In his video, Daniel Gildea explores the story of the HMS Haldimand, a British warship from the 18th century commonly known as the North Bay wreck. Resting in just eight feet of water off the U.S. side of Carleton Island—often considered the gateway to the Thousand Islands—the vessel was intentionally scuttled to prevent its capture during a period of military tension between rival nations. The ship was originally stationed at Fort Haldimand, and further historical insights into its fate have been documented by Dennis McCarthy and the Saint Lawrence River Historical Foundation.
Now lying peacefully beneath the water, the wreck of the Haldimand stands as a powerful reminder of a troubled period in North America’s past. While the site is located in shallow water and is fairly accessible, it sits within North Bay, which is privately owned by residents of Carleton Island. Anyone interested in visiting the site must first get approval from a property owner.
Dive Report:
I used a Chasing M2 Industrial Pro Remote Operated Vehicle to record the wreck.
Winds were out of the Northwest at the time of the video with waves of 1-2’. Water temperature was 46*F (14C) and visibility was 40-50’. Bright sunny skies with no clouds at the time of the video.
The ROV was equipped with two GoPro Hero 12 Black edition cameras and a 4k onboard camera. I spent 30 minutes viewing the wreck and surrounding area. The depth at the wreck site is about 8’ and there is a gallon jug tied to the stern section of the wreck to mark it. Daniel Gildea
Carleton Island is situated in the St. Lawrence River in northern New York State. As one of the Thousand Islands, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Town of Cape Vincent in Jefferson County.
Look for more to come on this wreck in the near future as we prepare a model of the wreck and high definition photos to upload to our website shotlinediving.com
YouTube Video by Daniel Gildea
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