The Bell Island Wrecks, Newfoundland

[daz]

This is a bit of a long post, so apologies in advance but I wanted to share as much as possible.

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The west coast of Canada has been on my “To Do” list for some time but when my mate and his wife asked if we would be interested in going to Newfoundland for 9 days I figured “What the hell, lets see what the East coast has to offer”.

Once I started to look in to what Newfoundland could offer I realised that this was definitely not going to be a poor second choice as far as the diving went. With flight times of 4.5 to 5.5 hours from Heathrow, 3.5 hours time difference and 2 Canadian dollars to the pound it was starting to look even more appealing.

Arranging the trip

After looking at our options for which operation to use, we very quickly narrowed it down to Ocean Quest Charters based on their experience, availability of twinsets and stages, having their own hardboat and rib and also their willingness to cater to whatever our requirements.

All of our preliminary contact was with their expedition manager Steve Moore, Steve is an ex-RAF guy from Blackpool, Steve put together a complete package including accommodation, 3 days boat diving, unlimited shore diving, sea kayaking, hiking, whale watching etc. So all we had to sort out was the flights and car hire.

We flew with Air Canada direct to St. Johns, their prices were reasonable and luggage allowances generous (2x23kg checked baggage + 2 x 10kg hand luggage per person)

We were met at St. Johns airport by Steve and after grabbing our hired minivan we followed Steve back to the dive operation located some 20 minutes away.

OQC is the only dive operation in the region that can offer Air/Nitrox,Trimix and sofnalime, all manner of dive kit including twinsets, stages, a indoor pool onsite their own hardboat and a onsite dive lodge with sauna for accommodation.

Unfortunately due to some bloke called Monty Halls and his film crew being in NewfoundlandJ, plus a group of Americans divers the dive lodge was full so we ended up staying in a great B&B 2 minutes walk away.

So onto the actual diving.

Steve had promised to have a twinset ready for me and when I first saw the twin 130cu ft high pressure steels I realised that air consumption was not going to be a limiting factor

The bell island wrecks consist of 4 second world war ore carriers (The PLM27, The SS Saganaga, The SS Strathcona and The SS Rosecastle); the wrecks all sit upright after being torpedoed in September and November 1942.

Our first dive was the PLM 27, sunk on the 2nd November with the loss of 12 lives. The day was clear, the seas were calm and currents were non existence. So after kitting up we jumped off the rear platform and looked down, we could immediately see the deck some 16m below us through the amazingly clear waters, we descended down the shot and as we reached the deck I was amazed at the amount of life, the 25m+ visibility and the condition of the wreck. We had been told that the PLM was in the poorest condition of all the wrecks as a number of icebergs had hit it due to the shallow depth.

We had been joined on this dive by Joe (One of OQ’s instructor) allegedly as a guide although I suspect Joe was along to check us out and make sure we were competent in the water, such was their attitude to safety. Now I can only assume that either we fooled Joe or scared him beyond belief as we were left to fend for ourselves on all subsequent dives J

It was obvious where the torpedo had hit due to the gaping hole in the deck and hull and after a brief look around we proceeded to the stern and dropped down to the bottom at 30m to have a look at the prop. The propeller was huge and presented itself as an easy swim through. So after the obligatory photo and video shots we headed back up the side and checked out the stern area. We swam through some easy swim throughs covered in plumose anemones and other life, along the side of the deck past numerous lumpsuckers and stopped to check out a machine gun that Joe pointed out lying on the deck.

We proceeded to the bow where I took the opportunity to swim off the wreck some 5m and look back at the PLM 27, although I’m not an ardent wreckie this was an image I’ll remember for a long time.

So heading back down the side of the wreck, we headed back up the shot and onto the boat for some hearty Moose soup provided by our ex US navy skipper Bill, who’s cooking ability was only surpassed by his boat handling skills.

Dive two was the SS Saganaga, sunk on the 5th September 1942 with the loss of 29 lives. Measuring some 130m and sitting in 33m with the deck at 20m, this was the second shallowest dive.

The Saganaga appeared to be in very good condition as we descended and after leaving the shot we headed off through a short swim through along the side of the bridge towards the stern. On the deck next to an open cargo hold was a huge anchor which is believed to have been thrown up from the bow back towards the stern area by the impact of the torpedo. We dropped down into the rear hold and after a brief search found the makers plate on the remains of a lifeboat. The maker’s plate indicated that the lifeboats on the Saganaga were supplied by the same company that provided life boats on the Titanic. The remains of the lifeboat were a solemn reminder for me of the fate of 29 crew members on the Saganaga.

Towards the back of the hold we found the spare propeller resting against the wall, we headed up out of the hold and back to the stern where the rear deck gun was instantly recognisable, around the gun were a number of shells attached to the deck by a build up of concretion, we also spotted a helmet by the gun, possibly cast aside by one of the crew when the attack took place.

We continued on around the wreck, spending some time looking in the holds easily accessible where the 2 torpedoes struck midship.

We ascended up the shot using the following deco plan, yada, yada, yada.... hey it’s dull and frankly not that interesting.

So ended our first days boat diving.

We spent the next couple of days doing some sea kayaking and hiking around the Bay Bulls area which was a great opportunity to see the beauty of Newfoundland in a way that driving around cannot offer.

So back to the diving, I’ll skip the 2nd day boat diving report as it was again on the PLM27 and Saganaga which although now more familiar, revealed even more details and discoveries that we had missed first time around.

Our third day on the boat and first dive was to be the SS Rosecastle, 140m long, 30m to the deck, and 50m to the sea floor, torpedoed on the 2nd November 1942 with the loss of 28 lives.

The sea was a bit choppy as we headed out as the wind had picked up, but after the short ride out we kitted up and jumped in.

As we descended down my first view was of the bridge and I was immediately struck by how much more colourful this wreck was compared to the previous wrecks. She was covered in soft corals, anemones and all manner of sea life.

The ship appeared completely intact and it was difficult to imagine that she had been sunk over 60 years previous. We headed straight to the Radio room next to one of the rear holds. The Marconi radio was still in place complete with gauges and portholes were still intact in the walls.

Dropping down into the hold, I headed into the engine room through a small gap in the bulkhead on the lookout for the intact telegraph. After a brief hunt around, I headed back out and up to the deck level. Once again we headed over to the big stern gun that all the ships carried and then along the side and through a couple of interesting swim throughs back to the bridge area for a bit of exploring.

The entire superstructure was intact with ladders from the deck to the bridge and a large number of portholes, many completely undamaged. We headed onto the bow, passing various unrecognisable objects on the deck such was the covering of anemones and soft corals.

Then back to the Bridge area a brief look around the completely intact stack and time to head back up the shot. As we headed up the shot I stopped and did a complete 360% to look down on the stack, the bridge area and a couple of other divers coming out of the hold, truly magical.

So back on the boat to see what soup of the day skipper Bill was going to serve up.

SS Strathcona, 140m long, 23m to the deck and 38m to the sea floor, torpedoed on the 5th September 1942. Loss of life 0.

This was the only wreck with no loss of life, when the Saganaga was torpedoed the SS Strathcona crew all manned their lifeboats and went to pick up survivors. The U-boat that had sunk the Saganaga turned its attention to the SS Strathcona and she was hit by two torpedoes.

This wreck was again covered in marine life being the second deepest of the wrecks. We started by exploring the engine room area which was accessible through a hole in the deck where the boilers had exploded during the torpedo attack.

We headed on up to the Bridge, which offered some interesting opportunities for exploring; inside the superstructure we found another Marconi radio similar to the one on the SS Rosecastle as well as a room with intact floor tiles, a sink and toilet.

Out on the deck was a fire extinguisher, I imagine lying exactly where it had ended up when the ship sank. We headed on to the bow and I headed into a doorway in the foredeck. Inside was what I can only describe as resembling a stable. There was a passage with what looked like wooden stalls leading off; some of the stalls had coils of rope and other unrecognisable items stacked up with a fine layer of silt covering everything. The wooden partitions were in remarkably good condition and I followed the passageway around and out of a door on the opposite side of the deck. I discovered afterwards that this area was the rope locker and was used for storing ropes and other various items of rigging.

So back to the shot and time to start the ascent.

Overall the wrecks were all in amazing condition and I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed even with the shallower wrecks like the PLM27 and the Saganaga. However the amount of colour and the condition of the Rosecastle and Strathcona have to be seen to be believed and no description I give could truly do them justice.

I guess probably the best endorsement for the wrecks is the positive feedback from previous OQ customers such as John Chatterton, Kevin F McMurray, Bernie Chowdhury.

We also managed to fit in a spot of whale watching, shore diving around 3 old whaling boats, shore diving at an old whaling station (Lots of whale bones and skulls). Then there was the diving with humpbacks, presentations on in water recompression by a DAN Doctor, a presentation on cave diving in Florida and Mexico plus Monty Halls gave us a very entertaining presentation on the behind the scenes planning for his great ocean adventures series. So overall a pretty busy 9 days

As for OQ themselves and especially Steve, they certainly looked after. Steve even invited us around his house for a BBQ towards the end of the trip where much beer, wine and rum was consumed.

As for individuals own diving preferences, OQ respected all divers rights to dive as they wished, whether that be buddied, three man teams, solo, rebreathers, diving on computers, diving on tables, deco on the fly, deco on the guess. Basically if you turned up and wanted to dive in a pink tutu that was your choice and if you forgot your pink tutu I’m pretty sure Steve would find one for you to borrow


Would I go back? I’m already planning a return visit sometime next year.
If nothing else I can try to educate a few more Americans and Canadians that the past tense of dive is dived and dove is a bird similar to a pigeon…. (You give them a perfectly good language and they go and cock it up )

Oh and the downsides? Well the water temperature did hit -1c at the bottom on a few dives, next year I’m wearing dry gloves (Apparently August is much, much warmer).

Useful Links :-

Air Canada
Ocean Quest Adventure Resort :: Newfoundland Diving and Adventure Travel
Newfoundland Wrecks


Daz

[Mal Bridgeman]

That's one heck of a link Daz....but a great report
Mal

[daz]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

That's one heck of a link Daz....but a great report
Mal

Now fixed

Daz

[jorawley]

great report, any piccies???

[Lou]

You can't just doing "diving with humpbacks" in 3 words - we want more!!! And photos!

You realise, of course, that you have just increased that bloody list by one again, don't you? Git.

[Darren A]

Wow, excellent report Daz!

[daz]

Originally Posted by Lou

You can't just doing "diving with humpbacks" in 3 words - we want more!!! And photos!

You realise, of course, that you have just increased that bloody list by one again, don't you? Git.

OK, ok... well diving with Humpbacks is probably a bit of an exaggeration...

We went out on a RIB to do a spot of whale watching and threw a single cylinder in just on the off chance they were in a playful mood.

So after spotting a few and as they didn't appear too timid, I threw the set on and they dropped me in front of where they were heading. I dropped down about 4 metres and within 30 seconds three of them went past about 15m away, a bull, a cow and a calf. Unfortunately they didn't hang around and we were not going to harrass them so we left it at that.

It was brief, but still a great experience. My mate was using snorkel kit and managed to get one photo as they dissapeared.

I'll try to get some stills sorted of the diving in general, I was mainly shooting video which I might get around to editting in the next 3 months with any luck

Daz

[Capone]

I saw these guys at one of the last UK DiveShows. They did an hour long talk on themselves and diving around Newfoundland.

It is firmly on my list of things to do in the next couple of years. It will get done......once I have worked out how to get dry-gloves on my O3 drysuit !

Thanks very much for the write up and if you do post pictures / video anywhere then please let us know. Cheers.

[parahandy]

Great report Daz.

[daz]

Finally got around to putting the footage together.

I've put a 13min video on google of the diving on the wrecks, only suitable for broadband users.



Enjoy,
Daz