A few miles off Eastport, Maine lies the Canadian island of Grand Manan. It is located at the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, in an area with extreme tides and strong ocean currents. With its rocky headlands, hiking paths and secluded beaches, this 55-square-mile island is a popular destination for summer visitors. The local population is made up of rugged individuals, and commercial fishing is a common occupation. A year-round ferry service provides passenger and vehicle transportation between Grand Manan and Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. You also can get to the island by private boat.
Since Grand Manan often is a fog-bound place, and is surrounded by a rocky coast and treacherous reefs, many ships have been wrecked there over the years. The remains of those wrecks are mostly gone now, but divers with an interest in history, still like to search for them. The Grand Manan Museum is a good source of wreck information for divers, and local fisherman are another good resource. And since Grand Manan is a somewhat remote place, divers will need to do their own research on local diving facilities, charter boats, etc. Basically, there isn't much of this service available on the island, so you probably will want to bring your own boat and equipment.
Although there are hundreds of shipwrecks off Grand Manan, we have described only a few of them on this site (see links below and on our Maine Wreck List). We feel that these wrecks are of particular interest to divers because they are either: (1) large iron or steel vessels that might still be somewhat intact, (2) historically-important wrecks, or (3) wrecks that are close to shore and might be easily accessible for divers.
Below are some pictures of Grand Manan and a few of its shipwrecks. Click on the thumbnails to view larger images in a new window, then close the window to return here.
Selected Shipwrecks of Grand Manan Gypsum King Hestia Lord Ashburton Mavournee Robert G. Cann Warwick Humacao Hada County Turkish Empire Ashmore Imperial A.F. Davison Velma
Shipwreck Book and Map
The Grand Manan Historical Society recently published a book called Shipwrecks of Grand Manan. The author is Eric Allaby, an island resident, historian, marine artist and diver. The book contains descriptions of over 300 local wrecks, with location details and a series of wreck location maps. Mr. Allaby also has created a 24" x 31" illustrated map entitled Shipwrecks Around Grand Manan. Both of these items are available for purchase from the Grand Manan Museum. For details contact... gmadmin@grandmananmuseum.ca .
Attention Divers
Since the waters around Grand Manan are subject to strong currents, this can be a dangerous place to dive. If you plan to dive in the area, be sure you have the training and experience to deal with currents. Also, we recommend that you have a chase boat available for emergencies.
Visiting by Private Boat
The minimum identification requirements for American citizens entering Canada are: a government-issued photo ID (drivers license, etc.), and proof of citizenship (birth certificate, etc.). But a passport is required for everyone entering or returning to the United States -- including U.S. citizens. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that all citizens of both the United States and Canada carry passports when crossing the U.S. / Canada border.
If you are an American citizen planning to visit Grand Manan by private boat, you will need to bring along proper identification. This applies to everyone on the boat. You also will need to bring your boat registration documents. If you are just boating, fishing or diving around Grand Manan, you probably won’t need to show your identification. But if you plan to go ashore, you will need to check in with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on the island. You may be able to do this by phone.
Border-crossing regulations change periodically, so we suggest that you review the current regulations before making your trip. For details on visiting Canada by private boat, check out the following websites:Entering Canada by Boat
Information for Visitors to Canada (CBSA)
Americans Returning from Canada (U.S. Embassy Canada)
