Lewis Reef - Nova Scotia
Lewis Reef, off Nova Scotia, offers a decent dive experience for those exploring Canada’s Atlantic waters. We’ve found the rocky ledges here are home to a respectable number of species, with American lobsters tucked into crevices and Atlantic cod often cruising by. Keep an eye out for yellowtail flounder camouflaged on the seabed, and depending on the season, you might spot salmon making an appearance. It’s a solid pick for divers keen to see what the colder North American waters have to offer, without the expectation of tropical colours.
- Location
- Nova Scotia, Canada, North America
- Coordinates
- 45.883450, -63.732010
- Type
- reef
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 Lewis Reef
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 Lewis Reef
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