The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) is a registered non-profit society based in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

(BC), and is a registered tax-deductible charity in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Its aim is to create environmentally and economically sustainable 'artificial reefs' in British Columbia and around the world for the protection and enhancement of sensitive marine habitats, while also providing interesting destinations for the enjoyment of scuba divers. Since 1991, the Society has sunk seven ships and one Boeing 737 in the waters off BC's west coast. The Society has no paid employees, and consists of a volunteer Board of Directors and hundreds of volunteers from BC, Alberta, and the northwest United States who have worked on its projects. Its mission is to create and maintain

artificial reefs An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing. Many re ...

for use by

scuba divers This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable. Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where t ...

as a means to promote the local economy, the technology and safety procedures involved in creating artificial reefs, promote the use of artificial reefs to minimize the impact caused by scuba divers on other historically significant or ecologically sensitive sites, and to monitor all developments regarding their artificial reefs for environmental impact and diver safety.

Artificial reefs

*Sunk August 11, 1991: MV G.B. Church off

Portland Island Portland Island, also called Waikawa, is a small island off the southern tip of the Māhia Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand. It is used for sheep farming. The area of the island fluctuates rapidly between high and low tides due to ...

, near Sidney, BC at 48°43.323′ N, 123°21.339′

*Sunk December 5, 1992: (II) off Kunechin Point, in Porpoise Bay Provincial Park, Porpoise Bay, near Sechelt, BC at 49° 37.694' N, 123° 48.699'

*Sunk September 16, 1995: off Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Gooch Island, near Sidney, BC at 48°40.094′ N, 123°17.170′

*Sunk June 22, 1996: (II) off Maud Island, near Campbell River, BC at 50°8.031′ N, 125°20.152′

*Sunk June 14, 1997: (II) off Snake Island (Nanaimo), Snake Island, near Nanaimo, BC at 49°12.96′ N, 123°53.070′

*Sunk July 14, 2000: off Mission Beach, San Diego, Mission Beach, near San Diego, California at 32°46.80′ N 117°17.12′

*Sunk October 20, 2001: (II) off Snake Island, near Nanaimo, BC at 49°12.88′ N, 123°53.067′

*Sunk January 14, 2006: Xihwu Boeing 737-200 off

Chemainus Chemainus is a community within the municipality of North Cowichan in the Chemainus Valley on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Founded as an unincorporated logging town in 1858, Chemainus is now famou ...

, BC at 48°56.142′ N, 123°43.130′

*Sunk April 4, 2015: off

Gambier Island Gambier Island is an island located in Howe Sound near Vancouver, British Columbia. It is about in size and is located about north of the Horseshoe Bay community and ferry terminal in westernmost West Vancouver. A rugged and sparsely populate ...

in Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park,

Howe Sound Howe Sound (french: Baie (de /d')Howe, squ, Átl'ka7tsem, Nexwnéwu7ts, Txwnéwu7ts) is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosp ...

BC at 49°26.95′ N, 123°19.85′

References

External links

* {{authority control Artificial reefs Environmental organizations based in British Columbia Non-profit organizations based in Vancouver Diver organizations