Bell Island, Newfoundland, Canada is known for its wreck diving. Wrecks like the S.S. Lord Strahcona can be explored by intermediate divers, with depths between 75 and 150 feet. The four vessels in this area were sunk as a result of combat action with German Submarines in WW 2. These vessels were merchant ships designed to carry ore from the Bell Island Mines. Their length ranges from 400 to 450 feet with a tonnage of 5500 to 7500 tons. A defensive gun was placed on the stern of each vessel.
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The Bell Island Mines are an abandoned iron ore mine complex in the community of Wabana on Bell Island. The mines were opened for commercial mining in 1896 and eventually occupying an area approximately nine square miles in size – stretching under the seabed in Conception Bay - they were worked until 1966 and now most of the passages are flooded.
A project was undertaken in 2007 to explore the mine system to assess the suitability of the mine complex as a future diving destination for the increasing numbers of cave divers worldwide. The plan was to investigate as much of the many miles of sunken mine as practical within the 12-days available. The team surveyed the mine looking for any evidence of cave-in or collapse in the mine shaft and laid permanent guidelines from the surface in the main shaft. In addition, four ‘jump lines’ were laid in side passages and it is planned to extend approximately 300 meters East and West of the main shaft. Overall a total of a mile and a quarter of line was laid in the mine. Many artifacts including mine equipment and graffiti, drawn by the miners using the soot from their carbide lamps, were found. The system was mapped sufficiently to enable the conclusion that the mine would make an interesting diving destination for cave divers to explore.
There still is forward progress in opening this site to the general public, however this progress slowed somewhat after an accident on-site. Unfortunately, during the expedition Joe Steffen, a very experienced technical cave diver, tragically lost his life.
I would encourage any Cave Divers who are interested, to come to Newfoundland and experience the diving that's available. One area that has opened-up for me has been diving icebergs. Many of them have openings and underwater passages that can be stunning. It's kinda cool diving in a moving Cave...
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The Bell Island Mines are an abandoned iron ore mine complex in the community of Wabana on Bell Island. The mines were opened for commercial mining in 1896 and eventually occupying an area approximately nine square miles in size – stretching under the seabed in Conception Bay - they were worked until 1966 and now most of the passages are flooded.
A project was undertaken in 2007 to explore the mine system to assess the suitability of the mine complex as a future diving destination for the increasing numbers of cave divers worldwide. The plan was to investigate as much of the many miles of sunken mine as practical within the 12-days available. The team surveyed the mine looking for any evidence of cave-in or collapse in the mine shaft and laid permanent guidelines from the surface in the main shaft. In addition, four ‘jump lines’ were laid in side passages and it is planned to extend approximately 300 meters East and West of the main shaft. Overall a total of a mile and a quarter of line was laid in the mine. Many artifacts including mine equipment and graffiti, drawn by the miners using the soot from their carbide lamps, were found. The system was mapped sufficiently to enable the conclusion that the mine would make an interesting diving destination for cave divers to explore.
There still is forward progress in opening this site to the general public, however this progress slowed somewhat after an accident on-site. Unfortunately, during the expedition Joe Steffen, a very experienced technical cave diver, tragically lost his life.
I would encourage any Cave Divers who are interested, to come to Newfoundland and experience the diving that's available. One area that has opened-up for me has been diving icebergs. Many of them have openings and underwater passages that can be stunning. It's kinda cool diving in a moving Cave...
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