[mtitus]

Former Canadian War Ship HMCS Annapolis sunk in Halkitt Bay off Gambier Island, Howe Sound, British Columbia- To become an artificial reef and dive destination for divers of all skill levels. As seen from my seat aboard CTV's Chopper 9 earlier this afternoon. Please enjoy.

Extended: Explosions and smoke as Navy ship sunk off B.C. coast | CTV Vancouver News

 

[snodawg]

Thanks for the video clip, you don't see that every day.

 

[jerryrlitton]

Yes, very good video. However at the same time kind of sad. At one time this ship was new, commissioned with a name and countless people walked her decks with hopes, expectations and dreams.

 

[Dog Ship]

I will never understand how dumping our garbage in a "Marine Park" can possibly be considered a great accomplishment.
The only difference is once sunk you cannot see it, but if dragged up onto the beach it's an eye sore.
Setting off explosives in a Marine Park should not be allowed either.
I know all the naysayers are going chime in and say, "Oh, but it was all cleaned up and it is safe". Maybe so, but if your ok with this ship being dumped in a Marine Park then you should be ok with them dumping this in your neighbourhood park. I see no difference.
We need to stop dumping our garbage in the ocean, and if we are going to continue doing this then lets not dump it in a Marine Park!!!

 

[Sailormon6]

I will never understand how dumping our garbage in a "Marine Park" can possibly be considered a great accomplishment.

Did you ever scuba dive on a wreck?

 

[Rocky Mountain Breeze]

I did some more research on the sinking of the ship and just as in this country the Green groups tried to stick their fingers in the soup. When you consider all of the ships that were sunk during WWII filled with fuel, explosives, lead paint, and humanity without destroying the ecosystem you would think that a "cleaned" ship would not cause even a peep. I have snorkeled to a number of WWII and newer shipwrecks and the sea life surrounding them is incredible.

 

[Faster]

Technically it's well outside the park boundaries. I'm just hoping any anchoring exclusions don't extend to our normal overnighting spots there. Halkett has long been one of our favourite Howe Sound anchorages.

 

[Dog Ship]

Well Sailormon6, I'll answer your question with a question.
"Have you ever walked through a park?"
And Rocky Mountain Breeze,
I find your comparison has no merit. This ship was sold by our Government to a group of people who had full intension of sinking it inside a Marine Park.
Although ships that were sunk during war have caused environmental damage, those ships were sunk under entirely different circumstances.
This is a classic example of our Government taking the easy way out.
The HMCS Saskatchewan which was sunk in 1997 off of my home town Nanaimo and is considered to be an artificial reef success. Although the hundreds of times that I have sailed over top of it I have yet to see someone diving it.
In 2006 an Air Canada 737-200 was sunk off of Chemainus. Chemainus is a small town 1/2 hour south of Nanaimo. Just another example of our Governments garbage being dumped in the ocean.
Our Georgia Strait is turning into a landfill for our Federal Government's garbage and I find it disgusting.
I forgot to mention all the old BC Ferries that are scattered all over our Province.

 

[Dog Ship]

Since 1991 there have been 6 ships and one 737 sunk in the Georgia Strait.
Yesterday; HMCS Annapolis: DDH 265 (sunk off of Halkett Bay, Gambier Island)
2006; Air Canada 737-200 (sunk in Stuart Channel, just off Chemainus)
2001; HMCS Cape Breton: FMG 100 (sunk off of Snake Island, Nanaimo)
1997; HMCS Saskatchewan: DDE 262 (sunk off of Snake Island, Nanaimo)
1996; HMCS Columbia: DDE 260 (sunk off of Rum Island off Sidney)
1995; HMCS Mackenzie: DDE 261 (sunk off of Gooch Island, Sidney)
1992: HMCS Chaudière: DDE 235 (sunk off of Kunechin Point, Porpoise Bay)
1991; M.V. G.B. Church (sunk off of Princess Margaret Marine Park Sidney)

I didn't realize there were two ships sunk off of Nanaimo and you still don't see anyone diving them.

 

[i_amcdn]

Surprised that AC flew 737 for awhile. I never actually saw one in use as part of their fleet. I always thought that the new 737's on order would be the first.

You can dive the Avro Arrow scraps off of Amherst Island in Lake Ontario. It was so advanced that it would have still been flown into the late 90's. Kennedy and Deifenbaker killed it and we lost our areospace engineers to the Apollo program.

 

[scratchee]

Our Georgia Strait is turning into a landfill for our Federal Government's garbage and I find it disgusting.

Dog Ship, a ship or any other large structure on the bottom of the ocean ends up becoming a reef that will be absolutely swarming with sea life. If properly cleaned up prior to the sinking, this is no more "garbage" than the rocks or sand that are already there. Or maybe you could compare it to man-made concrete blocks used to make a jetty.

The recreational value of becoming a dive site is also a bonus.

I think you hit on the right interpretation when you referred to it as an "eye sore". Garbage is something that is unhealthy or unsafe, while an eyesore merely looks bad. And a sunken ship on the bottom of the ocean does not look bad either to the wildlife living on it or the divers exploring it. But I agree that if left on the surface it would be an eyesore.

 

[jerryrlitton]

I didn't realize there were two ships sunk off of Nanaimo and you still don't see anyone diving them.

I think that if you don't happen to see any divers on a wreck you cannot deem the project a success or not. Maybe the wrecks are beyond recreational limits. Have you ever dived on a wreck that has been down a few years? If you did you would know all the diverse life down there, in and around the wreck. And after a few more years coral begins to grow. Granted it is not the ideal solution. I mean we have not the ability to snap our fingers and make a ship not exist anymore however this is probably the next best. Go diving my friend.
Jerry

 

[Uricanejack]

Well I've enjoyed diving the GB Church and HMCS Mackenzie. have not done the 737 or the ones off Nanaiamo yet.

 

[flyingwelshman]

I have dived Cape Breton and Saskatchewan off Snake Island (Nanaimo) and Columbia.

The wrecks were noteworthy for the diversity and quantity of marine life that has made them their home. Not only does the life proliferate on the old hulls but also in the areas in proximity as the biomass increases.

My first dive on Saskatchewan brought me face to face with two wolf eels. The numbers of anemone (especially plumose), variety of sea stars, urchins etc. made great fodder for the rockfish, cabazon, lingcod, greenlings etc. that hung around the wrecks. These smaller fish attracted larger predators like dog fish, seals and sea lions.

While the seabed in the areas where I dove (particularly around Quadra Island) were lush and colourful, I found that the amount of life in proximity to the wrecks was greater.

In addition to the benefit of creating marine habitat, the wrecks were also attractive to me as a tourist. I spent two weeks on Vancouver Island, spending money on accommodation, food, travel etc.

I wouldn't expect you to see me on the wrecks as they are sitting in 80' - 110' of water.

 

[SloopJonB]

I will never understand how dumping our garbage in a "Marine Park" can possibly be considered a great accomplishment.
The only difference is once sunk you cannot see it, but if dragged up onto the beach it's an eye sore.
Setting off explosives in a Marine Park should not be allowed either.
I know all the naysayers are going chime in and say, "Oh, but it was all cleaned up and it is safe". Maybe so, but if your ok with this ship being dumped in a Marine Park then you should be ok with them dumping this in your neighbourhood park. I see no difference.
We need to stop dumping our garbage in the ocean, and if we are going to continue doing this then lets not dump it in a Marine Park!!!

That sort of attitude is what kept the ship from being sunk for a long time.

Learn something about artificial reefs - they encourage and support a fantastic abundance of sea life, virtually a man made coral reef. They aren't "garbage being dumped".

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but if you don't know anything about the topic, it's best to keep ones opinion to oneself.