Located at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, Fathom Five, Canada’s first national marine park consists of 20 islands to the north and east of the Bruce Peninsula, and covers 45 Square miles in roughly a triangular shaped area.  

The parks islands, which are part of the Great Lakes formation, were formed about 400 million years ago as coral reefs.  As the ocean receded the reefs transformed in dolomite, a rock that is harder than limestone.  Further erosion gave rise to imposing cliffs dotted with grasses and trees.  The isolation of the islands from the mainland resulted in unique ecosystems with each of them having a version of nature that is peculiar to itself. 

Fathom Five Marine Park is considered one of the best North American Dive destinations for several great reasons: The Park’s 22 historical shipwrecks are perhaps the biggest draw for scuba divers to this region. These wrecks comprising of mostly schooners, barges and steamers, are amongst the oldest and best-preserved wrecks in Canada, many dating back to the mid-1800s providing a broad historical view of trading on the Great Lakes in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The waters of the Fathom Five Marine Park are crystal clear offering scuba divers fantastic visibility so much that the park offers glass bottom boat trips, and snorkeling at many of the underwater shipwrecks and attractions, so one doesn’t need to be a scuba diver to experience this regions underwater treasures.  

In addition to being able to explore the numerous shipwrecks at the park, scuba divers can also marvel at the natural underwater rock formations, submerged geological formations such as cliffs, caves, overhangs etc., which are formed in the soft limestone rocks. This region also is home to a “submerged waterfall” which lies between Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula which around 5000-10,000 years ago was a waterfall that drained the water from Lake Huron into the Georgian Bay with a drop of 132 feet and possibly carried more water down it than the Niagara Falls does today.

If interested in taking a dive into the waters of Lake Huron and exploring the wealth and submerged wonders it holds, click here for more information on Just Add Waters trip to Tobermory Canada.  Located at the Northern most tip of Bruce Peninsula, Tobermory is the ideal location if wanting to explore Fathom Five National Marine Park.