SS Lord Strathcona
A 7,335-ton ore carrier torpedoed off Bell Island in 1942, sitting upright and remarkably intact in cold, clear Atlantic water.
At the site
Watch out for
Getting there
Everything that happens before the fins go on.
Directions & access
Take the Portugal Cove ferry to Bell Island (20 minutes). Local operators dive the four wrecks from a hard boat out of Lance Cove.
Parking
Ferry queue parking at Portugal Cove; on-island parking at the dive operator's slip.
Entry & exit
Backroll or giant stride from the boat, descend a shot line to the bow. Return up the same line — a delayed SMB is mandatory if you come off it.
Boat logistics
Boat charter only, roughly 10 minutes from Lance Cove. Trips run when the wind allows, generally June to October.
Conditions & timing
When it's good, and when to stay on the beach.
Typical conditions
Cold and clear. Little current on the wreck itself, more on the surface.
When it's blown out
Anything above 15 knots from the north or east cancels the boat; fog can also stop the ferry.
Tidal window
Not tide-dependent, but slack surface conditions matter for the boat.
Visibility
15-25 m, often better below the thermocline.
Water temperature
10-14 C at the surface in summer, 2-6 C on the wreck.
Exposure suit
Drysuit with proper undergarments. This is not a wetsuit dive.
Best season
June to October.
Under the surface
What you'll actually swim over.
Topography
The hull sits upright on the bottom with the deck around 25-30 m and the seabed at 40 m. Masts, winches and the bridge structure are all recognisable; penetration is possible but is a genuine overhead environment.
Navigation
Shot line lands near the bow; swim aft along the deck and turn on gas or time.
Marine life
Wolffish in the wreckage, sculpin, lumpfish in spring, huge schools of capelin in June and dense anemone growth on the plating.
Protected area rules
Protected war grave and heritage wreck — look, photograph, take nothing. Removing artefacts is illegal.
Safety & emergencies
The details you want written down before you need them.
Hazards
Cold water task loading, depth beyond recreational limits at the seabed, monofilament and net snagged on the superstructure, and a silty overhead if you penetrate.
Nearest chamber
Health Sciences Centre Hyperbaric, St. John's
Chamber phone
+1 709-777-6300
Local emergency number
911
VHF channel
16
Phone signal
Good on Bell Island
Nearest air fill
Ocean Quest Adventures, Conception Bay South — air, nitrox and trimix.
From the water
Photos and short clips posted by divers.
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