DIVING TOBERMORY |
European settlers arrived in Collins Harbour (now Tobermory) in the 1870s. Encountering poor soil conditions, a dense forest and numerous swamps, the settlers turned towards the timber industry. The timber industry was short lived as most of the surrounding forest was cleared off by the late 1880s. The settlers then turned towards commercial fishing and it was in its heyday until the mid-1900s when the lake trout population declined. During its development, Collins Harbour was considered an important shipping route for transportaion and trading. Today the town of Tobermory relies heavily on the tourism industry to support their economy.
Today, the remians of 21 known sail and steam vessels, dating from the mid-19th to early 20th century, lie within the boundaries of Fathom Five National Marine park. Most of these historic wrecks lie within sport diving limits in prestine condition.
Not only shipwrecks lure wandering visitors to Tobermory but also the geological features of this area. The entire area was once submerged under a warm tropical sea and carpeted with coral reefs over 400 million years ago. Over time, the warm seas retreated, shaping the land into formations we see today. The largest of these land formations is the Niagara Escarpment that runs underwater at Tobermory and pops up as the islands within Fathom Five. Invisible to the untrained eye, the Tobermory area is littered with fossilized streambeds, sinkholes, caves (both above and underwater) and petrified coral reefs.
Listed below are just a few of the sites I've done. Some of the more popular sites include the Arabia, James C. King, Forest City, City of Cleveland and The Caves. Rember to register at the park office if you plan on diving within the park's boundaries. Registration used to be free before a one time annual park fee was recently introduced.
| Dave's Bay | Sweepstakes | Charles P. Minch | W.L.Wetmore | Little Tub Harbour | Big Tub Lighthouse |
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Also known as Little Cove Bay, it is used mostly for open
water checkout dives. Most noted in this area are the geological rock
formations which look like coral... only thing is they come in one colour.
It doesn't take long before certified divers begin finding their own
entertainment playing with the abundant crayfish population or picking off
the ever present zebra mussels off the rocks!
Visibility averages 40 feet with a depth around 30 feet. On windy days, Dave's Bay can get real nasty with high surfs and low visibility. Access to the site is by a small dirt road (Little Cove Rd.) on the east side, just south of the marine museum. Follow the road all the way to the end, any further and your vehicle will become the feature attraction of the day. Park on the side of the road and walk your gear to the shore.
The two-masted Sweepstakes was built in Burlington, Ontario, in 1867 and measured 120' long with a 23'beam. In August of 1885, she ran aground on Cove Island and had to be towed to Big Tub Harbour where she sank before repairs could be made.
Access to the Sweepstakes is limited to boat as the surrounding land around her are privately owned. Interesting features on this well preserved wreck includes the Roman numeral draught markings, the windlass, railings and the centreboard box in the lower level.
Recently, due to diver traffic, her deck had begun to sag and there was the danger of it collapsing. To help preserve the structure of the wreck, a group of divers under careful direction and supervision, installed support beams.
The City of Grand Rapids lies 100' of the starboard bow of the Sweepstakes. Built in Grand Haven, Michigan, in 1879, she measured 123' long with a 25' beam. She was sold to a Canadian party in 1907 but within a short period of time she mysteriously caught fire while docked in Big Tub Harbour.
There isn't much to see of this wreck as most of it had burnt away and what was left has been buried over time. Visible is part of her charred superstructure, parts of her hull, engine and boiler. Her propeller and rudder were salvaged and are currently displayed at the Tobermory and St. Edmunds Township Museum.
Boating traffic is heavy on weekends as the many glassbottom boats tour the two wrecks. There are hours when you are allowed to dive these wrecks during the summer months so you should check with the park office before making plans.
This three-masted schooner was built in Vermilion, Ohio, in 1867, and measured 155' long with a 28' beam. On October 26, 1898, while enroute to Chicago with a cargo of lumber, she was forced to take shelter off Tecumseh Cove. As the wind shifted, the Charles P.Minch lost the protection of the cove. The captain and crew were forced to abandon ship as it sank.
The Charles P. Minch now lies scattered just off the shore at Tecumseh Cove. The major portion of her hull lies on a sharp incline while her rudder, portion of her keel and part of her deck lie further out. Maximum depth is 60 feet with the average being 35 feet around her hull. Visibility is usually good and averages 30 feet.
The steamer W. L. Wetmore was built in Cleveland, Ohio, and launched on May 17, 1871, and measured 213' long with a 33' beam. On Novemver 29, 1901, she was driven ashore during a storem while towing two barges, the Brunette and the James C. King near Russel Island. Of the two barges, only the Brunette was salvaged.
The W. L. Wetmore lies in 25 feet of water and makes a great dive for both novice and advanced divers. Points of interests includes the ship's large boilers, propeller, rudder, deck, heap of anchor chain and large anchor. Visibility averages 30 feet under ideal conditions. It is not uncommon to get large chops on the water around this site on windy days.
There are four tug boats located in this harbour. The 59' John & Alex was built in Port Dover in 1924 and burnt in Little Tub Harbour on December 6, 1947. The 68' Robert K. was built in Port Dover in 1917 and burnt in Little Tub Harbour on June 23, 1935. The 67' Alice G. ran aground and sank in November, 1927. The Bob Foote had burnt and sank in 1905. This area where the four tugs lie is enclosed by buoys and is restricted from boating traffic. Gearing up is made simple by the installation of a diver access platform near the shoreline. All the tugs with the exception of the Alice G. are badly broken up and scattered in the harbour. The Alice G. is a little further away from the access platform and lies nearly intact. Of interest are her boilers, engine and propeller.
Maximum depth is 40 feet with visibility averaging 25 feet. This is a relatively well sheltered site and if anywhere else is blown over, it makes a nice backup site.
Located on Lighthouse Point at the mouth of Big Tub Harbour is the Big Tub Lighthouse (go figure where it got the name!). The lighthouse itself was built way back in 1885. The site is buoyed with restricted boating access markers.
This site is usually used for checkout dives so it might get a bit crowded on the rocks. There isn't much to see here other than the interesting geological rock formations. The almost vertical incline gives you the feeling of a wall dive. The maximum depth here is 75 feet to the channel with visibility around 30 feet.
