Nova Scotia

Halifax Regional Municipality

Diving in British Columbia is some of the finest in the world. From the shores of Vancouver, North to the Sunshine coast, and then to the inlets of Vancouver Island, there are phenomenal opportunities to view sea life and explore the underwater terrain. Local operators offer their guidance, expertise and advice; rely on their knowledge and understanding of their region. Explore the variety of dive locations and dive safely!

Canada

The flank of the ridge with the lighthouse is a nice granite slope cloaked in a rich kelp forest. Straight out is a gravel and sand plain, but there are several interesting granite ridges running offshore. Fish and plant life are abundant. Currents are minimal but only dive when the swell is light, as exiting up onto the sloping granite ridge can be difficult in waves. Dive only when it is calm.

Peggys Cove overs nice granite bedrock ridge diving with a clean gravel and sand bottom in the lee of the point with the lighthouse, just out front of the restaurant. There is amble parking in the restaurant/lighthouse parking lot. A paved path leads to the top of the granite ridge that is almost like a path down to the water. This dive site is recommended only on calm wind days, with low swell and winds out of the northeast or very light.

Peggys Cove

Lots of marine life in the summer, mostly lobster, soft coral and lucky tuna

You could see Peggys cove light from a distance. there is 5 minute hike to the side. best dive time is high tide.

Cranberry cove

The site is contained by granite boulders and ridges to the right (norht) and by a long granite point jutting off the island to the left (south). This makes a very protected spot from east winds, and southly winds as well. The flanks of the granite ridges are cloaked in kelp and under story plants as well. The flats straight out have rich eel grass beds. This is a favourite check out spot for courses.

Take the Paddys Head road off the Peggys Cove Road (Route 333), and drive to the little white bridge. Parking is on a crushed rock flat area to the left of the community mailboxes. The small sandy beach is just 10m from the vehicles. There is amble parking for 5 or 6 vehicles.

Paddys Head is also known as St. Margerets Bay, Back Cove.

Paddys Head

The coastal trail going past the cove is a popular hiking trail and dog walking trail, so late spring, summer and into early fall parking can be tight if you aren't there early. The dive site is very shallow, so close to high tide is recommended to give an additionl few feet of depth. The flanks and sides of the outer shore and islands over really nice, rich kelp and seaweeds. The bottom is varied from cobble in close changing to gravel with some sand. Granite bedrock ont he cove flanks and surrounding ridges, shoals and little islands makes for rich marine life diving and good photo opportunities.

Drive out to the community of Prospect along the Prospect Road from Halifax, turning left at the large sign directing one to the community. As you come down the last hill into the buildings of the community and can see the water, look for a small paved road on your right named "Indian Point Road". Turn in the road and park on the left side where signs direct. The dive site is a few hundred meters hike over the hill, onto a good coastal trail,  down to the small cove.

Prospect - Indian Pt Rd Cove

The wharf is in an active harbour, so a dive flag is recommended. We usually dive it off boating season anyway, September to May, but it can be dived all year round. The interesting diving is along the flanks of the cove where the granite, rocky shore dips down to the soft gravel bottom. Out, away from the edges it can be muddy to sandy in some areas. The inside flanks of the islands that protect the harbour have nice terrances underwater with seaweeds, lots of fish, crabs and lobsters. Summer visibility is usually 10m, but winter can be phenomenal - having hit 40m once.

Parking for up to 4 to 5 vehicles is just before the wharf, on the side of the lane, within 30' of the steps on the left side of the wharf leading down to a water level platform. High tide the platform is awash and low tide it is a foot out of the water.

Prospect Community Wharf

The spot is easy to see as there is a fish farm offshore, in the lee of an island, which partially shelters the dive site. This spot is where the main road comes very close to the water, and you just run out of trees. It is across the road from a couple of houses. Bayswater Pulbic Beach and Picnic area is in sight, just a kilometer further along the road.

Take care walking down the cobble, as the small rocks can shift under foot.

Nice fish life in the summer: Cunner, Pollock, Sea Ravens, Sculpins, Tomcod and some flounders.

There is room across from the houses and the side road to park off the highway. The top of the small cobble beach is safe to park on, but out further is soft. Water access is a short walk down the gently sloping shore. Nice underwater boulder field draped in seaweeds. Easy diving in the 10' to 50' range. There is deeper water out further, but the bottom changes to mud. Nicest diving is shallow.

No currents, but requires light winds if from any southerly direction, as the cobble beach faces southeast.

Bayswater

Sealife is visable until about 60ft, turns into a sandy bottom

Peggys Cove below Halifax Nova Scotia

Birchy Head

The path down to the shoreline is around the right side of the FISH SHACK, and is a short scramble down small boulders to and easy walk to a small granite point jutting out into the water. This point offers easy water access and is 3-9' deep, depending on tide.

The diving is on a nice boulder slope running down to 40-50' to a gravel slope that gradually drops to ~100' deep. The rich seaweeds and marine life are in the top 40' of water. 

It is calm in westerly winds, as it faces due east and is good for all level of divers in light northwest to southwest winds.

The dive site is in Halifax County, through the community of Hubbards, and on to Route 329 on the coastal road on the west side of St. Margaret's Bay. The spot is just past Mill Cove, once you enter the strip community of Birchy Head. It is marked by an old, broken down, and partially burnt FISH SHACK on the left side of the road going out...One has to turn around and park on the shoulder of the road facing back along by the shack. There is tight parking for 5 vehicles.



The fish shack

The north side of New Harbour held a Whaling Plant through the 50's and 60's. The buildings are long gone, but some bones remain in the cove. Two partially intact whale skulls are located about where the GPS coordinates show the site. The are in about 5-7 m of water on the far side of the cove, almost directly opposite a fish shack with a blue door. Shoulder bones and vertebrae have also been found in the cove.

Visibility is only fair at this site. It is often low, so one has to pick good days to explore. This is also a working harbour for small fishing boats, so be ware of boat traffic. A dive float is recommended.

The far side of the cove, opposite the wharves and fish shacks has the best marine life. The rocky slope near the mouth, on the far side andoutside the cove is interesting diving.

Blanford Peninsula. From Blandford community, turn out along the shore and drive to the end of the New Harbour Road. There is a grassy area on the north side of the cove to park and one can enter down beside a slipway for boats. An alternate, if the harbour isn't busy, is to drive near the end of the fish shacks, park off to the side away from fish truck traffic, and enter off the wharf by the last building.

New Harbour

Mill Cove is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Canada, Nova Scotia which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Mill Cove

Since the site is shalllow, a little extra wight is recommended. It is good for macrophotography with lots of fish, crabs, lobsters and other subjects to shoot. 

This is an easy, basic dive spot and good when others are too rough as it is very protected from east, west and north winds.

Out the Hwy #333 that makes the Peggy's Cove loop, on the east side of St. Margaret's Bay is Indian Point. It is a long narrow point with the "Indian Point Road" running its length. Watch for the road sign on the right and the road makes a loop so you can't get lost!

The dive site is on the inside or east tip of the point. Indian Point has two island off its tip - the first is connected by a berm sheltering the dive site. One can dive on the sheltered inside or hike across to the open bay side.

The dive is quite shallow, so high tide is recommended for this spot. It is very easy with good parking along the edge of the road and a nice easy "driveway" like slope to walk down on.

Peggys Cove

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Peggys Cove