Wreck
down to 18 m
Porteau Cove
Shore-dive a buoy-marked area of man-made reefs and two sunken vessels in 6-18 m of water in a BC provincial park.
- Open Water
- Lingcod
Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)
Diving in Canada
7 documented dive sites, 3 of them for Open Water divers. Known for sea lions, seals and nudibranchs.
- Best months
- Sep–May
- Water
- 6–11 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- YVR
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo) in October
Best season- Air
- 13 °C
- 11 °C at night
- Rain
- 190 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 23 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving is year-round. Victoria divers consider September–May best for visibility; BC-wide visibility is best in autumn/winter. Summer (Jun–Aug) remains diveable but with lower visibility (plankton), so it is shown as good.
Dive sites in Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m3 sitesFor Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m3 sitesFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m1 siteMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea lionsSource: scubadiving.com | ||||||||||||
| SealsSource: scubadiving.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Sea lions: Sep–Nov. Seals: All year
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus
- Lingcod
- Wolffish
- Glass sponges
Where is Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)?
- Nearest airport
- YVR
Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo): frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)?
- The best months to dive Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo) are Sep–May. Diving is year-round. Victoria divers consider September–May best for visibility; BC-wide visibility is best in autumn/winter. Summer (Jun–Aug) remains diveable but with lower visibility (plankton), so it is shown as good.
- Is Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo) good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 3 of the 7 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Porteau Cove, Ogden Point Breakwater and Whytecliff Park. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)?
- The water is usually between 6 °C and 11 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)?
- Divers regularly see sea lions (Sep–Nov), seals (all year), nudibranchs, octopus, lingcod and wolffish.
- How do you dive Salish Sea (Vancouver, Victoria & Nanaimo)?
- The nearest airport is YVR.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash