Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland · Canada · Artificial reef
Germanicus
A boat-dived wreck at Ile Biquette with gentle current
Area photo: Jiaqian AirplaneFan · CC BY 3.0
The Germanicus is a wreck at Ile Biquette, dived by boat from Rimouski's dive shop. It reaches 22.9 m, with current under 1 knot and visibility of 5 to 10 m, which makes it a calmer and shallower wreck than the Empress of Ireland for divers comfortable in cold water.
Also known as Épave du Germanicus.
Where it is and how deep
48.4135° N, 68.8858° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Germanicus lies at Ile Biquette and is reached by boat. Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent, Rimouski's dive shop, lists it with the Pointe-au-Père barge and the Frederike C2 among its boat dives, while the Pointe-au-Père wharf is the local shore entry. The water off Rimouski is cold all year, from about -1 °C in February to around 13 °C in July, so thermal protection matters on every dive.
The wreck reaches a maximum depth of 22.9 m. Current at the site is low, under 1 knot, and visibility usually sits between 5 and 10 m. That puts it in a different league from the Empress of Ireland, where the current can run at more than 2 knots and visibility is often under 5 m, and makes the Germanicus the more approachable wreck dive in the area for divers comfortable in cold water.
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 | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Rimouski & the Empress of Ireland: The Empress mooring buoys come out in October; the water bottoms out near -1 °C in February and peaks around 13 °C in July.
Know before you go
- Water temperature drops to about -1 °C in winter and peaks near 13 °C in July, so cold-water exposure protection is needed on every dive.
Dive videos
Une plongée sur le Germanicus / A dive on the Germanicus · Francis Bouchard on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Germanicus wreck?+
The Germanicus reaches a maximum depth of 22.9 m, with current under 1 knot and visibility usually between 5 and 10 m.
Sources
- Germanicus dive site — Wannadive.net
- Sites de plongée — Centre de Plongée du Bas St-Laurent
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