Dive-site story
Located along the Sea-to-Sky Highway on Howe Sound, Porteau Cove Provincial Park is one of the most accessible and heavily dived marine parks in southwestern British Columbia. Purpose-built infrastructure catering to scuba divers includes paved entry stairways, washrooms, and surface marker buoys that delineate several artificial reefs. Beneath the surface, divers navigate scuttled vessels, concrete tetrahedron reef balls, tire grids, and old wooden hull remains connected by guide ropes.
Multiple purposely scuttled wrecks, including the Centennial III minesweeper and old wooden hulks
Extensive concrete tetrahedron reef units colonised by giant plumose anemones
Frequent encounters with wolf eels and giant Pacific octopuses in purpose-built habitats
Dedicated shore-access amenities, surface swim buoys, and emergency equipment facilities
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Winter and early spring provide the clearest water in Howe Sound, while late spring and summer bring glacier-fed freshwater runoff and plankton blooms that reduce upper-layer clarity.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Pacific OctopusEnteroctopus dofleini | Common | ||||||||||||
| Wolf EelAnarrhichthys ocellatus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Giant Plumose AnemoneMetridium farcimen | Common | ||||||||||||
| LingcodOphiodon elongatus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Copper RockfishSebastes caurinus | Common |
Marine forecast
