The Rivtow Lion is a WWII tugboat sunk in Departure Bay in 2005 as an artificial reef. It is one of Nanaimo's most accessible wreck dives, sheltered from the Strait and shallow enough for newer divers, and each Halloween it hosts a community night dive.
Also known as The Rivtow Lion.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Nanaimo & Gabriola Island and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
Most dives start down either the bow or the stern mooring line to the tug, which sits upright in roughly 24 m (80 ft) of water, the exact depth varying with the tide. Inside Departure Bay the water is sheltered, so conditions on the wreck are often calm even when the Strait is rough. The propeller and rudder are covered in plumose anemones and shelter decorated warbonnets and shrimp, and the rubber bumper strip around the hull is packed with crabs, sculpins and juvenile rockfish.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Rivtow Lion
- Type
- WWII tugboat
- Length
- 45.7 m (150 ft)
- Sunk
- 2005
- Cause
- Scuttled as an artificial reef by the Nanaimo Dive Association
- Lies
- Upright in roughly 24 m (80 ft) inside Departure Bay
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 | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Nanaimo & Gabriola Island: Clearest water runs September to March; spring and summer blooms cloud the surface layer.
Dive videos
Diving the Rivtow Lion Shipwreck | Nanaimo, BC · Scuba Max on YouTube
Sources
- Rivtow Lion dive charter — Nanaimo Dive Outfitters
More dive sites in Nanaimo & Gabriola Island
Reef
Often 6–10 wolf eels on a single dive
Wall
A sheer anemone-covered face that drops away straight off the boat
Six decks of navy ship, the largest artificial reef in the Pacific Northwest
An upright navy destroyer escort reached from its mid-ship buoy
A plumose-covered pinnacle rising from deep water beside the navy wrecks
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