North America · Canada
Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland
The Empress of Ireland, a protected wreck in 40 m of cold, moving water
Photo: Jiaqian AirplaneFan · CC BY 3.0
Rimouski sits on the St. Lawrence near the Empress of Ireland, a protected wreck in 40 m of water that registered divers reach from private mooring buoys. Cold water, strong currents and restricted visibility make it a dive for advanced divers. In Rimouski itself, the Pointe-au-Père wharf is a shore dive, while a barge, the Germanicus and the Frederike C2 are reached by boat, and HMCS Nipigon was sunk as an artificial reef in 2003.
About diving in Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland
Diving here runs from two bases. Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent is Rimouski's only dive shop, and Diveteck, a full PADI centre with rental, servicing and air, nitrox and trimix fills, is in neighbouring Sainte-Luce-sur-Mer. The Pointe-au-Père wharf is the shore entry, used for sunset dives through the season; the barge, the Germanicus and the Frederike C2 are boat dives. Empress divers register with the Société des récifs artificiels de l'Estuaire du Québec before heading to the wreck.
Most of the local diving is on wrecks. The Empress of Ireland lies in 40 m of water and is classed as a bien culturel du Québec, so taking or moving any object, or anything else that could alter the wreck, is forbidden. Tying in to one of the three private mooring buoys over the site is mandatory. Closer in lie the Germanicus at Ile Biquette and the Frederike C2 off Rimouski, and HMCS Nipigon was sunk as an artificial reef north-east of the town in July 2003. The water runs from about -1 °C in February to 13 °C in July.
The Empress suits advanced divers ready for cold water, strong currents and restricted visibility on a deep wreck, and its mooring buoys are removed in October. Divers wanting more variety can join the trips the Rimouski shop runs further afield: the Les Méchins reefs, regular visits to Les Escoumins, and weekends at Île Bonaventure and Grande-Vallée.
Best time to dive Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
The Empress mooring buoys come out in October; the water bottoms out near -1 °C in February and peaks around 13 °C in July.
Dive types & marine life
- Wreck
Best dive sites in Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland
- 1
Empress of Ireland
Protected wreck in 40 m of cold water, with strong currents and restricted visibility.
- 2
Germanicus
Wreck at Ile Biquette, reached by boat.
- 3
HMCS Nipigon
Sunk as an artificial reef in the St. Lawrence north-east of Rimouski on 22 July 2003.
- 4
Quai de Pointe-au-Père
Wharf in Rimouski dived from the shore, including sunset dives during the season.
Site guides
A protected 1914 liner in 40 m of cold, fast-moving St. Lawrence water
Artificial reef
A boat-dived wreck at Ile Biquette with gentle current
How to get to Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland
Mont-Joli airport (YYY), 35 km east of Rimouski, is the closest with scheduled flights. Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent is in Rimouski and Diveteck is in Sainte-Luce-sur-Mer; the Pointe-au-Père wharf is the shore entry, and the barge, the Germanicus and the Frederike C2 are reached by boat.
Photos from Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland
nefasth · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Empress of Ireland · KimInNB on YouTube
Épave RMS Empress of Ireland 2024 · timotheedupont on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What does diving the Empress of Ireland at Rimouski require?+
Advanced skills, RAEQ registration and one of the wreck's three mooring buoys. The wreck lies in 40 m of cold water with strong currents and restricted visibility.
When can divers reach the Empress of Ireland?+
The mooring buoys come out in October, and tying in to one is mandatory. The water bottoms out near -1 °C in February and peaks around 13 °C in July.
Can divers take anything from the Empress of Ireland?+
No. The wreck is classed as a bien culturel du Québec, so taking or moving any object, or anything else that could alter the wreck, is forbidden.
Is there shore diving at Rimouski?+
The Pointe-au-Père wharf is the shore entry, used for sunset dives through the season. The Germanicus at Ile Biquette is reached by boat.
How do divers get to Rimouski?+
Mont-Joli airport, 35 km east of Rimouski, is the closest with scheduled flights. Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent is in Rimouski and Diveteck is in Sainte-Luce-sur-Mer.
Sources
- Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent (English) — Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent
- Sites de plongée — Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent
- Cours et activités — Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent
- RMS Empress of Ireland — Wikipedia
- Empress of Ireland — Wikipédia
- Expertise Maritime Diveteck Inc — PADI
- Diveteck — Diveteck
- Rimouski water temperature — Sea Temperatures
- Rimouski — Wikivoyage
- HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- White Pointe-au-Père lighthouse with a red lantern above a rocky shore, keepers' houses beside it by Jiaqian AirplaneFan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Concrete lighthouse beside a red and grey pavilion building under an overcast sky by nefasth, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
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