On June 9, 2007 Peter Pazdera, Greg Fee and I headed over to Vancouver Island to dive the sunken Boeing 737 near Chemainus. The plane was the latest sinking by the Artificial Reef Society of BC and the only one that I had not had a chance to freedive yet.
The plane itself had been in the water for a bit more than a year. It was very well prepared for sinking, being mounted on four metal pedesdals and having all hazardous cabling windows and doors removed. Being fairly new to the water the marine life is still fairly thin and it is still possible to make out the Canadian Airlines logo on the tail fin. What encrustation that there is consists mostly of tube worms and young anemones.
The plane is fairly deep with the very top of the tail at 18m, the rear doors at 25m and the front doors at 22m. The sea floor below the tail is at 30m.
Photos from the plane
Peter and Greg with the dive boat in the background
Greg at the tail fin
An inside view of the controls inside the cockpit
A fried egg jellyfish below the tail in 30m of water
Bare Reef
After we dove the plane we went to a spot called Bare Reef. It is a spectacular place, completely covered with large orange and white plumouse anemones. There is also a nice wall towards shore.
Greg with orange plumouse anemones
Rockfish hanging out near the dropoff
Copper Rockfish
Another shot of Greg with the monster plumouse anemones at 11m
