Stays · Destination Guide
Three artificial wreck reefs, tidal walls and true cold-water diving from Nanaimo.
Accommodation listings are not available for this destination yet. Use the local planning notes to choose your base.
Nanaimo is on east-central Vancouver Island. Arrive by scheduled airline at Nanaimo Airport (YCD), by BC Ferries vehicle/passenger ferry from the Vancouver mainland, by Hullo downtown passenger ferry, or by Harbour Air into Nanaimo Harbour. Tourism Nanaimo reports YCD service by Air Canada, WestJet and Pacific Coastal and mainland ferry routes to Departure Bay and Duke Point. A mainland diver can travel by ferry for a booked Nanaimo boat day, but independent road/ferry timetables must leave ample time for gear check-in and post-dive return. These are transfers to land-based diving, not liveaboard embarkations.
As of October 2025, BC Ferries requires ALL vehicle travelers, including motorcyclists, to book and pay BEFORE arriving for the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay direction; drive-up vehicle fares are unavailable. This does not apply to vehicle return sailings from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay. Foot passengers and cyclists can still travel without advance reservations, although booking ahead improves certainty.
Downtown Nanaimo is walkable for restaurants, waterfront and some museums, but shore dives and equipment shops often require a car, taxi or prebooked lift. BC Transit publishes Nanaimo routes including a ferry shuttle and airport service, yet route frequency and connections should be checked for the actual day.