It’s been a busy summer for Explorer-in-Residence Jill Heinerth. In June, the world-renowned cave diver returned to Bell Island, Newfoundland, where she continued leading a team to explore the flooded cave systems and shipwrecks left over from the Second World War. 

In 1942, German U-boats attacked Bell Island twice in a bid to disrupt the flow of high grade iron ore being transported from the local mines. They sunk the SS Saganaga and SS Lord Strathcona followed by the SS Rose Castle, Free French vessel PLM 27 and the Bell Island loading wharf. Now, funded in part by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Heinerth and a team of technical divers are documenting the underwater graves of the 70 men that were killed and exploring the marine life that now calls the shipwrecks home.

When she last visited the site in February, they were hit with a variety of underwater emergencies, from torrential rains and snowmelt on the island, to a torn mouthpiece. 

This time, the team was met with thirty-five knot winds upon arrival. Though the weather initially kept them off the boat, it did give them a chance to introduce new team members to the Bell Island mine.

“It is hard to imagine the strength of the miners at Bell Island. They loaded 20 carts a day of 1.5 tons per cart before they were able to go home. On Fridays they tried to load 30 so they could go home early on Saturday and have one precious day at home before heading back to the mine Sunday night,” Heinerth wrote on June 19.

Below are some photos from Heinerth’s last trip to Bell Island.