Global Adventures, LLC » Canada

Mackenzie: Cold water diving at its best

Bernd — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:28:31 +0000

Victoria (Global Adventures): British Columbia is one of the top rated diving destinations in North America. Canada’s westernmost Province has a coastline that stretches for more than 17,000 miles (27,000 kilometers), and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about six thousand islands, most of which are uninhabited.

The Coastal Mountains and the Inside Passage's many inlets provide spectacular scenery, and help the outdoor adventure and ecotourism industry to attract visitors from all over the world. British Columbia has long been enjoyed for pursuits like mountain biking, hiking and camping, rock climbing and mountaineering, hunting, fishing, and scuba diving.

The North Pacific waters are home to more than 5,000 species of invertebrates and nearly 400 species of fish, including crabs, prawns, and large octopuses. British Columbia is known for excellent wall diving, a healthy marine environment, big animal encounters, and superb wreck diving.

The 366 feet (112 meter) long HMCS Mackenzie rests on the seafloor at a depth of 90 to 106 feet (27 to 32 meter) in the Georgia Strait off Sidney, British Columbia. Launched on May 25, 1961, the 2,880 ton anti-submarine destroyer was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and served largely as a training ship. After 30 years of service, during which she visited 96 foreign ports and sailed 845,640 nautical miles, the ship was decommissioned on August 3, 1993.

The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia purchased the HMCS Mackenzie in March 1995. After cleaning the boat, it was scuttled on September 16, 1995. Today, the ship sits on clay and rock with a 20 degree list to port.

At a depth of around 60 feet, divers can explore the bow and deck guns, superstructure, and exhaust stacks. The radar tower extends all the way up to approximately 30 feet (9 meter). A total of 5 decks with access portals cut into the ship allow divers to penetrate the boat. Many of the artifacts are still aboard the ship, so divers will always find something to explore. The former command bridge is easily accessible within recreational diving limits, and many interior rooms, stairwells, and corridors can be explored.

The wreck is in excellent condition and there is no risk of collapse. Any potentially dangerous compartments have been sealed prior to sinking. However, it is always a good idea to follow techniques used by technical divers and deploy a reel when penetrating the wreck since the structure has accumulated tons of silt over the years. Marine live has already settled in on the wreck, and divers can find Wolf Eels, different species of Rockfish, Anemones, Sea Stars, Lingcod, Cabazon’s, and Pacific Octopus. The outside of the hull is encrusted with Sponges, Tubeworms and Barnacles.

Visibility at the site is usually around 25 feet (8 meter); however, it can reach 40 feet (12 meter) during autumn and winter. Local divers have reported seeing 80 feet (24 meter) on very rare occasions. To get the best out of the trip, a good dive light is recommended.

Strong currents can occur during large ebbs, so the use of a drift line could be a good idea. Divers should check the current table for Porlier Pass and dive near the slack and always carry a signal buoy in case they get blown away.

Surface water temperatures can hit 64 degrees in the summer, and is usually around 40 – 45 degrees during the winter months. At depth, the water is always around 40 degrees.

The wreck can be found at the following coordinates: 48º 40.094' N, 123º 17.170' W.

Stait of Georgia, BC, Canada

Sheraton offers Free Nights at 86 Hotels

Bernd — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:39:54 +0000

White Plains (Global Adventures): It does not get much cheaper than free – Sheraton offers a free night stay at 86 locations in the US and Canada to drum up business. The massive campaign that starts tonight is intended to highlight the chain’s $6 billion revitalization efforts, according to a press release.

The free stay is available for overnight stays on October 23, 2009, on a first-come, first-serve basis through the company’s website at www.Sheraton.com/freenight. 86 recently renovated Sheraton properties in the US and Canada signed up to participate.

“Additional nights and services will cost extra,” according to Hoyt Harper, senior vice president of brand management at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., Sheratons parent company.

2,100 rooms will be available for guest registering on www.Sheraton.com/freenigth. Guest will be able to book rooms from October 06 to October 09, or until all available rooms are booked. However, customers who come up empty-handed will be offered a coupon for a room discount, according to Sheraton.

Sheraton hopes to “polish” its image with the now completed renovations and the “free-night” campaign. “This is a new beginning for the brand’” so Harper. The origins of the brand date back to 1937 when Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore acquired the Stonehaven Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Arctic: New Claims for Extended Zones?

Bernd — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:54:41 +0000

Arctic (Global Adventures): After discovering a “… unusual underwater mountain on the Arctic sea floor,” the race is on again for Canada and the United States to renew claims that their boundaries extend beyond their existing 200-nautical-mile economic zones, granted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Many countries including Russia have made claims in recent years to extend their territory since the Arctic sea is believed to be rich with oil and gas deposits.

For the past 8 weeks, U.S. and Canadian ships have mapped the ocean floor in an effort to find out how far the continental shelf extends. Early indications show more sediment buildup on the northern edges, so Jacob Verhoef, program director for Natural Resources Canada, hinting that the shelf and the countries' borders extend farther north. Verhoef said the ships collected 40 per cent more data than they expected and went more than 200 kilometers farther north than they anticipated.

While the ocean floor in the area surveyed has an average depth of 8,700 feet (2,636 meters), the 12 mile long and 24 mile wide mountain is almost 3,800 feet (1,151 meters) high. The underwater mountain in “elongated, more ridge-shaped and flat on the top," according to Canadian chief scientist David Mosher, who is part of the joint expedition.

The newly mapped ``seamount,'' along with the nearby discovery of what appears to be an extinct volcano buried in sediments some 500 kilometers northwest of Ellesmere Island, is described as a ``significant'' bonus on top of promising data collected.