The HMCS Annapolis is Sinking - Awesome Diving to Come
And that means more awesome diving in BC for local divers and visiting scuba divers alike! Once again, the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia is leading the project and is busy preparing another former Canadian warship to serve it's final mission - as a home to more incredible marine life in the waters of Howe Sound near Vancouver. She will be the 8th underwater dive destination that the ARSBC has sank in British Columbia over the past number of years, and this one is certain to be the most unique and most popular of all of our artificial wrecks and reefs.
In addition to her great size, the ship will also offer divers a chance to view the helicopter deck and hangar, and an exterior bridge on the upper deck. Every room will also be made accessible to divers which is quite unusual. And what's even more exciting is that the sinking will be closer to Vancouver than any of their previous artificial wrecks. On March 26, 2011 I became one of the many who have volunteered to help the ARSBC with the huge amount of work that had to be dome - my Annapolis Trip report is here..
Updated information about the sinking location of the HMCS Annapolis can now be found on our Diving in British Columbia News page. We need your help - please review the information on the Artificial Reef Society website, and show your support for the sinking of the Annapolis in Halkett Bay! Help Sink The Annapolis As is always the case with creating artificial wrecks here in BC, the ARSBC is doing an exemplary job of preparing the ship for it's new mission, and ensuring it is properly de-commissioned and cleansed of any environmental hazards.
And they need help now! The ARSBC is a non-profit society and they need resources to help with this exciting diving adventure. If you want to explore and work on this ship before she becomes British Columbia's newest artificial reef, then please see the HMCS Annapolis page on their website for more details.
Be An Early Diver On The Annapolis And now that the sinking has the blessing of the Squamish First Nation people (the ship is being sunk in their territorial waters), and the Province of British Columbia has formally accepted the Annapolis as a wreck to be sunk in Halkett Bay as an artificial reef, divers from all over the world are getting excited.
The HMCS Annapolis will hopefully be sunk in 2011 and a waiting list to dive the Annapolis as early as possible is starting already. CoolDives has partnered with a Vancouver dive charter operator to offer divers the chance to dive on the newest artificial wreck, after the initial sinking weekend. To receive more information as it becomes available, simply send us your information on the form below. And as the years go by and the marine life moves in, this will be sure to become another of Canada and British Columbia's Best Dive Sites.
Return to Best Dive Sites in British Columbia Return to Scuba Diving in British Columbia
|
That's right - the former HMCS Annapolis, a 113 meter (371 foot) destroyer that has proudly helped to protect Canada since 1964, is sinking (or soon will be) in Howe Sound near Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Originally considered to be the most modern of our fleet back in 1964 (my birth year - and they're decommissioning her already??!), she was the last of the West Coast steam turbine, Sea King helicopter carrying, destroyer escort ships.
