Panther (Wrack) - Manitoba & Prairie Lakes
Okay, let’s talk about the Panther. We know, "Manitoba" and "diving" don't usually go in the same sentence, but this wreck makes a strong case for pulling on that drysuit. Forget coral reefs for a minute; this is a journey back in time, submerged in freshwater history. What we love about the Panther is its intactness; it’s not just a pile of planks. You can still make out the superstructure, the bow, and a good portion of the stern. It feels like a real ship, not just a ghost. Our favourite time to dive the Panther is late summer, when the thermocline isn’t quite as biting and the visibility stretches out a bit. Head inside and you might catch glimpses of Cisco and Lake Whitefish darting through the shadowed interior. We’ve seen Yellow Perch congregating in the compartments, almost like they’re holding a meeting. It’s a site that rewards careful exploration, for those divers who appreciate a wreck with a story, even if that story is told in the quiet flicker of your dive light. Bring a good torch and take your time; the details here are what make it special.
- Location
- Manitoba & Prairie Lakes, Canada, North America
- Coordinates
- 46.644444, -84.808050
- Type
- wreck
Nearby Dive Sites in Manitoba & Prairie Lakes
- Alexander Reef (reef)
- Bow
- Dixon Reef (reef)
- Edmund Fitzgerald (wreck)
- Griffon Reef (reef)
- Jenny Lynn - 1.3m (wreck)
- Lake Wolsley
- Leonard Reef (reef)
- McAllister Reef (reef)
- Midship
- Nanton Reef (reef)
- Overturned Stern
- Shenick Reef (reef)
- Whitestone Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Panther (Wrack)
- Aquatic Adventures, Inc.
- Capital City Scuba - SSI
- Nautical North Family Adventures
- The Scuba Shop
- Underwater Connection - PADI, DAN, TDI, SDI
Marine Life in Manitoba & Prairie Lakes
Home to 30 recorded species including 28 reef fish, 1 other, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) - Reef Fish
- Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) - Reef Fish
- Nine-spined Stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) - Reef Fish
- Cisco (Coregonus artedi) - Reef Fish
- Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) - Reef Fish
- burbot (Lota lota) - Reef Fish
- sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
- Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii) - Reef Fish
- Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) - Reef Fish
- Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) - Reef Fish
- brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) - Reef Fish
- coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) - Reef Fish
- Jasper Longnose Sucker (Catostomus catostomus) - Reef Fish
- White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) - Reef Fish
- Spottail Shiner (Notropis hudsonius) - Reef Fish
- Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) - Reef Fish
- Spawn (Gasterosteus aculeatus) - Reef Fish
- Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) - Reef Fish
- pike (Esox lucius) - Reef Fish