SS Lord Strathcona - Newfoundland
Diving the SS Lord Strathcona feels like stepping into a frozen moment of maritime history. She sits upright at 30 metres, remarkably intact for a century-old wreck, and her steel structure is now completely draped in green sea urchins and anemones. We’ve found plenty of blennies and butterfish tucked into the nooks, and if you’re lucky, a minke whale might cruise by in the distance. It’s a proper cold-water wreck dive, challenging but immensely rewarding, best suited for experienced divers comfortable with deeper depths and the chill of the North Atlantic. Keep an eye out for the resident witch flounders camouflaged on the sandy bottom nearby.
- Location
- Newfoundland, Canada, North America
- Coordinates
- 47.588240, -52.968143
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 30m
Marine Protected Area: Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
Best Time to Dive in Newfoundland
The warmest water temperatures in Newfoundland occur in August, averaging 15.9°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 0.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 2.3°C
- February: 1.1°C
- March: 0.3°C
- April: 1.3°C
- May: 3.9°C
- June: 7.3°C
- July: 12.4°C
- August: 15.9°C
- September: 14.6°C
- October: 11.9°C
- November: 8.0°C
- December: 4.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Newfoundland
- Black Reef (reef)
- Black Rocks (reef)
- BLUEBACK - 30m (wreck)
- Catamaran Reef (reef)
- CLAMOR - 2m (wreck)
- East Reefs
- East Reefs - 5-20m (reef)
- FAIR ISLAND TRADER (POSSIBLY) - 5m (wreck)
- FOAM V - 0m (wreck)
- FREDERICK L BLAIR - 0m (wreck)
- Halfway Reef (reef)
- HMS CALYPSO - 0m (wreck)
- HMS DRAKE - 0m (wreck)
- LORD STRATHCONA - 40m (wreck)
- Lord Strathcona Wreck - 10-30m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to SS Lord Strathcona
- Ocean Quest Adventure Resort - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Newfoundland
Home to 72 recorded species including 35 reef fish, 13 whales & dolphins, 7 sharks & rays, 5 seagrass & algae, 3 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 soft corals.
Notable Species
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- Capelin (Mallotus villosus) - Reef Fish
- Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Whales & Dolphins
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Daubed Shanny (Leptoclinus maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Starry Ray (Amblyraja radiata) - Sharks & Rays
- Blackfish (Globicephala melas) - Whales & Dolphins
- bull rout (Myoxocephalus scorpius) - Reef Fish
- lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) - Reef Fish
- witch (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) - Reef Fish
- Razorback (Balaenoptera physalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- moustache sculpin (Triglops murrayi) - Reef Fish
- snake blenny (Lumpenus lampretaeformis) - Reef Fish
- Redfish (Sebastes mentella) - Reef Fish
- irish moss, carragheen (Chondrus crispus) - Seagrass & Algae
- American eel (Anguilla rostrata) - Reef Fish
- red soft coral (Gersemia rubiformis) - Soft Corals
Recommended Packing List for SS Lord Strathcona
Based on average water temperature of 7.0°C, currents 2 cm/s.
- Drysuit - water at 7°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
- Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories