Scuba Diving club,
Southern California
Sea Sabres
Diving Tobermory,
Ontario
By: Dan Holden
Bailey
|
Eroded rocks at Flowerpot Island.
Snorkeler, Cove Island Lighthouse.
Diver over bow of the Sweepstakes. |
But what lures me
here, along with hundreds of other divers, is Fathom Five National Marine
Park. As Canada's first such preserve, Fathom Five was created to preserve
the twenty-plus shipwrecks that have gone down over the years in the
immediate area. Most were sunk in accidents or storms, but several have
recently been intentionally scuttled for recreational use. Tobermory's
newest shipwreck is the Niagara II, a 180-foot steel freighter, sitting
upright in 100 feet of water. Purposefully sunk east of Tobermory, just
outside the marine park, the ship was built in England in 1930, and sailed
under five different names before ending its career in 1999. The mooring buoy
is tied off to the ship at a depth of about 48 feet. All doors and hatches
were removed prior to sinking for diver safety. The 132-foot schooner,
Caroline Rose, is nearby in Driftwood Cove. After sinking in 1990 while
docked in Owen Sound, the ship was raised and towed to Driftwood Cove to
create a dive site. Due to controversy however, it was placed just outside
the marine park's boundaries. The depth here is only 55-feet, allowing much
of the wreck to be explored without going below the thermocline. A very easy wreck
dive, perfect for beginners, is the 218-foot Sweepstakes. This two-masted
schooner was towed here after running aground on Cove Island in August 1885,
but was so badly damaged it sank before repairs could be made. Lying in only
20 feet of water near the end of Big Tub Harbour, the Sweepstakes is largely
intact. It sits upright on a sandy, sparsely vegetated bottom. Much of the
railing is still there, as is the large windlass on the forward deck. In
recent years, due to the ships' age, steel rods have been placed in the hull
for support. Penetration is no longer allowed for the same reason. While in
the water, watch out for the glass-bottomed tour boats that frequent the
wreck. Another shallow
wreck in Big Tub Harbour is the City of Grand Rapids, a 122-foot
double-decked steamer that caught fire while at dock in 1907 and sank after
burning to the water line. The hull, lying on its starboard side, is largely
intact, but the holds are filled with silt. The ship's rudder and propeller
are in display at the Tobermory and St. Edmunds Township Museum south of town
on Highway 6. The 213-foot
steamer, W. L. Wetmore is one of Fathom Five's best wreck dives. Scattered
about a large area in 20-25 feet of water off Russell Island, are huge
sections of the ship's wooden deck, large timbers, her sheared-off 15-foot
propeller, and the 25-foot drive shaft. The large, algae-encrusted boiler
remains, rising twelve feet above the bottom. A large chain leads away from
the wreck to a massive anchor that was placed there later. The water is
usually very clear, due to the rocky bottom. The remains of
the James C. King are found around the point of Russel Island, from the
Wetmore. The 175-foot schooner rests on a steep slope, with the bow at 20 feet
and the stern in 95 feet of water. A large portion of the starboard section
lies 200 feet to the west in 25 feet of water. Perhaps the most
intact wreck in the park is the Arabia, a 131-foot three-masted barque
(baroque?) that foundered in heavy seas and sank in 1884. Heavily laden with
20,000 bushels of corn and taking on water, the Arabia was abandoned by her
exhausted crew, sinking off Echo Island in 110-120 feet of water. A portion
of the main deck and transom has collapsed, but most of the hull is intact,
with the bowsprit pointing towards the inky depths. Much of the ship's
equipment, such as the windlass, anchors, deadeyes, catheads, and even the
less-than-adequate bilge pump, remain for divers to investigate. Visibility
is often poor here, and the water is always bone chilling at this depth,
making this a wreck for experienced divers only. For shore divers,
there are several dive spots around Tobermory. Four sunken tugs can be dived
from the large wooden dock at Lee Brothers Fisheries, near the entrance to
Little Tub Harbour. The Alice G, Robert K, Bob Foote, and John & Alex are
scattered nearby in only twenty feet of water. The rugged shoreline and
underwater rock formations found on Flowerpot Island are interesting to
explore. You can take one of several cruise boats out to the island and catch
another one back to the mainland after diving. There are many
other dive sites around Tobermory such as the Caves, located ten miles east,
which is also a popular swimming area for hikers. The large caverns here are
easily accessible with open-air areas above the surface of the water.
Outside, the bottom is a jumble of boulders, some as large as a house. Large
schools of baitfish hang out in the shallow water, their scales iridescent in
the sun's beams. Tobermory has
become one of Ontario's premier dive destinations, thanks to its excellent
wreck diving, clear water, and convenient lodging. With the creation of the
Marine Park, there's a very good chance the wrecks will still be around in a
well-preserved state for the next generation of divers. DIVING DETAILS: Diving season runs from late May through
October, although G&S Watersports, is open all year. Visibility is
usually 30 feet or more, but less in a few areas with silted bottoms. Water
temperature above the thermocline can reach 60 degrees in late summer, but is
always colder below, which can be as deep as 60 feet in late summer.
Sheltered dive spots are available if the wind is blowing. Divers are
required to register at the Park Visitor Center in Tobermory on their first
visit each year. A BCD tag, costing $8, is required and is good for the
entire season. The Tobermory Hyperbaric Facility is located on Highway 6,
outside of town.
Contact Information: Fathom Five National Marine Park: (519) 596-2503G&S Watersports: (519) 596-2200Tobermory Chamber of Commerce: (519) 596-2452 |
Diver drowns of Pulmonary Edema while diving Tobermory wreck
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Updated September 15, 2003