Nanaimo

Nanaimo sits on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, and serves as a gateway to regional diving along the southern Vancouver Island coast. The area features a mix of coastal pelagic activity, kelp forests, and rocky reefs accessible from Nanaimo’s ferry connections and local boats. While the town itself is more known for its harbour and access amenities than a dense dive scene, nearby sites within day-trip reach include sheltered inshore reefs, pinnacles, and drift dives along the southeastern Vancouver Island coast. The diving season is influenced by Pacific conditions, with visibility typically ranging in the upper tens of metres, moderate currents, and cooler water compared with tropical destinations. Marine life commonly includes pacific rockfish, lingcod, crabs, anemones, and seasonal sightings of larger species on deeper or more open-water sites.