Ten Mile Point

The rocks are difficult to negotiate, so choose your entry carefully. Remember to swim into the current to make sure you can easily return to the entry point. The Point is off to the right. This is the intersection of White Rock and Spring Bay. The entry is straight ahead.

Possibly Victoria's best unknown dive site with good diving at slack and shore access drift dives. Definitively for experienced (20+ dives) since the variable speeds will have an effect. Right in front of the entry point is great at slack for all kinds of sculpins, even the odd Cabazon, with lots of sea animals and vegetation. For those looking to fly though, the drift is the option for you. The most you want to depart in about 1.5 knots, as it can reach up 6.0 to 7.0 knots during high winter exchanges in my knowledge. Great fun with a big group, but parking is limited. Another option is to drift all the way from Spring Bay to the Ten Mile exit point. Entry and Exit points take some navigating, though, but good fun.

I've already done a review of this site, but after another visit I thought I would add in a few things. First, this can be an exciting drift dive if you miss slack. Not a good idea for beginners or the faint-of-heart, but you can see a heck of a lot if you time your dive for when currents are moving about 1 knot. I wouldn't recommend taking it faster then this - currents can get up to 3.5 knots (or more?) at this site, and that would be plain scary. Best stuff is in the 70 foot to 90 foot range. If diving during slack try and stay immediately under the parking area - here is more diverse & a higher density of life under the parking lot. The amount of life dramatically drops as you move around the point. I couldn't even begin to describe what you'll see here - anemones so densely packed you can't see the wall behind it. Cold-water sponges and corals, barnacles, scallops, all kinds of rock fish, octopi, wolf eels, and if rumors are true - orcas. Definitely one of the top Victoria-area dives, and quite possibly my favorite shore dive in the world!

(See a link to Jack's full commentary in the Dive Site Links section below)

Hard to dispute the top shore in Victoria. Amazing life and lots of color. You can find almost any life these waters have to offer at this site. Although, with the rich filter feeder life comes …….current…. plan your dives and dive your plan. For experienced advanced divers, but so worth the trip.

Incredible site, great drift/wall dive. The whole wall is carpeted in anemones. Fish abound, from small rock fish to huge ling cod. Some people have encountered Orca's here, and I've seen them swim just off the point. There are more species of invertebrates than I can name. Wolf-eels and octopi round out the animals here. You could dive this dive 100 times and not see everything. The only downside is that you MUST hit this dive at slack, preferably during a small tidal exchange. If hitting this dive during a large tidal exchange you only have a 10-20 minute window with low current.

This is by far and away my favourite shore dive in BC!!! The area is prone to strong currents (so check your tide tables - approx. Race Passage - 15 min), but the reward is amazing sea life. Tons of colonial ascidians, sponge, lampshells, clown nudibranches, horseshoe sea squirts, cabezons, red Irish lords, giant rock scallops, etc... You can barely see the rocks. The steep wall bottoms out at about 80ft. Viz is never great, but most of the time it's ok...

Colourful jam-packed wall. Anemones, cup corals tunicates, zoanthids, sponges, etc. Lots of red Irish lords, rockfish and huge cabezon. Definitely bring a light to see all the colour. Sometimes visibility is really good and sometimes really bad. Arrive early and wait for slack (important).

Ten-mile is by far the best site I have visited near Victoria. The dive must be timed close to slack tide to be most enjoyable (otherwise you'll end up hanging on to the kelp for fear of being swept away) but when timed correctly you drift leisurely along a stunning wall covered in plumose anemones, crabs and other micro-fauna. Easy exit on a boat ramp allows you to make a short walk back to where your vehicle is parked.

A truly awesome current swept dive site. Best dived during the slack which permits a 20-30 min dive in which you will see absolutely amazing marine life. Perhaps the widest selection of BC marine life in one shore diveable site. Highly recommended site but best dived with local guidance if possible.

Great dive, but hit it at slack, unless you want a drift dive. Fairly easy entry, just take the rocks nice and slow. Plenty of life, including octopus, sponges of all colours, fish, crabs.... It's pretty much an interactive aquarium. I try to dive it every time I'm on the Island.

A wall dive with the bottom at 85 ft. Lots of fish and sea life .This is a marine park with lots of current. Use the current tables from Race passage to hit the weakest current. Enter on the rock bluff and usually exit around the corner. Lots of well established sea life. one of the better sites in Victoria.