Fathom Five National Marine Park


Fathom Five National Marine Park is a National Marine Conservation Area in the Georgian Bay part of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada, that seeks to protect and display shipwrecks and lighthouses, and conserve
freshwater ecosystems. The many shipwrecks make the park a popular scuba diving destination, and glass bottom boat tours leave Tobermory regularly, allowing tourists to see the shipwrecks without having to get wet.
Many visitors camp at nearby Bruce Peninsula National Park and use the park as a base to explore Fathom Five and the surrounding area during the day.
Fathom Five also contains numerous islands, notably Flowerpot Island, which has rough camping facilities, marked trails, and its namesake flowerpots, outlying stacks of escarpment cliff that stand a short distance from the island, most with vegetation still growing on them.
Established in 1987, the park represented a pioneering departure for the national park system, which had centred on land-based conservation until then. Its designation as a National Marine Park foresaw the creation of others, though nomenclature for such units would morph into National Marine Conservation Areas, leaving Fathom Five as the only National Marine Park. Despite its unique name, it is categorized as an NMCA and is deemed the first one in the country.

Visitors' centre

In 2006, a new visitors' centre opened to serve Fathom Five National Marine Park and the Bruce Peninsula National Park. Designed by Andrew Frontini of Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners, the CAD $7.82 million centre, approached by a boardwalk, features an information centre, reception area, exhibit hall and theatre. A 20-metre viewing tower was also constructed to provide visitors with aerial views of the surrounding park and Georgian Bay. The centre was designed with environmental sustainability in mind, receiving $224,000 from the Federal House in Order initiative for implementation of innovative greenhouse gas reduction technology.

Shipwrecks

The park is home to several shipwrecks, many of which are used for scuba diving and some shallower ones are used for snorkelling.
The park also has three non-shipwreck dive sites, these are Dunks Point, Big Tub Lighthouse Point and The Anchor.
ShipDate of sinkingType of shipShip LengthNotes
ArabiaOctober 1884Three-masted barqueFoundered off of Echo Island.
Avalon Voyager IIOctober 1980Motor shipServed in the Newfoundland fish trade for 30 years, then it was used a floating restaurant in Kincardine. Stranded and burned by vandals when being relocated to Owen Sound.
Caroline Rose1990sSchoonerTowed to Driftwood Cove by the Tobermory Marine Association to be used as a dive site.
CascadenOctober 1871SteamerBroken up over a large area.
Charles P. MinchOctober 1892Three-masted schoonerDriven onto the rocks near Tecumseh Cove, Cove Island.
ChinaNovember 1883Two-masted schoonerWrecked on China Reef; parts of the ship are broken up.
City of Grand RapidsOctober 1907Passenger steamerBurned and sunk.
Forest CityJune 1904SteamerFormerly a barge; sunk in June 1904, after hitting the east side of Bears Rump Island.
James C. KingNovember 1901Wrecked while towing the W.L. Wetmore.
John WaltersNovember 1883Two-masted schooner
NewaygoNovember 1903Steam barge
Niagara IIMay 1999SandsuckerSunk by the Tobermory Maritime Association in May 1999 to be used as a dive site.
Philo ScovilleOctober 1889Three-masted schoonerWrecked during a storm.
Points WestWooden guideIntentionally sunk.
The TugsSteam tugsWreckage of four small steam tugs, Alice G, Robert K, John & Alex and one unidentified tug
Truellen1972YachtWrecked on the Greenfield Shoal. It was salvaged, but it was found to be too badly damaged, so it was towed to the channel Cove and North Otter Islands to be used as a dive site.
SweepstakesSeptember 1885Two-masted schoonerDamaged off Cove Island then towed to Big Tub Harbour, where it sank.
W.L. WetmoreNovember 1901SteamerWrecked during a storm in November 1901. The site is known for the boiler, anchor, chain and rudder.