Tod Inlet (Saanich Inlet)

[MarkH]

I updated the following page:http://victoriadiving.awardspace.com/toddinlet.html
with the info/pictures from my dive today. The combination of low ambient light and a store-bought strobe don't make for great photos, but I added them anyway to illustrate the dive.

 

[cjfox]

I dove Tod Inlet 10 years ago and 5 years ago, sounds like the same as I remember. The one thing unique that I saw were lots of stubby beer bottle empties, that once I touched realised they were full of juvenile octopus! If there are still stubbies on the bottom, check it out.

 

[MarkH]

I didn't see any bottles at all today. There really isn't much life here at all compared to most other Saanich Inlet dives. Erin from Ogden Point told me that he used to dive on a sunken tugboat here 15 years ago. I think I'm going to have to try and find what's left of it.

 

[cjfox]

I remember the tugboat. It was towed there with another one from Millbay. The owner lived on one tied up at the old quarry dock in the back end of Tod Inlet, and had the wrecked one for parts. It half sunk during a storm and caused a huge environmental outcry as the interior was full of oil that spread out in Tod Inlet. The tug was a 100' wooden turn of the century steam tug name "Centenial Lion'. It was half sunk with the top half exposed, and one day it was gone. I issumed the minisrty of the environment finally towed it away, althoug it still might be there.

 

[MarkH]

Erin said that the one he dove on was 40 feet deep and he swam there from the end of the trail by Willis Pt. I think I'll go there and swim out to the left 40 feet deep as far as I can on a tank and see what I can see.

 

[MarkH]

I remember the tugboat. It was towed there with another one from Millbay. The owner lived on one tied up at the old quarry dock in the back end of Tod Inlet, and had the wrecked one for parts. It half sunk during a storm and caused a huge environmental outcry as the interior was full of oil that spread out in Tod Inlet. The tug was a 100' wooden turn of the century steam tug name "Centenial Lion'. It was half sunk with the top half exposed, and one day it was gone. I issumed the minisrty of the environment finally towed it away, althoug it still might be there.

How long ago was that? Thanks for the info, by the way.

 

[cjfox]

1994 was the last year I saw the tug there. From a boat you would go directly down (south) tod Inlet and just as you rounded the corner where things widen out the tug was bow up on the southern shore just to the left. I'll see if I can scan a chart and mark it.