HALHAWK - Nova Scotia
Alright, let's talk about the HALHAWK. This isn't your typical deep wreck dive, and that's precisely why we love it. Sunk in 1969, this fishing vessel lies completely exposed at two metres deep, making it one of the most accessible wreck dives you'll ever do. It’s perfect for snorkelers, freedivers, or anyone just getting comfortable in their drysuit who wants to explore a piece of history without the pressure of depth or complex navigation. When we dive the HALHAWK, we spend our time picking through the ribs of the boat, noticing how the rust has painted the surrounding rocks in oranges and browns. You’ll see schools of small sculpins darting between the metal plates and sometimes a curious crab peeking from under a hull section. Our favourite part? How the sunlight plays on the exposed timbers, creating a shifting mosaic of light and shadow, even on a cloudy day. It’s a completely different kind of wreck experience, one that encourages slow exploration and a real connection to the wreck’s past, rather than just a quick swim-through. Keep an eye out for the remnants of old fishing gear still tangled in the wreckage – it tells a story.
- Location
- Nova Scotia, Canada, North America
- Coordinates
- 44.629166, -63.312500
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 2m
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 HALHAWK
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 HALHAWK
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