Exploration
E 20
merging from the frigid ocean, I decide to rinse my gear the hard way. The snow is whipping into a furious blizzard with a forecast of 8 inches
(20cm) on the ground in the next few hours. My dry suit stiffens in the penetrating Newfoundland wind, and I plunge into a billowy bank to flail like an animal taking a sand bath. Whenever the snow melts, I think I will be reasonably rinsed. Rebreather checked out, weight dialed-in, cameras working; I am ready to enter the Bell Island Mine and dive into the hidden geography of Canada. I like to arrive early for expeditions. It gives me a chance to put everything in order and ensure that the airlines have handled my equipment as carefully as I do.
Winter Wonderland By the light of early dawn we are snowed in tight, but affable ‘Tricky
Magazine
Rick, Never-Say-Never’ Stanley has a solution for everything. Our expedition is provisioned with an important piece of equipment: our own snowplow. Rick operates the plow like a Formula 1 driver and pushes the frosty banks high against the unused side door of the old dive shop. Get out of the way or become part of the pile. The international team of exploration cave divers leaps into action, passing a succession of tanks, rebreathers and cases of gear down the line to a waiting trailer containing helmets, shovels and two rented golf carts. I’ve always believed in finding the right tools for exploration, but the image of a golf cart carrying cave diving gear makes me chuckle. The entrance to Bell Island
Mine #2 needs digging out, too. The snow is piled high against the doorway that leads to a shaft that pitches 650 feet (200m) down to the waterline where our dives will begin.
Bell Island is
also known for its stunning wreck diving,
with a number of vessels sunk by
German U-boats during WWII
Exploration diver John Olivero grabs a shovel and enthusiastically wades into the snow that rises above his waist. Johnny has been working on this site for weeks, readying an infrastructure of decks, docks and tables to make our diving comfortable and smooth. His barrel chest and hefty biceps allude to the fact that this man doesn’t need a visit to the gym. His daily life as Ocean Quest Adventure Resort’s Chief Exploration Guide is workout enough. ‘Johnny O’ sports an ear-to- ear grin as he hefts the cumbersome loads of heavy snow over a fence.
Left: Cas Dobbin photographs Jill Heinerth in full
explorer mode, deep inside the Bell Island Mine
Line Layers One might wonder why a team of exploration cave divers has converged on a remote corner of Canada in the middle of winter, but the opportunity to explore Bell Island Mine has been enticing this group since initial dives here in 2007. Steve Lewis and Phil Short, veterans of
Photo: Cas Dobin
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