of the wooden wharf down to the wreck and is tied to its engine, so divers follow it out from the entry and down. The Bergeronne Trader lies directly in front of the launch point, at 40 m (133 ft), which puts it at the limit of recreational diving.
Little of the ship is left: the frame, part of the deck and the large engine where the line ends. Planning the dive for low tide keeps the depth within recreational limits, but the climb back out onto the shore is harder at low tide, so the exit needs to be part of the plan. The wreck is reserved for advanced divers who are used to the difficult conditions at Les Escoumins.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Bergeronnes Trader
- Type
- Vessel
- Built
- 1930
- Sunk
- 1936
- Cause
- Cause of the sinking unknown
- Lies
- Reduced to its frame, part of the deck and its engine, at 40 m in front of the launch point
The Bergeronnes Trader, official number 156495, was built in 1930 at Grande-Bergeronnes. She was wrecked at Les Escoumins on 1 November 1936, at the foot of the Quai des Pilotes, and her remains still lie straight out from the wharf. The wreck is now reduced to its frame, part of its deck and its large engine.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Les Escoumins: The dive base opens from May to October on a fixed schedule, and its sites are closed to divers while it is shut.
Know before you go
- At 40 m (133 ft) the wreck sits at the recreational limit; a low-tide dive keeps the depth within that limit.
- The climb back out onto the shore is harder at low tide, the tide the wreck dive is best timed for, so the exit needs to be part of the plan.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Bergeronne Trader wreck?+
The wreck lies at 40 m (133 ft), straight out from the launch point at the pilots' wharf in Les Escoumins. That is the limit of recreational diving, and the site is for advanced divers only.
How do divers find the Bergeronne Trader from the shore?+
A line runs from the east corner of the wooden pilots' wharf down to the wreck's engine, and divers follow it from the shore entry.
Sources
- Les Escoumins, quai des pilotes — Scubarama
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