Type of Dive: Shore Dive

 

General Description: A very beautiful, popular site in the Victoria area. Henderson Point is a great dive with ample parking and easy access.

 

Location: East side of the Saanich Inlet. Dive from the shore at the end of Senanus Drive.

 

Dive Profile: When you enter the water head out from the Flag Pole on a bearing of 255 degrees.  This will take you over a couple of nice reefs that  you can circumnaviagate and explore in about 40 - 50 feet of water depending on the tide.  Eventually you will come to a sunken pleasure boat you can explore.  There is also a reef ball used as memorial for someone.  You can carry further on in the same direction where the depths increase well beyond 100 feet.

 

Another option is to head out on a bearing of 192 degrees, which will take you to a different memorial that is a cement stand with info on some of the local sealife.

 

What to See: There are alot of octopus in the area, both GPO and Ruby Reds.  There are lots of smaller creatures here such as Sculpins and Dentronotids. Summer months bring Moon Jellies in force, along with the typical algae blooms reducing visibility to within inches in the first 40 - 50 feet of depth.  

 

Hazards: As with most Saanich Inlet dives, there rarely any current to speak of here. The vis can be soup until you get down to depth though, so keep an eye out for boats during your ascent.

 

Dive Certification: This is a great Open Water dive. Even though the depth goes down below 100 feet, there's no need to go past 60 unless you want to, at which time it becomes an Advanced Deep dive. Its a great Advanced Night Dive and most divers are diving an Advanced Dry Suit dive in these waters.