Bedford Institute of Oceanography

Photo Credit: Robert Keereweer

Located in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography is a government run ocean research facility that was established in 1962. Canada's first and largest federal centre for oceanographic research, the institute spans over 40 acres of land near Shannon Park. The compound consists of several connected buildings that house research labs, offices, and docks for research vessels.

For visitors to the area, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography offers free guided tours (by appointment) of the facility. Some of the exciting exhibits showcased are 3D multibeam images used to find the wreckage of SwissAir Flight 111 and a Titanic exhibit that displays what the might ship looks like now on the ocean floor.

For this interested in wildife and habitat, take a virtual reality tour of the Sable Gully and learn about the seals of Sable Island. The Sea Pavilion allows visitors to get up close and personal with demonstration tanks where you can get hands on with crabs, lobsters, starfish and more.

Before leaving the facility, visitors will have the opportunity to experience being a maritime captain with a life-sized simulation of a ship’s bridge.