For those of you in #Nanaimo who have ever travelled down the @NewcastleIsland #Saysutshun Channel, you might not know that there’s a tugboat sunk there. It’s the Riv Town Lion, and she was a rescue tug during WWII, pulling ships damaged by u-boats. Come along for a dive! 1/

Diving on wrecks feels a little ghostly. This is the bridge of the Riv Tow. At one time a busy place, now it’s home to some rockfish, urchins, and sea cucumbers. /2

There are lots of holes cut in the vessel to allow diver access. It’s beyond my training (and desire!) to enter the inside of wrecks, but it’s fun to poke one’s head in. This is looking into the deck. /3

This is the table in the galley. Imagine the crew huddled around a warm meal after a freezing cold shift. /4

The RivTow has lots of port holes and pipes to look inside. Here’s a feather star checking the view out the porthole. /6

Cruising over the deck of the Riv Tow, one might get luck and encounter a really big fish... /7

Twitter, meet Jaws, a very large long cod that lives on the deck of the Riv Tow and has zero fear of anyone smaller than her (aka me). She stands her ground! /8

The Riv Tow used to have a wood railing that’s all rotted out now. It makes a great home for a fish with the best hair - the warbonnet! I saw 10 on the Riv Tow in one dive. /9

Also calling the railing home are one of the most fun fish to watch, the grunt sculpin. They huff and puff along, walking on their wee little fins and grunting. adorable. /10

As one swims around the Riv Tow, colourful tube worms display their bright colours. /11

Now we’re at the stern of the Riv Tow. It’s covered in plumose anemones, and they eat whatever drifts by them, including big fried egg jellies that drift into the ship. /12

Also at the stern is the rudder. It’s BIG! Here it is with my dive buddy for scale. We’re in about 60ft of water at this point. /13

At this point we’re getting low on air and almost ready to head back up topside. Before we do, here’s one more inhabitant of the Riv Tow, a leopard dorid (sea slug). /14

Okay, time to head up the line. On the way out, keep an eye out for the Northern Feather Duster tube worm. It’s got deep, vibrant colours. /15

Also keep an eye out for more sea slugs. Here’s a brightly coloured Opalescent Nudibranch. /16

Alrighty, that’s the dive! Look for your clip in the water and hook your gear on before slithering you’re way back into the boat like an ungraceful (on land) sea lion!

Thanks for joining me on this dive to the Riv Tow Lion. Hope you enjoyed the thread. Next time you take a @BCFerries out of Departue Bay #Nanaimo look to the right up Newcastle Channel for a yellow and black buoy with a second white buoy nearby, & think of the magic that’s below!