Women Beneath the Surface: Diving for Conservation in Fathom Five National Marine Park
The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association in partnership with Dive Life Tobermory are proud to host a regional fundraiser in celebration of PADI Women Dive Day in Tobermory, Ontario — Canada’s scuba diving capital and gateway to Fathom Five National Marine Park.
This three-day immersive event will bring together female-identifying divers and snorkelers for a unique weekend of diving, citizen science training, environmental education, and community celebration!
All profits from the excursions offered by Dive Life Tobermory are generously donated back to Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association to directly support conservation projects on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula.
Certified Diver Package - $450 - Book Now
- Citizen Science Training
- 2 Dive Charters over 2 Days (4 Dives Total):
Saturday Morning: 2 Citizen Science Dives
Sunday Morning: 2 Citizen Science Dives
- Waves of Change Welcome Party (Women in Diving & Conservation)
- Lunch & Learn Debrief
- Air Fills included
- Rental gear available for a fee
Snorkeler Package - $125 - Book Now
- Citizen Science Training
- 1 Snorkel Charter (2hrs)
- Saturday Morning: 1 Citizen Science Snorkel
- Wetsuit, Mask, Snorkel, Fins included
Get Ready Info:
🤿 Snorkel Gear (SNORKELERS)
All of your snorkel gear is included in your experience! From the wetsuit to the mask, snorkel, and fins. When snorkelers arrive at 7am on Saturday morning, you will be fitted with all of the gear. Wear your bathing suit under your clothes - you'll be turning into a citizen scientist superhero as soon as your wetsuit goes on! If you have any questions regarding this, please call Dive Life Tobermory directly at (519) 596-2363.
🤿 Scuba Diver Rental Gear & Certification (DIVERS)
- Reserve Rentals Early: If you need any rental gear (tanks, weights, BCD, gloves, boots, hood, wetsuits etc.), please call and arrange this with the dive shop BEFORE Saturday morning. Do not wait until the day of the dives! That includes airfills - please do it before the day of.
- Cert Card: Please make sure you have your physical Diver Certification Card with you, or have a copy/access to it on the PADI or other app. If you don't have it, please call Dive Life Tobermory before Saturday, July 18 at (519) 596-2363 to see if it's possible to look you up online.
✅ Parks Canada Diver Registration (Required for DIVERS)
Before Saturday morning, you must obtain your Parks Canada Diver Registration tag or bracelet.
Registration can only be done in person and you will need your diver certification card/number to fill in the form. You can purchase these at Dive Life Tobermory or at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Tobermory. If you can't get to it until Saturday morning, that's okay, but it will be a busy day, so if you can arrange it beforehand, please do.
- Daily Tag: $6.25/day
- Annual Tag: $24.00/year (comes with a keepsake dive tag and a portion of the cost is shared with the Tobermory Hyperbaric Chamber!)
✏️ Citizen Scientist Gear
For the Citizen Scientist portion of our weekend, we will be identifying and logging local marine life. Some things that you can prepare and bring for the event are:
- Download the free iNaturalist app to your smartphone
- Charge and bring your underwater camera
- Bring an underwater slate and pencil
If you don't have these, not to worry. There are plenty of ways to collaborate and share resources!
🚗 Parking
Parking in Tobermory can be a challenge in the summer, but I am going to give you some insider tips! You should park your car before coming to the shop to checkin.
- It's early in the morning, so you should have your pick of where to park
- FREE Parking is always available on Eliza St. & Carlton St. if you can secure it. There's no time limit! OR
- You may want to leave your vehicle in the ALL DAY parking lot on Legion Street. It's a short 5-10min walk from the dive shop and the Tobermory Community Centre. It's $15/day. Here is a map for other options. You need to know your license plate to pay for parking.
- NOTE - If you drive to the Tobermory Community Centre for the Lunch & Learn in the afternoon, the parking there is $3/hr.
- You can download the ParkedIn App before you come and then note the Zone # wherever you end up and enter it on your phone. Phone reception in Tobermory is pretty decent.
👥 Quick Favor: Did you book for yourself plus others?
If you booked spots for 2 or more snorkelers (and/or divers) under a single reservation, the booking platform unfortunately did not capture the secondary divers' contact details. Please reply directly to this email with the names and email addresses of the other divers in your group so we can keep everyone in the loop!
💌 Invite Your Friends!
There are still a few spots available for both the dive and snorkel boats. Tell everyone that you are attending and share any of the posts about the event from the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association's social media pages:
BPBA Instagram - @BruceBiosphere
Itinerary:
Day 1
Friday Evening: Waves of Change Reception & Seminar
Explore freshwater biodiversity, geology, and citizen science in this engaging seminar. Open to the community by donation and included for registered divers.
Featured Speaker: Jenna McGuire — ecologist, educator, and scientific illustrator from the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula, inspiring a deeper connection to the natural world through art and education.
Underwater Life in Lake Huron
In this in-depth seminar, we will meet some of the species that live in Lake Huron and learn more about their lives. Fish are a familiar group but there are also many interesting plants, molluscs, amphipods, insects, worms, freshwater sponges and more! Exploring the stories of these creatures through their everyday biology and evolutionary origins is incredible. We learn about how life colonized the lakes after the retreat of the last glacier and the impacts of geology on a waterscape. We will also touch on how to be a citizen scientist and the areas of knowledge that need our help! Specimens, models, rock samples and a microscope will be on display for exploration and discussion. This session is meant to inspire awe and build excitement for the “hidden” biodiversity of life in Lake Huron.
Some Topics Covered
- Unique fish biology from the jaws of a freshwater drum to the evolutionary radiation of ciscoes.
- Great Lakes seashell makers! Native freshwater pearly mussels, gastropods and limpets.
- Other invertebrate groups like bryozoans, seed shrimp and worms.
- The various zones of the lake (benthic, pelagic, nearshore).
- The geological origins of Lake Huron and how to experience these deep time narratives at dive sites.
- Intro to iNaturalist app
Time: 6-9pm
Location: Parks Canada Visitor Centre 120 Chi sin tib dek Rd, Tobermory, ON N0H 2R0
Day 2 - UPDATED SCHEDULE
Saturday Morning: Dive Life Tobermory Citizen Science in Action Dive & Snorkel Charters RESCHEDULED TO SUNDAY due to weather
On Saturday morning, we put our training into practice! Participants will head out into Fathom Five National Marine Park to document local marine life and contribute real data to our conservation efforts.
Saturday morning kicks off with a 7am checkin at Dive Life Tobermory before boats depart at 8am for a hands-on citizen science mission. Participants will receive an onboard briefing on species ID and iNaturalist recording techniques before heading into the water; snorkelers will return at 10am, while divers will complete two dives and return by 12pm. Citizen Science training and air fills are included, but please come prepared with your own gear and approximately $15 for the mandatory Parks Canada Diver Registration Tags.
Time: 8am vessel departures (7am checkin) - RESCHEDULED TO SUNDAY
Location: Dive Life Tobermory - 3 Bay Street, Tobermory, ON N0H 2R0
Saturday Afternoon: Tobermory Community Centre Lunch & Learn
Participants will head to the Tobermory Community Centre from 12-3pm to recharge and reconnect. Enjoy a catered lunch while debriefing with fellow participants, sharing findings, and walking through the process of uploading your citizen science images to iNaturalist.
The afternoon features a specialized seminar led by Jenna McGuire on Underwater Sketching as a Tool for Citizen Science. This session builds on Friday’s discussions, teaching you how to use sketching to document marine life and refine your observations in preparation for Sunday’s final dives.
Time: 1pm-3pm
Location: Dive Life Tobermory - 3 Bay Street, Tobermory, ON N0H 2R0
Day 3 UPDATED SCHEDULE
Sunday Morning: Dive Life Tobermory Citizen Science in Action Dive Charters
On Sunday morning, we put our training into practice! Participants will head out into Fathom Five National Marine Park to document local marine life and contribute real data to our conservation efforts.
Sunday morning kicks off with a 7am checkin at Dive Life Tobermory before boats depart at 8am for a hands-on citizen science mission. Participants will receive an onboard briefing on species ID and iNaturalist recording techniques before heading into the water; snorkelers will return at 10am, while divers will complete two dives and return by 12pm. Citizen Science training and air fills are included, but please come prepared with your own gear and approximately $15 for the mandatory Parks Canada Diver Registration Tags.
Sunday Afternoon: Dive Life Tobermory Closing Ceremony Debrief & Next Steps
Divers head back out after refilling their tanks for the second set of Citizen Science Dives. The boat will be back at the dock at approximately 5pm.
Immediately following the Sunday dives, we will gather for a brief Closing Ceremony. We’ll wrap up our findings, discuss the impact of the data collected over the weekend, and outline how you can continue your journey as a Citizen Scientist in your future dives!
Bookings: Reserve your spot with payment directly to Dive Life Tobermory under Events. You may also click on the RSVP and we will be in touch to help answer any questions!
I'm Scuba Diver - Book My Spot!
I'm a Snorkeler - Book My Spot!
