HMCS Mackenzie Wreck
Vancouver Island / Victoria · Canada
The HMCS Mackenzie, a 111 m Canadian destroyer escort, was deliberately sunk in 1995 in Saanich Inlet near Saltspring Island as an artificial reef. Sitting upright at 30 m on a sandy bottom in Satellite Channel, it is one of the best wreck dives on the BC coast. The hull is encrusted with giant plumose anemones, cloud sponge, and colonial tunicates. Giant Pacific octopus inhabit the superstructure, wolf eels guard the torpedo tubes, and lingcod hold court in the engine room openings. A second wreck, the HMCS Herons, lies nearby and can be combined on a single dive.
Conditions
Depth
18 to 30 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 8 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
7 to 13°C
drysuit required
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Vis (m) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Decorator Crab
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 47 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Lingcod
Last confirmed May 31, 2026 · 29 records
Very likely
Most dives
Plumose Anemone
Last confirmed Jun 17, 2026 · 18 records
Very likely
Most dives
Red Sea Urchin
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 34 records
Very likely
Most dives
Sunflower Starfish
Last confirmed Jun 23, 2026 · 64 records
Very likely
Most dives
Giant Pacific Octopus
Last confirmed Apr 5, 2026 · 7 records
Very likely
Most dives
Kelp Greenling
Last confirmed Apr 26, 2026 · 12 records
Very likely
Most dives
Wolf Eel
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear