Nova Scotia

Halifax Regional Municipality

Diving in British Columbia is some of the finest in the world. From the shores of Vancouver, North to the Sunshine coast, and then to the inlets of Vancouver Island, there are phenomenal opportunities to view sea life and explore the underwater terrain. Local operators offer their guidance, expertise and advice; rely on their knowledge and understanding of their region. Explore the variety of dive locations and dive safely!

Canada

Good site to see Atlantic Lobster and on the soft bottom Tube Sea Anemones of several colours are common. Great picnic spot with tables and very easy diver access.

West of Halifax out from Exit #5 on the Hwy #103 onto the Hwy #3 then west towards Hubbards. In the community of Boutiliers Point is the Provincial Park with picnic tables, a boat launch ramp and a working wharf.

Diving is best straight out and to the right or west of the wharf. There is usually enough depth to jump off the end, but the ramp just east of the wharf is recommended for exits.

This spot is small boulders and gravels in the shallows grading down to mud and soft bottom organisms deeper out.

Boutiliers Point is also known as Boutiliers Point Lookout Provincial Park.

Boutiliers Point

Since the site is shalllow, a little extra wight is recommended. It is good for macrophotography with lots of fish, crabs, lobsters and other subjects to shoot. 

This is an easy, basic dive spot and good when others are too rough as it is very protected from east, west and north winds.

Out the Hwy #333 that makes the Peggy's Cove loop, on the east side of St. Margaret's Bay is Indian Point. It is a long narrow point with the "Indian Point Road" running its length. Watch for the road sign on the right and the road makes a loop so you can't get lost!

The dive site is on the inside or east tip of the point. Indian Point has two island off its tip - the first is connected by a berm sheltering the dive site. One can dive on the sheltered inside or hike across to the open bay side.

The dive is quite shallow, so high tide is recommended for this spot. It is very easy with good parking along the edge of the road and a nice easy "driveway" like slope to walk down on.

Indian Point

This spot is rarely dived, but we give preference to local beach users as the beach is only 30m long and at high tide it shrinks to 10m long and maybe 2m wide.

It is an easy fun site to just do a long leisurely, shallow dive at. Nothing exciting, but very easy access, good parking and a pleasant experience.

Note - coming from Hubbards, the beach is on your left so you have to pass it; turn around in a driveway; and come back to park on the widened shoulder along the guardrail adjacent to the beach.

The little community beach is at the mouth of Hubbards Cove on the west side on the Highway 329 leading out to Fox Point and Blandford. Hubbards is on the Hwy #3 nust off Exit #6 from the Hwy #103, Nova Scotia.

The beach is adjacent to an old, closed shrimp cannery, thus my name for the beach. The local community keeps the few steps down to the beach, and the roadside widened parking for ~5 vehicles in good repair. Thus we dive this only outside of summer, as parking is limited and we leave the nice little beach to the locals. Fall, winter and spring we have it to ourselves.

The beach is sandy slipping out to gravels and eventually mud. Off the the right, around the wharf and on the flanks of the little point with the old cannery is nice boulders with richer marine life and the best diving.

Hubbards Shrimp Cannery Beach

The rocky granite shoreline extends out in a gradual slop cloaked in rich seaweeds until breaking up into small boulders with sand patches between them. The slope is gentle, but you canget quickly to 5m deep, then the bottom is flatter and slowly slopes downward. A long swim may get you 15m to 20m, but 10m is more common in the first 50-70m offshore. The boulders range from 30cm to a few meters in size and are completely covered in rockweeds in the shallows and several species of red and green seaweeds out deeper. The site is open to the east, but well protected from all westerly directions making it often calm, with good visibility. In the summer, Cunner, Lobsters, flatfish and crabs are very common.

This is a good site for new divers to become accustomed to rocky shore diving and enjoy.

The Fox Point Anglican Church Divesite is a nice rocky granite shore dive about an hour from Halifax, NS out the southshore on HWY #103 to Exit #6, swing onto the Hwy #3 and back track into the community of Hubbards. In Hubbards, take the first road to the right, Hwy #329, out towards Fox Point and Mill Cove. Follow the shore road along until you pass the Fox Point Wharf and breakwater. The old St. James Anglican Church is only a few hundred meters further on, with the shore divesite almost in front of it. Parking is available at the top of the wharf or sometimes near the church. The steep bank has a nice grassy edge and moderate cobble and boulder slope just 30m south, further along, from the church itself. Scramble on down the slope to the granite bedrock taking care. There is a small inlet 3m wide and 8m long to the left with nice shelving rock to sit on, put fins on and slip off into 1.5-3m deep water.

Fox Point Anglican Church

Fox Point Beach is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Canada, Nova Scotia which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Fox Point Beach

The path down to the shoreline is around the right side of the FISH SHACK, and is a short scramble down small boulders to and easy walk to a small granite point jutting out into the water. This point offers easy water access and is 3-9' deep, depending on tide.

The diving is on a nice boulder slope running down to 40-50' to a gravel slope that gradually drops to ~100' deep. The rich seaweeds and marine life are in the top 40' of water. 

It is calm in westerly winds, as it faces due east and is good for all level of divers in light northwest to southwest winds.

The dive site is in Halifax County, through the community of Hubbards, and on to Route 329 on the coastal road on the west side of St. Margaret's Bay. The spot is just past Mill Cove, once you enter the strip community of Birchy Head. It is marked by an old, broken down, and partially burnt FISH SHACK on the left side of the road going out...One has to turn around and park on the shoulder of the road facing back along by the shack. There is tight parking for 5 vehicles.



The fish shack

Mill Cove is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Canada, Nova Scotia which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Mill Cove

Sealife is visable until about 60ft, turns into a sandy bottom

Peggys Cove below Halifax Nova Scotia

Birchy Head

The site is contained by granite boulders and ridges to the right (norht) and by a long granite point jutting off the island to the left (south). This makes a very protected spot from east winds, and southly winds as well. The flanks of the granite ridges are cloaked in kelp and under story plants as well. The flats straight out have rich eel grass beds. This is a favourite check out spot for courses.

Take the Paddys Head road off the Peggys Cove Road (Route 333), and drive to the little white bridge. Parking is on a crushed rock flat area to the left of the community mailboxes. The small sandy beach is just 10m from the vehicles. There is amble parking for 5 or 6 vehicles.

Paddys Head is also known as St. Margerets Bay, Back Cove.

Paddys Head

Lots of marine life in the summer, mostly lobster, soft coral and lucky tuna

You could see Peggys cove light from a distance. there is 5 minute hike to the side. best dive time is high tide.

Cranberry cove

The flank of the ridge with the lighthouse is a nice granite slope cloaked in a rich kelp forest. Straight out is a gravel and sand plain, but there are several interesting granite ridges running offshore. Fish and plant life are abundant. Currents are minimal but only dive when the swell is light, as exiting up onto the sloping granite ridge can be difficult in waves. Dive only when it is calm.

Peggys Cove overs nice granite bedrock ridge diving with a clean gravel and sand bottom in the lee of the point with the lighthouse, just out front of the restaurant. There is amble parking in the restaurant/lighthouse parking lot. A paved path leads to the top of the granite ridge that is almost like a path down to the water. This dive site is recommended only on calm wind days, with low swell and winds out of the northeast or very light.

Boutiliers Point

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Boutiliers Point