SS Rose Castle - Newfoundland
Diving the SS Rose Castle in Newfoundland is a real commitment, but it pays off with a genuinely atmospheric wreck. This 1919 steamship lies at 35 metres, usually meaning a swift drop into cool, green water. The wreck is largely intact, a big, hulking shape that invites exploration, especially the engine room and cargo holds where we've poked around. Expect to see the usual North Atlantic suspects: witch flounders hugging the deck, lumpsuckers tucked into crevices, and sometimes schools of capelin swarming the superstructure. It’s definitely a dive for those comfortable with deeper, colder water and the unique thrill of history beneath the waves.
- Location
- Newfoundland, Canada, North America
- Coordinates
- 47.601340, -52.963623
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 35m
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 Rose Castle
- 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 Rose Castle
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