Costa Rican Trader Shipwreck - Nova Scotia
The Costa Rican Trader wreck is a standout in Nova Scotia, a proper ship that’s become a cold-water reef. We love this site for its sheer presence, sitting upright and mostly intact on the seabed. Dropping down, the first thing you notice is the way the light filters through the murky surface, giving the whole wreck an eerie, blue-green glow. It’s got that classic wreck vibe – steel plates draped in green algae, the occasional porthole staring out like a blind eye. You can spend a good chunk of a dive finning along the decks, peeking into cargo holds, and imagining the ship's last moments. Look for the wolf eels tucked into crevices, their broad heads and toothy grins a welcome surprise, and the schools of pollock that swirl through the superstructure. For wreck enthusiasts who appreciate a bit of history and a lively ecosystem, it’s a solid pick. We’d suggest going on a calm day; the surface chop can make the entry a bit challenging.
- Location
- Nova Scotia, Canada, North America
- Coordinates
- 44.553696, -63.555138
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: DUC Fee Simple Lands
Best Time to Dive in Nova Scotia
The warmest water temperatures in Nova Scotia occur in August, averaging 17.1°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 1.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 3.3°C
- February: 1.6°C
- March: 1.3°C
- April: 3.0°C
- May: 6.6°C
- June: 11.0°C
- July: 15.9°C
- August: 17.1°C
- September: 16.0°C
- October: 13.9°C
- November: 10.4°C
- December: 6.5°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Nova Scotia
- Africville Park
- Anemones Alley
- Arctic Trader shipwreck (wreck)
- Avondale Reef (reef)
- BALEINE - 18m (wreck)
- Bayswater
- Big Duck Island
- Birchy Head
- Black Reef (reef)
- Black Rock Beach
- Blueberry Bay Reef (reef)
- Boutiliers Point
- Boyds Reef (reef)
- Broad Bank (reef)
- Bull Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Costa Rican Trader Shipwreck
Marine Life in Nova Scotia
Home to 80 recorded species including 48 reef fish, 9 sharks & rays, 5 crabs & lobsters, 5 whales & dolphins, 4 other, 2 starfish.
Notable Species
- American Lobster (Homarus americanus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) - Reef Fish
- Whiting (Merluccius bilinearis) - Reef Fish
- Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) - Sharks & Rays
- Cape Shark (Squalus acanthias) - Sharks & Rays
- saithe (Pollachius virens) - Reef Fish
- American eel (Anguilla rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- salmon (Salmo salar) - Reef Fish
- Acadian Whitefish (Coregonus huntsmani) - Reef Fish
- witch (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) - Reef Fish
- porbeagle (Lamna nasus) - Sharks & Rays
- Starry Ray (Amblyraja radiata) - Sharks & Rays
- tusk (Brosme brosme) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Costa Rican Trader Shipwreck
Based on average water temperature of 8.9°C, currents 2 cm/s.
- Drysuit - water at 9°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