3.5 Hours of Cold-Water Reef Diving in the Broughton Archipelago
Filmed across multiple dive sites near Port McNeill, Northern Vancouver Island.
The Broughton Archipelago is home to some of the most vibrant cold-water reef environments on the Pacific coast.
Located near Port McNeill on Northern Vancouver Island, this region is known for steep reef walls covered in invertebrate life, from plumose anemones and soft corals to sponges and feather duster worms.
This 3.5 hour 4K underwater ambient film brings together footage from seven dives over three days, capturing a range of dive sites across the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park during a period of calm seas, excellent visibility, and ideal conditions.
Watch a 3.5-hour underwater journey through colorful reef walls, dense invertebrate life, and some of the most well-known dive sites in the Broughton Archipelago.
Light, relaxing music accompanies these unique and beautiful underwater scenes. No narration.
Featured Dive Sites From The Video
Jump between dive sites throughout the Broughton Archipelago:
- 00:00 – Traveling through the Broughton Archipelago
- 01:47 – Plumpers Wall (plumose anemone gardens)
- 25:30 – Plumpers Rock (deep colorful wall)
- 59:20 – Bob’s Spot (reef formations)
- 1:34:20 – Pearse Island (steep reef wall)
- 2:03:11 – Booker Lagoon (feather duster worms)
- 2:42:13 – Marg’s Wall (rocky reef)
- 3:09:55 – Stubb’s Wall (plumose anemones)
What Makes the Broughton Archipelago Unique
The Broughton Archipelago is known for its steep reef walls and dense invertebrate life.
Strong currents bring nutrients through the region, supporting ecosystems where surfaces are covered in life rather than bare rock.
In this film, you’ll see:
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- Plumose and brooding anemone covering reef walls
- Soft pink and red corals attached to vertical surfaces
- Sponges and invertebrates in high-density clusters
- Feather duster worms in current-swept channels like Booker Lagoon
- Kelp and marine life woven into the reef environment
These environments are constantly shaped by current, depth, and light, making each dive site feel distinct.
Filmed Over 3 Days and 7 Dives
This film was captured across three days of diving, covering seven different dive sites in the Broughton Archipelago.
Conditions were unusually favorable:
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- Calm seas
- Good tides with low current
- Clear visibility
- Stable weather
All dives were conducted as boat dives, allowing access to deeper walls and more exposed reef systems that are not accessible from shore.
Because of these conditions, the footage captures the region at its best, with clear views of reef structure and marine life.
Underwater Camera & Technical Setup
This film was captured using:
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- Sony A7S III
- Sony 16–35mm f/4 lens
- 9.25” glass dome port
- Aquatica underwater housing
- 3 × 15,000 lumen Kraken video lights
On these deeper wall dives shooting with ambient light wasn't realistic if I wanted to capture the vivid color and scenery of this area so video lights were used for almost all clips.
How to Watch This Video
This is not a fast-paced highlight reel.
It’s designed as a long-form ambient film that allows you to move through different dive sites at your own pace.
People typically use videos like this for:
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- Relaxation or stress relief
- Background ambiance
- Studying or focus
- Exploring underwater environments
- Learning about the terrain and what to expect if you're planning a dive trip here
There is no narration, just natural underwater movement and soft music.
Explore More Underwater Films
Explore more long-form underwater ambient videos:
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- Browning Passage ambient film
- Salish Sea Ambient Film
- Kelp Forests of Browning Passage
- 2 Hour Octopus Compilation 2024
- 2 Hour Octopus Compilation 2025
The Broughton Archipelago offers some of the most visually dense and colorful reef environments on the coast, but much of it remains unseen.
This film brings together those environments into a single, uninterrupted experience.