Things to do / Travel Guide
For diving, the Maine Coast runs the gamut of underwater habitat options - from mud to rock, sandy, and ledge bottoms. The Isles of Shoals boasts islands in both New Hampshire and Maine, and offers very dramatic walls and ravines, as well as plenty of safe dives for beginners. At Casco Bay, the bottom is primarily mud and cobble, with shores that offer ledges and outcrops. Moving eastward, there is more mixed water and less thermocline (a layer of water that has a different temperature, and can often distort views). Mixing of this type permits a good number of cold-water species to exist at much shallower depths. Visitors wanting to dive in the Bay of Fundy or in the Passamaquoddy Bay area can usually only go during calm tides. The strong tidal ranges can easily surpass 20 feet, and thermoclines are not present.
Dive sites can be difficult to get to, but the challenge is certainly equal to the reward. Shore dives often mean carrying gear over slippery surfaces for long distances if the tide is low. Boat dives often find themselves in thick fog. Once in the water, divers are faced with tidal currents, robust wave action, entanglement, limited visibility, and of course, cold water. However, visitors are often treated to visions of sunbeams thrusting through the water, bathing in light beautiful rock formations, forests of kelp, and ocean floors bursting with life.
Importantly, many areas of the Maine Coast were used as military target ranges, so there are a good number of unexploded ordinance on the ocean floor. If you see one, stay clear and DO NOT touch!
Also keep in mind that recreational divers must share Maine's underwater realm with commercial divers who farm a variety of fish, lobster, sea urchins, and scallops, or those who are inspecting and repairing moorings, wharves, and boat bottoms. Photographers and scientists also work underwater, and new legislation now requires regular underwater inspections of aquaculture pens in order to prevent captive or genetically-enhanced populations from escaping into the wild. A little mutual respect goes a long way under water! As for cost, if you have your own gear, just getting a dive master with boat is reasonable, starting at about $200 for a couple of hours. If you need the whole package, it can run about $400 and up. Here are some great dive spots on the Maine Coast:
- Isles of Shoals - at the New Hampshire border, great diving, but used to be a military target area, so beware of unexploded ordinance and the lobster fisherman (40-90 feet)
- Boon Island Ledge - about 3 miles from York, super wreck dive of vessel “Empire Knight,” lots of marine life, and dangerous current and unexploded ordinance are definite hazards (up to 120 feet)
- Boon Island - also about 3 miles from York, you can see seals in the spring and early summer; only strong swimmers should attempt this dive (up to 120 feet)
- Nubile Light - off Cape Neddick near York with abundant sea life and a nice cove for beginners; beware of lobster boats, and there's no shore diving on Sundays (40-80 feet)
- Train Wreck - Piscataqua River dive, good for winter diving, but only at high tide; beware of boaters and fast currents (up to 40 feet)
If you need a little guidance, instructions and/or equipment, here are a few dive shops that can set you up:
- Zero Gravity Dive Shop
- Skin Diver's Paradise
- Sea Ventures Charters
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