Situated on Howe Sound, with spectacular views and a beautifully rugged coastline, Whytecliff Marine Park is Canada’s first Saltwater Marine Protected Area, instituted in 1993. Besides excellent shore diving, the park offers a playground and picnic areas, a beach designated for swimming, an observation pavilion, and tennis courts; making it a great place for the whole family, even non-divers, to enjoy.
The Marine Life
One of the first things you’ll see when you get to Whytecliff are blue signs warning pedestrians to keep a respectful distance from the seals that make the area their home. These seals sometimes come up to see what divers are doing beneath the water, but as the signs warn, they will defend themselves if harassed! Let them set the tone for the encounter, and remember to keep your hands to yourself. In addition to these big pinnipeds, there is a colorful and abundant cast of characters. Lush anemones, loads of brilliant sea stars and basket stars, feather stars and sea pens, many prickly sea urchins, and all sorts of rockfish and sculpins inhabit the rocky walls you’ll find beneath the surface. Perch are abundant here, and there are some large lingcod in the area as well. Crustaceans, including different crab species and even shrimp can be found here, and there are some fairly large octopus denning along the walls. In all, the park is home to approximately 200 different marine species.
Diving Whytecliff Marine Park
There are a few different ways to approach a dive at Whytecliff; as weekends usually find the shallow areas packed with scuba classes and less experienced buddy pairs, most experienced divers head toward an area called “The Cut.” This dive is located to the right of the main entryway and can be accessed either from there, or via a fairly steep climb down from the upper parking lot. A fantastic area with plenty to see in the shallows and the option to head down for a deeper two tank dive, this portion of the park’s diving playground, the wall here features a splendid forest of cloud sponges and a maximum depth of 30 meters.
On busy days, the site is jammed with divers, particularly when the weather is good. On weekdays and on cooler days, there are usually only a few people diving and visibility improves, sometimes opening up to 15 or 20 meters. When crowded, visibility can be poor until you get out toward the cut, down to a depth of about 15 meters.
While daytime dives are fun here, night dives are often spectacular as the many crustaceans put on a show and the invertebrates often bloom to feed. The seals are accustomed to night divers and will often hunt by the glow of your dive light; a splendid thing to witness!
Visiting Vancouver is fun and easy; for visitors from the United States, you can come in on the ferry or make the hour’s drive from Seattle if you like. Besides Whytecliff, there are several other equally fantastic dive sites, many of which offer a bit more privacy. With topside attractions galore, great hotels, and excellent dining, Vancouver is one of those cities where you could stay for weeks and never experience everything!