Orlebar Point – Dive Site Guide (Gabriola Island, BC)
Orlebar Point is one of Gabriola Island’s signature shore dives, known for its sweeping wall, strong currents, and impressive deep-water sponge and anemone growth. Just a 15-minute ferry ride from downtown Nanaimo, it’s an easy-to-access site that rewards divers who are comfortable with current, navigation, and deeper profiles.
Once you arrive on Gabriola, the dive site is only a five-minute drive from the ferry terminal, with parking for a few vehicles. From shore you’ll see Entrance Island Lighthouse directly ahead, your primary visual reference for the swim out.
Orlebar Point delivers beautiful structure, healthy plumose gardens, sea lion encounters, and the kind of dramatic underwater scenery that Vancouver Island diving is famous for.
Videos of Orlebar Point
Recommended certifications and experience
Orlebar Point is current-dependent and better suited to divers who already have solid ocean experience.
Recommended for most divers:
Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent: The wall starts around 45–55 feet and continues deep, so comfort with depth is important.
Nitrox certified (recommended): The dive can be done on air, but most locals use 28–32% to maximize safe bottom time along the wall.
Recent experience in current or drift conditions: Slack tides are best, but even then, currents can increase as you approach the point.
Beneficial skills:
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- Good buoyancy and trim
- Ability to monitor gas and NDL carefully
- Awareness of how current changes and knowing when to turn your dive
This is not an ideal site for beginners or divers unfamiliar with cold-water entries and exits.
Orlebar Point Dive profile overview
Entry is from a sandstone beach shelf. From shore, swim straight out and slightly left of Entrance Island. You’ll pass over a series of shallow ledges; after about five minutes, you’ll reach the drop-off.
The Wall
Once the wall begins, it quickly slopes into deeper water. Most divers explore the area by heading left, following the contour as it steepens and eventually reaches a dramatic point where the rock juts outward.
Highlights include:
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- Cascading plumose anemones
- Bright crimson anemones
- Large boot sponges along the midwall
- Expansive cloud sponges at depth
- Occasional Giant Pacific octopus
- Frequent sea lion buzz-bys
The Point
This is the most striking feature of the site.
It’s also where the current is typically strongest. When you round the point, the wall becomes even more densely covered with plumose and sponges, especially as you push deeper.
Conditions
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- Best dived at high slack tide
- Expect current to increase gradually as you progress left
- Visibility can be very good in fall and winter, with spring/summer bloom variability
Plan your depth carefully, monitor your return swim, and watch what the current is doing throughout the dive.
What to expect on your Orlebar Point dive
Although Orlebar is a shore dive, it feels like a deep-water wall dive you’d normally reach by boat. It’s relatively quick to access but offers big scenery and advanced-level conditions.
Expect a combination of:
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- A shoreline entry with moderate surf depending on tide
- A five-minute swim to reach the drop-off
- Stronger currents as you approach or round the point
- A wall packed with life and structure
- Occasional close passes from sea lions
Nanaimo Dive Outfitters offers tanks, air, Nitrox, and full rental gear for those heading over on the ferry. The site is also occasionally visited during NDO Club Dives, depending on tides and scheduling.
Orlebar Point Dive Site Location
Orlebar Point is located off Berry Point Rd. on Gabriola Island. There is parking for just a few cars
There are NO facilities at Orlebar Point.
There is a pub beside the ferry terminal and the ferry terminal also has public washrooms. It's about a 5 minute drive to the divesite from the Ferry.
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