Overview of Esquinalt Lagoon

Esquinalt Lagoon

Vancouver Island, BC
Canada
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For an easy dive, without the hazards of rocks, kelp and strong current, Esquinalt Lagoon offers the chance to see the bottom dwellers you'd expect on a sandy stretch of coast. There are no facilities in the immediate area, so bring water and warmth!

Directions: From Victoria Harbor, take the Trans-Canada Highway (1) to the North. In 9km go South on Highway 14 (Old Island Highway). In 1.8km turn left on Ocean Blvd and travel for 1km until you reach the bridge below.

Diver Reviews:    (Please share your own experiences by clicking here!)
07/02/2010 Lloyd Haskell (Avg: 4.20 Review) - If you take the time to look there is a multitude of small life here . The crabs ... a bonus.

05/10/2006 Bryan Heit (Avg: 2.22 Review) - There is no real reason to do this dive unless you're after crab, but it is a great place to go crabbing. Here the issue isn't finding legal-sized crabs, rather it's finding ones small enough to fit in your crab bag! Aside from that there isn't much too see. The bottom is sandy, so this may be a good area for practice diving. A lot of boaters come in close to shore here (to crab and fish), so a flag is a good idea.

05/09/2004 Jes Saliba (Avg: 2.80 Review) - A very shallow dive. You can swim out almost 600 meters and it's still under 20 feet. A great place to go crabbing as the king crabs are huge here. Found some sand dollars and skates here. Time it for slack tide as you could get swept out.

03/09/2003 Anonymous (Avg: 2.31 Review) - Flat sand bottom. Shrimp, lots of Dungeness crabs. Had to swim out on the surface for about 20 minutes to reach 40 foot depths, but easy beach access. If you're after crabs, great, but not much else to see.


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Site Photos

Maps
 (what is GPS?)		 Photo
 (click photo for a larger version)		 Comments
Sign

 

  

Sign at Esquinalt Lagoon 

Heading down the hill and over the lagoon bridge, this sign will point you into the lagoon area. You'll actually want the beach just to the left.
Entrance

 Map     Sat
GPS: VI1102
N48°25.8098'
W123°27.4088'

  

Entrance at Esquinalt Lagoon 

At the end of the bridge, turn left into the parking lot.
Overview

 

  

Overview at Esquinalt Lagoon 

For any non-divers, this is a neat stretch of beach to comb!
Entry

 Map     Sat
GPS: VI1104
N48°25.8071'
W123°27.3853'

  

Entry at Esquinalt Lagoon 

A sandy entry makes this very easy for beginners.

Last Verification: July, 2001  

 

Diver Averages for  Esquinalt Lagoon  (1=worst, 5=best)


Average Site Condition
Ease of Shore Entry:  5.00
Bottom Conditions:  3.00
Reef Conditions:  1.50
Animal Life:  3.25
Plant Life:  2.25
Facilities:  1.50
Solitude:  2.75
Roads:  4.50
*Site Average:  2.88
   

Average Enjoyment Level
Snorkel:  3.00
Beginner Scuba:  4.00
Intermediate Scuba:  3.75
Advanced Scuba:  3.25
Night diving Scuba:  4.00

Number of reviews for this site: 4

385-3-3-11


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