Maine coast scuba diving

MAINE COAST SCUBA DIVING

THE shores of the Gulf of Maine, and the Maine coast in particular, cover the gamut of underwater habitats from sandy bottoms to mud to rock and ledge bottoms. Cape Ann, Massachusetts is considered by many as the demarkation where rock and sand dwellers meet, but the same holds true for much of Maine's southern coast, where sandy beaches are flanked by rocky outcrops. The Isles of Shoals, with islands both in New Hampshire and Maine, have dramatic walls and sheer ravines, but still offer plenty of safe dives for novices. At Casco Bay, the bottom becomes mostly cobble and mud, with ledgy shores and outcrops. Further eastward, as tidal ranges increase, there is more water mixing and less thermocline. The mixing allows cold-water species to be found at much shallower depths. Diving in the Passamaquoddy Bay area or in the Bay of Fundy typically can only be done at slack water. Tidal ranges can exceed 20 feet, and thermoclines are non-existent.

The challenges of diving on the Maine coast are matched by its rewards. Dive sites can be difficult to get to. Shore dives can require carrying gear over slippery surfaces for great distances if the tide is low. Boat dives can become enshrouded in fog. In the water, divers must contend with tides and tidal currents, wave action, limited visibility, entanglement, and cold water. A trip to Maine's depths, however, is often rewarded by sunlight stabbing through seawater to dramatic rock formations, kelp forests, or ocean floors teeming with life.

Recreational divers share Maine's underwater world with commercial divers harvesting urchins, scallops, or biological specimens, or inspecting and repairing moorings, boat bottoms, and wharves. Scientists and photographers are working underwater, and a recent legislation requires regular underwater inspections of aquaculture pens to prevent captive populations from escaping into the wild and to monitor the impact of feed and fish waste on the bottom.

Before diving, please refresh yourself with our preparations and precautions. Do not dive beyond your ability, and always dive with others.

Enjoy.