Annapolis one step closer to becoming artificial reef

The former HMCS Annapolis has made its final voyage out of Esquimalt Harbour and is undergoing reclamation in Howe Sound as it awaits its destiny to become an artificial reef.

The ship has found a new home in Long Bay on Gambier Island, where many of its remaining components will be dismantled before it undergoes an environmental clean-up in preparation for its new life on the ocean floor.

The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) purchased the Annapolis from the navy to make it the sixth former Canadian Navy ship to be sunk in waters off B.C. The high number of ships being turned into marine habitats and scuba diving destinations increases B.C.’s reputation as one of the premier diving hot spots in the world.

“With the sinking of the Annapolis on the mainland side, we effectively close an eco-dive tourism travel loop, allowing divers to visit each sink site, thereby adding to a unique Wreck Trek adventure second to none in the world,” says ARSBC president Howard Robins. The final resting place has yet to be determined, but the ship is expected to be sunk in 2009...[Lookout Newspaper]