Mermaid Cove, Saltery Bay, British Columbia

Name Dive Site:	Mermaid Cove
Depth:	18-30m (59-98ft)
Visibility:	9-30m (29-98ft)
Inserted/Added by:	lspercy
Rated:	Rated not yet
Specifications:

Send us your images for this dive site [Add Image][Add Movie]

Best dive-season / How to get there: Take the ferry from Earl Cove on the Sunshine Coast to Saltery Bay. Saltery Bay Provincial Park is just a couple hundreds metres from the ferry terminal. This dive is great all year, but best in winter, when visibility often exceeds 100 ft.

The cove is named for the 9-foot bronze mermaid that resides in 60 feet of water. From the wheelchair ramp, swim out to the buoy and descend. The mermaid should be visible from the blocks to which the buoy is attached. Though she was a traditional raving beauty when first installed, the decades have been unkind. She's covered in anemones, tunicates and rockfish, giving her an ocean patina. Your dive merely begins here, however. Explore the rock wall peppered with anemones and chimney sponges, or, deeper, cloud sponges. Large lingcod will watch you warily. Try to keep track of how many rockfish you see - species, that is, because you won't be able to count how many individuals. Keep an eye out for octopus in the cracks or under boulders.