Probably the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the San Diego Oceans Foundation was the acquisition, preparation, and sinking of the decommissioned Canadian warship HMCS YUKON.

Working in cooperation with the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia, SDOF brought the YUKON to San Diego from Canada, stripped it of toxic and hazardous materials, and placed it on bottom to serve as an artificial reef offshore from Mission Beach. The volunteer effort to prepare the ship for sinking can not be overstated. Without the persistent hard work of numerous members of the San Diego diving community and others, this Herculean task could never have been completed. Our goal was to make the ship safe for divers by removing entanglement hazards and creating numerous openings for easy egress, and to make it safe for the environment, as well.

The point, after all, was to enhance the habitat, not pollute it! SDOF has striven to set the standard for responsible artificial reef creation, and is in the process of preparing a manual for other organizations to follow when converting ships to reefs.