Ontario

Regional Municipality of Durham

Diving in British Columbia is some of the finest in the world. From the shores of Vancouver, North to the Sunshine coast, and then to the inlets of Vancouver Island, there are phenomenal opportunities to view sea life and explore the underwater terrain. Local operators offer their guidance, expertise and advice; rely on their knowledge and understanding of their region. Explore the variety of dive locations and dive safely!

Canada



Access by boat or shore. From shore; park east of bridge on Cove Road. on the South-East side of bridge there is a small foot path. Follow the path to the shore.

The Juno Shipwreck is also known as The Juno.

Bowmanville

The Juno Shipwreck

From SOS website http://saveontarioshipwrecks.ca/.
Built Year:1873
Built Location:Toledo, Ohio, USA
Built By:Bailey Brothers
Wreck Type:3-masted wooden centreboard schooner
Length:136'
Beam:26'
Draft:11'
Tonnage:Gross 344, Net 305
Converted to a barge, hauling stone, sank in a storm, October 1912 All 10 aboard survived.



P. B. Locke

From SOS website http://saveontarioshipwrecks.ca.
Built Year:1866
Built Location:Montreal, Quebec
Built By:Auguste Cantin
Wreck Type:Steam, Passenger
Rig:Side wheel
Length:162
Beam:25
Draft:8
Tonnage:350
Sank:1915
Bound from Port Hope to Toronto on August 3, 1915 she grounded during severe weather and eventually broke up.



Alexandria

From SOS website http://saveontarioshipwrecks.ca. Built 1873, wood hull 123ft long and sank 1934. One of many derelict ships purchased by the CNE, set afire and adrift circa 1934 to amuse the crowds during the depression years.The Lyman Davis lies in ~135' of water oriented with her bow pointing in a westerly direction.



Lyman Davis

From SOS website http://saveontarioshipwrecks.ca. Julia B. Merrill was a 3 masted wood hull schooner built in 1872 in Wenona, MI by FA Carpenter at a length of 128' beam 26' draft 8'. Purposely set ablaze as entertainment for the summer time crowd at Sunnyside Park on July 1, 1931



Julia B. Merrill

Sligo Wreck is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Canada, Ontario, Lake Ontario which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Sligo Wreck

Great 2-way (almost!) drift; easy return to starting point.  -- from Bozkurt Eralp

Ricardo st. South of Collingwood St.  Put-in at the dock.

Navy Hall

Rig:  2 masted
Length:  94
Beam:  21
Hull Material:  Wood

Boat Dive
2.3NM/334T Port Dalhousie, 3.3NM/289T Port Weller

Tiller Wreck

Cautions: Fisherman on Pier, Boat Traffic - always use Dive Flag Float and minimize time in shallow water.



Big Bay Point

This location, if used as a dive site, has inherent hazards!!

The water flow - current direction, current speed and water levels are all subject to change - at any time - without warning!.

Under no circumstances should you be entering the water in the Niagara River or on the Niagara River side of the Weightman Bridge (Portage Road).

Always contact a local dive store prior to diving this site to see if there are any known changes expected to the water flow in the Chippawa Creek / Welland River.

This is no guarantee that the creek is safe for diving. 


The Chippawa Creek originally ran in the opposite direction. Dredging during the building of the Welland Canal and Ontario Hydro hydroelectric projects reversed the flow of the creek.

Enter water under Weightman Bridge (Portage Road) (on the South side), and swim to the middle of the river.

Be sure to check current direction, you should be moving away from the bridge in a southerly direction. If you are moving towards the Niagara River GET OUT IMMEDIATELY.

Dive 1 Exit Point is approximately 30 minutes down river. When exiting, avoid the boat ramp - it is signed "NO SCUBA DIVING" - use the grass past the ramp.


Shore entry across from Tim Horton's on Front St and Portage Rd in Chippawa

Chippawa Creek Leg 1 is also known as Chippawa Creek Tim Horton's.

Chippawa Creek Leg 1

 The JC Morrison ( approx 75 ft long)is a dual side wheel paddler built in 1854 that sank after catching fire in 1857. She was cut adrift from the nearby wharf to save other ships and sank where she currently lies after burning to the water line.
 Initially, both paddle wheels were present on the wreck but a local sailing club took it upon themselves to remove them to deeper water. After getting their behinds smacked for doing this, they managed to locate one wheel and dragged it back to the wreck. The other is still missing. The remaining wheel lies on it's side about 40 feet from the port side of the wreck, 20 feet aft of the bow. The hull is almost flattened, other than the walking arm ( part of the engine) which protrudes towards the surface. If you're looking for Bass with attitude, this is where they hang out.
 Of note, there is a plastic encased artifact case attached to the bow, directly below the surface marker line. A clay tobacco pipe is the most easily identified artifact. If you follow the hull aft, you'll eventually come across a line leading out into the gloom. There is a tank like structure there that is commonly mistaken for the ship's boiler, but apparently has nothing to do with the wreck at all and is just something to look at. Following that line further ( about 2 more minutes) will lead you to the city of Barrie's water treatment outfall pipes. If you're cold, this is the place to warm up. That water is bathtub warm and also clean. You can also use the outfalls as a means of propulsion from one to the next as they are little jet engines when you cup your hands in front.
 The viz on site varies considerably with both weather and if there have been classes in the last hour or so as it's a popular OW training site and mud puppies abound. It can be 40 ft...it can be nothing. If the wind is onshore ( from the east), viz drops too.
 It's a fun little dive to do if other sites are weather bound as this one rarely ever is closed other than for effluent problems.
 Edit: What a difference two years makes!!!I dived the JC a week ago after a two year hiatus. Silt's still there, viz still iffy but my gawd has the bow been busted up. It's been twisted 90 degrees to port!!!! The supports for the walking beam are going as well. The diver traffic has gone up substantially with many operators using this site as a training ground which explains a lot. Not even the fish want to hang around there anymore.

 Shore dive: Grab a spot in the parking lot and approach the water (only a 20 second walk). You'll find a tree stump with a line either attached to it or on a chunk of concrete nearby. This is your entry, watch your footing and don't stir up too much muck or you'll have difficulty finding the line again. You could always surface swim to the marker if need be, it's about 300 feet out.
 Dive flags are a must here. The area is supposed to be off limits to PWC's but they show up anyway and the wreck attracts fishermen.

The Juno Shipwreck

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at The Juno Shipwreck