Vancouver Island ocean-exploring enthusiasts have plunged into new waters, forming a non-profit group to tout diving and exploration.
Exploration Diving Society of B.C. was conceived last November, according to Bill Nadeau, the societyB次元官网网址檚 director of science and one of its founders. B.C. boasts talented diving industry experts and B次元官网网址渟ome of the best cold-water diving in the world,B次元官网网址� he said; however, over the last decade, diving tourism and activity has stagnated for numerous reasons including the economy and COVID-19.
The society seeks ways to re-engage with experts and promote the provinceB次元官网网址檚 offerings, Nadeau said. He said divers coming to B.C. know top dive sites such as Browning Pass in Port Hardy and Dodd Narrows and Gabriola Passage in Nanaimo.
B次元官网网址淭here hasnB次元官网网址檛 been really any collective effort to go out and explore new sitesB次元官网网址次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hose have been around for three decades. ThereB次元官网网址檚 certainly more sites like that.B次元官网网址�
Amid global warming and climate change and with an eye to the Canadian governmentB次元官网网址檚 Oceans Protection Plan, Nadeau said the society wants to find ways of measuring and marking whatB次元官网网址檚 occurring. The group consists of free divers, recreational divers, technical divers, professional photographers and videographers, biologists, geologists and geographers, all of whom can assist.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got this diversity of perspectives, and talents that can come together with enthusiasm to not only explore and find these sites, but then showcase them to the rest of the country,B次元官网网址� Nadeau said.
When asked about how he sees the society evolving, he said heB次元官网网址檇 like the group to expand its reach with different chapters in B.C.
B次元官网网址淢aybe even across the country, with the same vision and mission, which is to explore sites, measure those sites, from not only a quality and quantity perspective, but also from an environmental and ecological sustainability perspective, and then share that with everybody, so thereB次元官网网址檚 not any hoarding of information,B次元官网网址� Nadeau said.
Nadeau said thereB次元官网网址檚 a vast area off Nanaimo and he is looking forward to exploring it. When all the different islands, nooks, bays and coves are considered, there are tens of thousands of kilometres of coastline, he said.
B次元官网网址淲e just finished doing a dive off of Nanoose Bay where itB次元官网网址檚 not a dive that people would really traditionally consider,B次元官网网址� said Nadeau. B次元官网网址淭hey might go out to go fishing, because itB次元官网网址檚 a shallow reef, but itB次元官网网址檚 not accessible by shore and not a lot of the dive charters know about it, or even have taken divers there because they donB次元官网网址檛 know anything there.B次元官网网址�
Those wanting to join the society will be required to pay an annual fee of $150, which will be used for administrative costs.
B次元官网网址淩eally the only prerequisite coming into it, is to abide by our diving practices because we want to maintain a certain level of safety and ethical standards,B次元官网网址� Nadeau said.
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