Sailing & Boating.
Big Tub and Little Tub are Tobermory's twin natural harbours at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. Little Tub is the village harbour and the MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry terminal to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island; Big Tub holds the Sweepstakes wreck and the 1885 wooden Big Tub Lighthouse at the harbour entrance.
Glass-bottom tour boats run over the wrecks and out 6.5 km to Flowerpot Island, the principal island of the Fathom Five archipelago.
The brief.
The Fathom Five archipelago — Flowerpot, Cove, Bears Rump, Russel — sits offshore inside Canada's first national marine park (1987), 112 km², making this one of the premier cruising and tour-boat destinations on the Great Lakes. Big Tub and Little Tub are the twin harbour anchors; Little Tub also runs the Chi-Cheemaun crossing to Manitoulin.
Open Georgian Bay is wind-exposed and routinely shuts crossings down in heavy weather, including the tour boats out to Flowerpot. The working window runs May through October.
Inside the marine park, divers must register specifically with Fathom Five — different rules from the land park.
1. places.
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Big Tub Harbour and Little Tub Harbour
Tobermory's twin natural harbours; Little Tub is the main village harbour and Chi-Cheemaun ferry terminal; Big Tub holds the Sweepstakes wreck and the 1885 Big Tub Lighthouse.
Today's read.
Temperature (2.9°C) below the typical range.
By the book.
- 01Tobermory is the gateway for two adjacent parks — Bruce Peninsula NP (land, 156 km²) and Fathom Five NMP (marine, 112 km²) — sharing one Parks Canada visitor centre but different rules and pass systemsSource ↗
- 02Open Georgian Bay crossings to Flowerpot Island are wind-exposed and routinely cancelled in heavy weatherSource ↗