The beautiful Bruce Peninsula is an 80 km long-finger of limestone separating Georgian Bay from the main body of Lake Huron.
Tobermory is a great place for divers and is being part of Canada's first Marine Park. Fathom Five National Marine Park and the surrounding waters contain some of Canada's oldest and best-preserved historical shipwrecks. * Divers are required to register at the Divers Registration Office in Little Tub Harbour prior to a first dive each year. Divers also must be Certified divers to dive in the park, get air refills, or rent Scuba gear.
Georgian Bay Shipwreck Diving - Visibility usually ranges from 30' to 50'. The greenish fresh waters can be quite cold, especially at depth so either a drysuit or full (6mm) wetsuit complet with hood, gloves and boots are required. Typical temperatures in summer are a high 70F. at the surface to 39F. at 70 feet. Thermoclines can be quite steep - an 18F. temperature change in less than 3 feet.
On May 1999, we went by boat (Lark), and dived on two different sites:
1. A new shipwreck "The Niagara II". By a blue buoy, we found easily a leader line that guided us on the bow of The Niagara II. This intact shipwreck contains open hatchways and passages.
"This exciting wreck was sunk intentionally as a dive site in May 15, 1999, and offers a wonderful diving experience. The Niagara II (built in 1930) lies in approximately 95 feet of Georgian Bay's crystal clear water, just east of Little Cove. The top of her wheelhouse comes to within 45 feet of the surface. Gross tonnage: 723 tons; Lenght: 182 ft., Beam: 35 ft., Height: 50 ft., Draft: 13 ft." - Tobermory Association.
* Warning: Under Ontario Law, it is illegal to remove anything of historical significance from a body of water.
2. "The Caves": These submerged caves were carved from the rock face by centuries of waves beating on the porous dolomite of the cliffs (interesting formations, limestone and glacial scouring). At least two underwater entrances lead into the Grotto from the Georgian Bay. There we saw several spots of Zebra mussels on rocks in very clear waters.
Zebra mussels: "Native to Black and Caspian Seas, and accidently transported to the Great Lakes from a transoceanic vessel. Adults colonize, such as docks, walls in canals and locks, boat hulls, commercial fishing nets. They feed by filtering microscopic algae from the water, and affect native clams and mussels by competing for space and food. Nevertheless, they make the water significantly clearer by filtring out algae that florish in polluted waters." - MS Encarta 98.
