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Benthic Canada benthic = in the depths of the ocean Benthic Canada is a website for beginner and technical divers alike to enjoy. This site is as fluid as our oceans, constantly updated with new content. Please look around. Let us know what you think about our site, and feel free to submit contributions of your own diving and other related experiences that you would like to share with others. An Introduction to Artificial Reefs by John Nunes Canada's West Coast is known as the Graveyard of the Pacific for the scores of shipwrecks lost in these waters. While still offering very interesting wreck diving experiences, penetration opportunities on natural shipwrecks in these waters can be both limited and unsafe. For wreck divers in British Columbia, there is another option: artificial reefs. Remembering Madonna by Ila France Porcher Madonna was the first shark to meet my kayak when I arrived in her area of the lagoon. She was nearly six feet long, steel grey, and heavily built. When I dove down and swam to her, she would come to meet me, and I was amazed by her responsiveness and curiosity. Freediving with Tiger Sharks by Wolfgang Leander Just their name, their size and their menacing looks can evoke feelings of terror, fear and instinctive rejection. However, if you have the privilege to be able to dive with big tiger sharks, as I have, you might fall in love with them, at least you will bond with them in a mysterious way. They will have an impact on you that could change your perception of sharks, and marine life, forever. Project Benthic Part 4 - A Study in Contrasts by John Nunes Second time lucky for us to get in some diving on Nipigon, sunk in Quebec. As we came to find out, she is not your typical artificial reef. The Last Beaufighter by Rob Rondeau Our expedition takes us back again to Norway in search of more Canadian Beaufighters lost on the raid of a German flotilla on February 9th, 1945. In addition to accomplishing its main objective of identifying an aircraft, the team was able to make progress in other areas of study. Two Weeks in Chuuk by Alithea Nunes It took as long to write this story as it did to save for the trip... Finally it is complete for all to savour... Hopefully you will enjoy reading about our incredible wreck diving experiences in Chuuk Lagoon! Diving the Deepest Battleship by Cedric Verdier The HIJMS Yamashiro was the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was lost with her sistership, HIJMS Fuso in the Battle of Surigao Strait on October 25th, 1944. This is Cedric Verdier's account of the first ever dive on Yamashiro. Just a Two Hundred Metre Dive by Cedric Verdier On May 17th 2006 in Krabi, Thailand, Cedric Verdier pushed the limits of the Sra Keow cave to 201 metres / 663 feet, in what is thought to be the deepest dive ever done with a Megalodon CCR, and also the deepest cave and rebreather dive to date in Asia. Through the Labyrinth of the Opal Mines by Petr Vaverka and David Cani Over the hundreds of dives on wrecks, in caves, seas or in fresh water are still the memories of atmosphere and experience from diving in opal mines in Dubnik. This still has a first place in my private diving life. Vodka on the Rocks by Kevin Dekker The circumstances of the sinking of the Soviet cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov off New Zealand in 1986 and the inquiry that followed left a legacy of unanswered questions and rumours. Here is Kevin Dekker's exciting and detailed account. Silt! by Michael Gadd As soon as I passed through it I knew I had screwed up. Instead of leading me out of the ship and into clearer water the opening led to a small room. The room was clean. Suddenly there were no swirling silt clouds, and this could only mean it was a room I hadn't been through before and therefore a room deeper inside the wreck. With sickening horror I realized I had indeed been going the wrong way and putting more maze-like obstructions masked in zero visibility between me and the outside. Expedition Empress 2005 by Alithea Smith The Empress of Ireland is Canada's worst maritime disaster. 1,012 passengers died when she sank in 1914. The first scientifically-oriented study of the shipwreck - which lies at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski, Quebec, was undertaken in July of 2005. This is an account written by one of the expedition divers. Three Hundred and Thirteen Meters by Mark Ellyatt On this 313 meter dive, all timers and depth indicators failed one after another. At maximum depth all I had left were depth markers on the line and my TAG watch. I also wore a Rolex Sub Mariner, but when I needed it most the strap broke - it was lost in the darkness... Diving the Oceanos by Philip G Van Rensburg The Greek ocean liner Oceanos lost her power following an explosion in her engine room off the Southern African coast of Transkei. Realizing the fate of the ship, the crew fled in panic, neglecting to close the lower deck portholes. Many of the crew, including the Captain, were already packed and ready to depart the stricken liner before passengers were aware of trouble. The Empress of Ireland Expedition of 1971 by Dianne Strong In Canada's worst maritime disaster, the Norwegian collier Storstad struck the Empress of Ireland, which sank in 14 minutes. The frigid waters of the St. Lawrence River claimed 1,012 lives. A historic dive trip in 1971 yielded some unique artifacts from a forgotten passenger liner. The following is an almost verbatim transcription of a tape Dianne Strong recorded on 19 September 1971. [back to top] Copyright 2004 Benthic Canada. All rights reserved. Click here for terms and conditions. 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