The Shearwater Scuba Gang took advantage of a beautiful November day to dive Hubbards Shrimp Cannery Beach near St Margarets Bay in Nova Scotia. Hubbards is located approximately 50 kilometres west of Downtown Halifax and 50 kilometres east of Bridgewater.
The Hubbards were a prosperous fishing community in the early part of the 20th century. In 1967, a naval radio station at Mill Cove was built by the Canadian Forces during the Cold War. Until its automation in the 1990s, when it was downgraded to Naval Radio Station Mill Cove, CFS Mill Cove was a significant employer in the Hubbards area.
Hubbards is a popular summer holiday resort. A balanced summer economy leads to various cottages, inns, campgrounds, restaurants and the Shore Club. The Hubbards and Area Business Association is trying to maintain the economy of a “shop local”. Hubbards has a picturesque location, especially on Hubbards Cove, with a yacht club, the smallest provincial park in Nova Scotia, a campground and 10 beaches within “driving distance” of each other. Between 1996 and 1999, the CBC television series Black Harbour was filmed on location at Hubbards.
For snorkelers and divers as well, Hubbards Bay is a good location. Simple access to the water from the beach (parking for around 5 cars) is accessible and the depth ranges from 15 to 20 feet. A lot of colourful underwater marine organisms can be seen. Bottom time can be longer without decompression. A great place to practice dive skills or take an Open Water Course.
Dive Report
The tide was out a little bit, came in and just had a ripple effect. The temperature on the surface was 50 F, and the bottom was 48 F. The water at the top was mainly freshwater and brownish in colour. There was clearer saltwater below this.
The team of seven went at 10:50 am and completed the dive at 11:48 am after spending 58 minutes underwater, hitting 34 feet maximum but mainly averaging around 15-20 feet.
The group went right around the wharf to the point of the cannery and dove its flank. One foray down the soft bottom slope got us to 34 feet. Coming back to the rocky slope we travelled through the kelp forest. Crabs, moon snails and the odd made the dive interesting. Those that checked out the lines off a trio of buoys found a rich jungle of marine life. A fine day of diving was enjoyed by all.
Thanks to Gregory Croft of Shearwater Diving Group for his photos.