Burlington Bay Horse Ferry
Why dive here
With 35+ marine species recorded in the area - including nurse sharks - Burlington Bay Horse Ferry offers some of New England's richest wreck diving.
Burlington Bay’s Horse Ferry, submerged in Lake Champlain, isn’t about big fish or colourful reefs. We love it because it’s a tangible piece of history, just sitting there in the cool freshwater, ready to be explored. It’s a shallow dive, maxing out at 15 metres, so you get good bottom time to really soak it in. You’re dropping onto a flatbed ferry, built in the 1800s, once powered by horses on a treadmill. The wooden structure is remarkably intact, you can still see the outlines of the horse stalls. There’s a quiet stillness down there, a sense of stepping back in time. We often find brook trout darting in and out of the timbers, and the Great Pond Snails cling to the old wood. Visibility varies, but when it’s good, the sunlight filters down, illuminating the ghostly silhouette of the ferry. Our favourite time to dive it is late morning, after any overnight particulate has settled, giving you the clearest view of this underwater relic. It’s a fantastic site for anyone who appreciates wreck diving with a story, particularly those who enjoy the calmer pace of freshwater exploration.
Typical Burlington Bay Horse Ferry Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
Burlington Bay Horse Ferry Wreck History
Year Sunk
1876
Vessel Type
ferry
Cause
storm
Dive into a unique piece of 19th-century maritime innovation with the Burlington Bay Horse Ferry. Resting in the fresh waters of Lake Champlain, this wreck is the only known surviving example of a turntable-style horse ferry. These ingenious vessels were powered by horses walking on a rotating treadmill, which in turn drove the side paddle wheels. A common sight on American waterways in the mid-1800s, this specific ferry connected Burlington with Port Kent, New York.
The ferry's career ended abruptly during a fierce storm in 1876. Caught in the gale, the vessel foundered and sank to the bottom of Burlington Bay, where it lay forgotten for over a century. Rediscovered in the 1980s, it was remarkably preserved by the cold, fresh water. Today, it is recognized as a Vermont State Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a testament to its historical significance.
For certified divers, the Horse Ferry offers an extraordinary glimpse into the past. At a comfortable depth of 15 meters, the wreck is easily accessible. Divers can clearly see the revolutionary turntable mechanism, the large paddle wheels, and the largely intact hull. As a protected archaeological site, divers are reminded to look but not touch, helping to preserve this fragile and one-of-a-kind wreck for future generations to explore.
Reviews for Burlington Bay Horse Ferry
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Burlington Bay Horse Ferry
Burlington Bay Horse Ferry Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Burlington Bay Horse Ferry, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (43.65, -73.46) (0km away)
August Averages
Air Temperature
19.59°C
67°F
Wind Speed
3.56 m/s
6.9 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1015 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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