Bell Island

Bell Island's iron mines worked from 1895 to 1966, following seams that ran out beneath Conception Bay for several kilometres; the tour descends into Number Two mine, cold and wet, where the tunnels slope down under the sea. In 1942 German U-boats twice attacked the ore carriers moored at the loading pier, sinking four ships and killing around seventy men; one torpedo missed and struck the pier itself, making Bell Island the only place in North America hit by direct enemy fire in the war. The wrecks lie in the bay and are dived. Murals around the island illustrate the mining and wartime history.

What you actually see

• The undersea mine - tunnels running out beneath Conception Bay.
• The 1942 attack site - where U-boat torpedoes struck ships and the pier.
• The wrecks - four sunken ore carriers, a well-known dive site.
• The murals - painted walls covering the island's mining and war history.

When to go

June to September for the mine tour; it closes for winter. The ferry runs year-round but weather cancels crossings. Diving the wrecks is for qualified divers only.

Honest expectations

The mine is cold, wet and dark, around five degrees year-round. The ferry queues with vehicles in summer. Tours have set times and limited places.

Nearby

St. John's lies east; Brigus is west.