Tobermory, Ontario:

Canada's 'Scuba Diving Capital'
By Linda Lee Walden Ian Johnston photo
Cross into Canada from Michigan and head north on Ontario Route 21, hugging the eastern shore of Lake Huron. Or cross the border at Niagara Falls and catch Route 6 just south of Toronto. Two hundred kilometers (137 miles) north these roads meet at the southern end of the Bruce Peninsula. Travel another 99 km (62 miles) north to the very tip of the peninsula and you arrive at Tobermory, a former fishing village that proudly proclaims itself the "Scuba Diving Capital of Canada."
What sounds like an audacious claim for a town of fewer than 1,000 permanent residents is based on clear water, readily accessible shore entry sites, a fleet of dive boats and 26 known wrecks. And the claim is backed up by the thousands of scuba divers from Canada, the United States and other countries who make the journey just to dive Tobermory.
Known for its jagged cliffs of dolostone limestone, the Bruce Peninsula forms a section of the Niagara escarpment, which runs from Niagara Falls around the northern end of Lake Huron to the western shore of Lake Michigan. Formed by glacial scouring and contouring 430 million years ago, the escarpment was declared a World Biosphere Reserve in 1990.
The Bruce Peninsula divides Lake Huron into two bodies of water: the main lake and Georgian Bay. Its natural beauty, both above and below the rugged shoreline, has led to the designation of two Canadian national parks. The Bruce Peninsula National Park covers 113 square kilometers (44 square miles) of scenic forest and wetlands at the north end of the peninsula.
The 112-square-kilometer (43-square-mile) Fathom Five National Marine Park, designated in 1987 as Canada's first marine reserve, skirts the northwestern shoreline of the Bruce Peninsula, including Tobermory Harbour, and encompasses 22 offshore islands. Its clear, cold waters draw between 4,000 and 8,000 scuba divers annually.

Diving Tobermory
The commercial center of Tobermory is quite compact, consisting of two main streets wrapping around a small harbor known as Little Tub. Conveniently, two full-service scuba centers are within a few hundred steps of the half-dozen dive boats that depart each day from the harbor. In addition, several shore diving sites are less than 20 minutes away.
Four of the most popular dive sites are actually within the greater Tobermory harbor area (spelled "harbour" in Canada), which includes Little Tub and Big Tub harbors.
The Tugs is east of Little Tub Harbour. It is so named for the wreckage of four small steam tugs, a style of closed-cabin fishing boat popular in Georgian Bay. The Alice G., Robert K., John & Alex, and Bob Foote were all lost during the first half of the 20th century.
Access to the Tugs is via steps from the street to a large wooden staging deck opening onto a narrow beach. The bottom slopes gradually to a maximum depth between 30 and 40 feet (9 and 12 m) depending on Georgian Bay water level, making the spot very popular for confined-water training as well as open-water certification dives. A changing room and toilet facility have been installed at street level.
The Gap is about a mile out of town along the road to the lighthouse. The access is a short trail between private properties to an entry point flanked by large boulders. In addition to the underwater limestone cliff, the attraction of this site is a wood and iron anchor found at 65 feet (20 m).
One of the most popular Tobermory dive sites is Lighthouse. From an end-of-the-road parking area, divers walk past a changing/restroom facility to the flat limestone shelf on which the lighthouse is built. At water's edge the shelf drops off to another ledge about 3 feet (1 m) below the surface; a rocky wall slopes to a maximum depth of around 70 feet (21 m). This site is ideal for training as well as recreational dives due to the easy entry and exit, plus the presence of crayfish, smelt, salmon and trout. It is also good for night diving.
The automated lighthouse sits on a spit of land marking the entry to Tobermory harbor. At the far end of Big Tub Harbour lies the Sweepstakes wreck. This two-masted schooner sank in 1885 in only 20 feet (6 m) of water. Bordered by private property, it is accessible only by dive charter boat. The clear water also makes the Sweepstakes an excellent snorkeling and sightseeing venue, so much so that dive and tourist boats must adhere to a time schedule in season (end of June to Labour Day).
A few miles outside Fathom Five Park is Little Cove. Actually quite large, it is often used for training classes. The wide, gently sloping beach is a convenient gearing up and entry point and the bottom is primarily rock. Visibility averages 30 feet (9 m); freshwater life includes crayfish, salmon, European gobies and zebra mussels.
In 1999 the Niagara II was deliberately sunk just outside the Fathom Five Marine Park near the mouth of Little Cove. The 182-foot (55-m) former tanker rests at a depth of 90 feet (27 m). Visibility can be more than 100 feet (30 m) at this site, which is only accessible by boat.
Scattered among the islands of Fathom Five Marine Park lie more than 20 shipwrecks, some unnamed. The steamer W.L. Wetmore sank in November 1901 during a storm. Resting in only 25 feet (8 m) of water off Russel Island, it is suitable for novice divers, students and snorkelers, as well as experienced divers. Timbers, the boiler, anchor, chain and rudder are visible.
The Arabia, on the other hand, off remote Echo Island, is suitable for advanced training and guided groups only. Even though it has been down for 120 years, the cold, fresh water has kept it in good condition. The hull of this 130-foot (40-m) barque is in 120 feet (36 m) of water and strong currents are possible.
A full 5-mm or 7-mm wet suit or dry suit plus hood and gloves are needed for diving Tobermory. At the beginning of the diving season in May, the water temperature may be as cold as 35 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius). By late August/early September surface temperatures could reach the low 70s (low 20s C) with the first thermocline as deep as 30 feet (9 m).
If you are not experienced at diving in cold-water gear, it's a good idea to practice in confined-water conditions or complete a relevant specialty course before diving on your own at Tobermory. (For more information, see "Equipping for Cold-Water Diving," Dive Training, April 2007.)
In contrast to many venues where the cold water appears green, Fathom Five waters are a deep, sparkling blue due to a lack of plankton. In calm conditions visibility averages 80 feet (24 m).
Fathom Five park rules require divers to register at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in town. For the small fee (daily or annual) divers receive a medallion indicating that they have paid. The fee supports the mooring system, emergency services and the Tobermory Hyperbaric Chamber. The center also contains informative displays about some of the shipwrecks and natural features of the park.
A red and white divers' flag must be displayed when shore diving, but the blue and white Alpha flag is flown by dive boats. Divers are required to remain within 100 feet (30 m) of the flag. Removal of any natural feature or man-made artifact from the water is prohibited.
In case of a diving emergency a Parks Canada team can respond to a site by boat within 20 minutes. Injured divers are transported to an ambulance at Big Tub Harbour. They may be taken straight to the recompression chamber in Tobermory or to Lions Head Hospital 20 minutes away in Ferndale.
Between early June and the end of September dive boats owned or chartered by the two local dive centers leave Little Tub Harbour every day of the week, morning and afternoon, for two-tank dive trips. Boats range in size from 6- to 24-passenger vessels. Many are the closed-cabin design appropriate for this climate, with water entry from the gunwales (sides). Center-pole exit ladders are the norm, allowing divers to climb aboard with their fins on.
Because dive sites in the park are situated on both the east and west sides of the peninsula and islands, diving conditions are good somewhere almost every day of the season. At other times of the year, when strong winds kick up, diving is strictly weather permitting.

Topside Attractions
A number of dive centers from the states surrounding lakes Huron and Michigan, especially New York, Ohio and Michigan, make at least one long-weekend pilgrimage to Tobermory each year with a group of students and certified divers. For Toronto area dive centers it is a standard open-water training site.
In addition to the scuba divers and snorkelers, vacationers come to Tobermory to get away from the Toronto area crowds or to catch the Great Lakes ferry to Manitoulin Island.
As small as it is, Tobermory town center has several nice restaurants. Local specialties include fish chowders and fish and chips. Shops adjacent to the dock at Little Tub Harbour sell souvenirs, casual clothing, fishing tackle and ice cream.
In and around town are a number of hotels, house rentals, bed-and-breakfast inns and campgrounds. In the summer these are booked well in advance.
A new educational visitor center opened recently just outside town. It features natural history exhibits about the region, including interactive displays for children.
The Bruce National Park offers many miles of hiking trails through diverse habitats. Thirty-four species of orchids are found in the park and monarch butterflies frequent the area in the summer.
While you're scuba diving, the nondiving members of your family can take a tour boat to Flowerpot Island. Two mammoth rock stacks, the "flowerpots," dominate the shore, along with a sea cave and towering cliffs surrounded by lush vegetation.
Tobermory is a natural for scuba divers - shore and boat diving, shallow sites and deep, wrecks and intriguing natural features - with great visibility and dive boats ready to go. For a long weekend or a whole week of cold-water diving Tobermory is well worth the trip.

Tobermory
Dive Centers

Divers Den
www.diversden.ca
(519) 596-2363
divers@diversden.ca

G & S Watersports Ltd.
www.gswatersports.com
(519) 596-2200
info@gswatersports.com