Featured Dive Site: Whytecliff Park

In 1993 the waters around Whytecliff Park became Canada’s first Salt Water Marine Park Protected Area, ensuring a great marine environment for Vancouver’s scuba divers. Divers can see a variety of marine life including, harbour seals, sea pens, ling cod, nudibranches, sea cucumbers, and occasionally octopus. Whytecliff Park is a very popular dive site, and in the summer months very busy, because it has something to offer to divers of all skill levels. You’ll often see dive classes practicing out in the cove, and advanced divers descending down the steep walls of “the Cut”.

The park is also a great spot for some hiking, a picnic, bird watching, or walking your dog (allowed off-leash in the park east of Marine Drive).

Directions: To get the Whytecliff, take the Upper Levels Highway West towards Horseshoe Bay. At Horseshoe Bay take exit #1 North towards Whistler. After about 400 meters, take a left on the overpass for Marine Dr., and from there you can simply follow the signs on the round-about for Whytecliff park.

Top photo by icathing on flickr. Pictured right is a harbour seal I saw during one of my dives at Whytecliff. You can check out this website I stumbled upon for lots of other great shots of the marine life, and scenery of the park.