Empress of Ireland (Canada)

Built in Glasgow (Scotland) in 1904 for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Empress of Ireland was crossing the Atlantic Ocean between the city of Liverpool and Quebec City. With a capacity of 1550 passengers, and 420 crew members, the Empress set new standards for speed (20 knots), reliability and luxury on the high seas. She gained the preference of Irish immigrants for whom she symbolized the door to the New World.

In the early hours of May 29, 1914, blinded by the fog, the Empress of Ireland was rammed on its side by a collier under the name of Storstad. The collision took place four (4) kilometers off the coast of the St-Lawrence seaway in front of St-Luce. The Empress sank in 14 minutes. Of the 1477 passengers on board, 1012 drowned. More passengers went down with the Empress of Ireland (840) than the Lusitania (791) or the Titanic (832).

Diving the Empress

The Empress of Ireland is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating, beautiful, impressive and prestigious wrecks in the world. Its size, good condition, remaining artefacts and history all add up to a great dive.

Her structure remains almost intact despite more than 85 years of salt water and strong currents.      
The Empress has a length of 550 feet (184 meters) with a width of 65 feet (22 meters). She lies on her side in 150 feet (45 meters) of water at her deepest with the top reaching up to 90 feet (28 meters).

The vessel still contains numerous artefacts as well as human remains. There are simple swims through as well as many penetration possibilities that can be challenging and dangerous.

The water temperature is cold in the St-Lawrence seaway. It can vary during the summer from 34 F. to 44 F. (between 2 and 7 Celsius).
A dry suit and experience using it, is a must.

As for visibility, it can vary from 10 to 50 feet (3 to 15 meters). The currents can be strong and unexpected. Please note we are choosing the time of the year where the tides are their lowest while maximizing the possibility of obtaining good visibility. The divers are generally diving at slack tides.