The circled area represents the location of the Cates Park Reef.

There's an octopus' garden to see under the waves off Cates Park. Scuba diving enthusiasts interested in watching a reef develop can safely explore an artificial reef installed by the Vancouver Port Authority near Cates Park on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet.

"We wanted to recycle some concrete pilecut-offs, and create new habitat for young fish and other marine organisms in a vacant space, "says VPA Environmental Coordinator Darrell Desjardin. "We also realized there weren't a lot of interesting areas in Burrard Inlet that divers could enter from the water and explore safely, so we chose this site."

The reef was built in March, 1995. Since then, divers have observed juvenile octopus around the reef, as well as a lot of anemone growth. Dungeness crab and rock fish are also moving into the neighbourhood, looking for vacancies in the fish condo.

Diving enthusiast Neil McDaniel, a director of Sub-Sea, says the reef is perfect for beginning divers, who can access it from the shore. "It's crawling with juvenile salmon, coon-striped shrimp, and there are also sea stars, some red algae and schools of perch."

There are more than 200 varieties of marine organisms in Burrard Inlet, including 70 different species of fish. It is expected that the diamond-shaped reef will eventually play home to 70-80 marine organisms over the next two or three years.

This is one of six artificial reefs developed in Port waters by VPA, including a very successful reef near Roberts Bank in Delta.

For more information on VPA's Environmental Programs, call 604.665.9082 or e-mail us at: environmental_programs@portvancouver.com