From Sky to Seabed: How a Retired Boeing 737 Became Vancouver Island’s Iconic Underwater Reef

In the pristine, cool ocean waters surrounding Vancouver Island, British Columbia, an extraordinary ecological transformation lies hidden beneath the waves. Resting nearly 90 feet deep on the Pacific Ocean floor near the coastal community of Chemainus, a retired 100-foot Boeing 737 jetliner has swapped the clouds for sea life. What was once a symbol of human aviation engineering and commercial travel now serves a vital, vibrant purpose: acting as a thriving artificial reef for diverse marine ecosystems.

Artificial Reef Society of BC | @ScubaBC/YouTube

This remarkable underwater landmark—officially named Xihuw—represents one of the most innovative marine conservation projects undertaken along the Pacific Northwest coastline. Spearheaded by the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC), the deliberate sinking of this 15-tonne passenger aircraft created an artificial marine sanctuary out of decommissioned industrial hardware. Today, the plane's metallic skeleton is completely coated in living sea life, offering a unique refuge for local fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates while serving as a premier destination for cold-water scuba diving enthusiasts worldwide.

The Origin Story: From Air Canada Fleet to Marine Sanctuary Concept

The Initial Spark: A Phone Call in 2002

The journey of transforming a commercial airliner into an underwater haven began far away from the ocean floor. In November 2002, Fraser MacLean, a representative from Air Canada, placed a pivotal phone call to the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia. Air Canada was in the process of phasing out an aging Boeing 737 aircraft that had previously operated as part of the Canadian Airlines fleet. Due to accumulated flight hours, natural structural wear, and progressive age, the jetliner was scheduled for permanent decommissioning.

MacLean had closely monitored media coverage detailing the ARSBC’s successful scuttling of the HMCS Cape Breton—a retired Canadian naval supply ship converted into a deep-water artificial reef off Nanaimo. Inspired by how effectively naval vessels could be repurposed for ecological enhancement, MacLean pondered whether an aircraft airframe could achieve a similar conservation outcome. He proposed donating the Boeing 737 airframe to the ARSBC to become the foundation for the organization's second major non-vessel reef project.

Logistical Coordination and Airframe Donation

Acquiring a commercial airliner for oceanic deployment involved complex inter-corporate coordination and philanthropic partnerships. While Air Canada facilitated the original arrangement and environmental cleanup initiatives, the jetliner was formally donated by Qwest Airparts of Memphis, Tennessee, working in close collaboration with Air Canada representatives. Before any aircraft can be submerged into sensitive ocean waters, it must undergo rigorous environmental remediation.

To meet strict Canadian federal environmental standards, the Boeing 737 was systematically stripped of all hazardous materials. Wiring, toxic hydraulic fluids, fuels, heavy metals, insulation, and reusable operational components were entirely removed. The remaining 15-tonne, 30-meter-long aluminum airframe was thoroughly steam-cleaned until it was an inert, eco-friendly shell safe for ocean life colonization.

Navigating Turbulence: The Search for the Perfect Underwater Location

Evaluating Regional Coastal Sites

Selecting the final resting place for a 100-foot commercial jet proved to be a highly turbulent and complex task. Ocean engineers, environmental biologists, and community leaders evaluated dozens of potential sites across the Strait of Georgia and coastal Vancouver Island. Key candidates under evaluation included:

• Vancouver Coastal Waters: High proximity to urban centers, but heavy commercial shipping traffic and low bottom visibility presented significant risks.
• Sechelt Peninsula: Excellent ocean clarity, but exposed tidal currents threatened to destabilize the airframe during initial placement.
• Courtenay / Comox Valley: Favorable marine substrates, but seasonal river runoff created high siltation rates that could smother encrusting marine life.
• Victoria Region: High dive tourism interest, but strong tidal exchanges in the Juan de Fuca Strait created unsafe conditions for recreational divers.

Settling on Chemainus and the January 2006 Sinking

After exhaustive hydrographic surveys, wave action modeling, and community consultations, the ARSBC selected the sheltered waters off Chemainus, British Columbia, situated along the Stuart Channel of eastern Vancouver Island. The site offered ideal underwater conditions: a soft sand-and-mud ocean floor nearly 90 feet deep, protection from major open-ocean swells, excellent visibility, and manageable tidal currents.

On January 14, 2006, after years of technical planning, structural reinforcement, and precise buoyancy calculations, the Boeing 737 was towed into position. Controlled flood valves were activated, and the 100-foot jet descended gracefully beneath the surface, landing right-side up on the seabed. The successful deployment marked a historical milestone in North American artificial reef creation.

Cultural Significance: The Name 'Xihuw' and Ecological Hope

Honoring Indigenous Heritage

Rather than retaining a generic aviation designation, the sunken Boeing 737 was given the official name Xihuw (pronounced "Shee-hoo"). This meaningful name was bestowed in consultation with local First Nations communities, drawing from the native Hul'qumi'num language spoken by Coast Salish peoples indigenous to southeastern Vancouver Island.

The Legacy of the Red Sea Urchin

In the Hul'qumi'num language, Xihuw refers specifically to the red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus). Historically, red sea urchins flourished in dense, vibrant populations throughout the coastal tide pools and sub-tidal reefs of Vancouver Island. They played a vital ecological role in grazing kelp forests and served as a crucial traditional food source for First Nations cultures for generations.

Addressing Marine Decline Through Restoration

Regrettably, over recent decades, local populations of red sea urchins experienced severe declines due to a compounding mix of industrial pollution, ocean temperature shifts, habitat loss, and historical overfishing. Naming the sunken airliner Xihuw serves as both an educational memorial and a symbol of ecological restoration. The hard, stable aluminum surfaces of the jetliner provide a durable substrate where sea urchins, plumose anemones, and barnacles can attach, recruit, and multiply safely from coastal dredging.

Ecological Impact: How a Sunken Jet Revitalizes Marine Life

Rapid Marine Colonization and Succession

When a bare structure enters the marine environment, bio-fouling and ecological succession begin almost instantly. Within weeks of the January 2006 sinking, bacterial films covered the Boeing 737’s outer fuselage. These micro-layers allowed macro-organisms to secure a foothold. Today, nearly two decades after its sinking, Xihuw is almost unrecognizable as an airplane from the outside, completely draped in living organisms.

• Metridium Anemones: Giant white and orange plumose anemones coat the wings and fuselage, filtering nutrients from passing currents.
• Crustaceans & Mollusks: Dungeness crabs, spot prawns, giant Pacific octopuses, and keyhole limpets colonize the dark interior cabins.
• Fish Species: Schools of copper, quillback, and black rockfish utilize the open cabin windows as shelter from larger predators like harbor seals.
• Echinoderms: True to its name, red sea urchins, sunflower stars, and sea cucumbers graze along the plane's exterior surfaces.

A Sustainable Blueprint for Ecotourism and Habitat Conservation

Beyond its ecological triumphs, Xihuw has evolved into an international icon for sustainable dive tourism. Scuba divers from the United States, Europe, and Asia travel to Chemainus to experience the surreal thrill of swimming down a commercial airliner cockpit 90 feet underwater. By concentrating diving activity on artificial structures, pressure is removed from sensitive natural kelp forests and fragile rocky reefs nearby.

The story of Canada lowering a retired 737 onto the seabed off Vancouver Island demonstrates how creative collaboration between commercial aviation, non-profit conservation groups, and Indigenous communities can turn industrial surplus into lasting environmental benefit. Resting quietly in the depths of Stuart Channel, Xihuw stands as a testament to environmental renewal—proving that even high-flying machines can find a vital second life protecting the ocean floor.

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