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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Ari Atoll location page.
Overview
The RMS Empress of Ireland was a Canadian ocean liner that sank in the Saint Lawrence River following a collision with the Norwegian collier Storstad in 1914. It is one of Canada's worst maritime disasters. The wreck lies on its starboard side at a depth of 43 meters, attracting advanced and technical divers to explore its historically significant structure in cold, often low-visibility waters.
Briefing note
Strong currents and cold water are typical. Advanced wreck diving experience and appropriate technical diving certifications are essential. Permits may be required for diving this protected historical site.
What you'll see
3 species curated- rareLake SturgeonPeak: May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- seasonalNorthern PikePeak: May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- year-roundFreshwater SculpinPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Sightings evidence
3 records on file- medium confidenceLake Sturgeon
- Last confirmed
- May 2024
- Recent records
- 5 within 25 km
- Cluster months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- medium confidenceNorthern Pike
- Last confirmed
- May 2024
- Recent records
- 5 within 25 km
- Cluster months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- medium confidenceFreshwater Sculpin
- Last confirmed
- May 2024
- Recent records
- 5 within 25 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2–4 °C | 5–8 m | strong |
| Feb | 2–4 °C | 5–8 m | strong |
| Mar | 3–5 °C | 5–8 m | strong |
| Apr | 4–6 °C | 6–9 m | strong |
| May | 6–9 °C | 7–10 m | moderate |
| Jun | 8–11 °C | 8–12 m | moderate |
| Jul | 9–12 °C | 8–12 m | moderate |
| Aug | 9–12 °C | 8–12 m | moderate |
| Sep | 8–11 °C | 7–10 m | moderate |
| Oct | 6–9 °C | 6–9 m | moderate |
| Nov | 4–6 °C | 5–8 m | strong |
| Dec | 2–4 °C | 5–8 m | strong |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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