Traveling with Storys: October 5, 2024 - Tobermory, Ontario

October 5, 2024 - Saturday

Tobermory, Ontario

We are in the Fathom Five National Marine Park today. The little town of Tobermory is near to the ship’s anchorage. We had a morning excursion to look at a couple of shipwrecks and then be dropped off on Flower Pot Island to hike the trails for a couple of hours.

It is a bit chilly this morning, but the skies are clear and sunny. We got into Tobermory a little after 9:00 a.m. The guests attending this excursion were escorted to our glass bottom boat a short distance from the tender. We elected to sit up top. The captain recommended the right-hand side of boat as having a pretty good view of the shipwrecks.

The mouth of Big Tub Harbor

The boat headed out, made a stop at one of their other locations to pick up more people, then on for just a few more minutes and we were at the head of Big Tub Harbor. There, in shallow water are two shipwrecks. They are only a few feet below the surface, and this is very clear water. Just amazing. Our boat hovered over the bigger of the two and turned in 360s for several minutes. The 2^nd wreck was just a few yards away. WOW!

The wreck of the Sweepstakes

The Wreck of the Sweepstakes

The 2nd wreck at the end of Big Tub Harbor

After everybody had enough photos, we headed out of Big Tub Harbor and across the lake a little way to Flower Pot Island. It is another piece of the Canadian Shield, and it has taken a very long time for enough dirt to accumulate to sustain plant life. The island is very heavily forested, but there are good trails. You definitely need to watch your step, as there is a lot of loose material and rocks sticking up out of the path.

The Flower Pots are sea stacks, gradually eroding over time. I’m not sure of the exact composition of the rock, but it acts like shale, flacking off in thin layers. These stacks have eroded in such a manner as to resemble flowerpots with narrow bottoms and wider tops. It was more of a hike than what we are used to, but we hiked out about ½ hour before turning around to head back to the dock. Signage said we could reach the lighthouse in ½ an hour but that must be a long-legged person who isn’t stopping to take pictures every few feet.

Big Flower Pot

Little Flower Pot Also the old man in the rock (upper right of the rock)

You can see how the rock is flaking off

A perfect little Christmas tree, probably 4 feet high

Tree growing ON a rock

Big Flower Pot

Because this small island (1 mile x 1.5 miles) is part of the Canadian Shield, the rock is not real conducive to plant life. Not real conducive to animal life. We were told we would see snakes, spiders, squirrels, and not much any larger than that. We saw many many examples of trees growing out of cracks of solid rock, and the beginnings stages of more new life. First the lichen, then the mosses show up, then other small clinging plants. All of these eventually lead to accumulation of soil that supports larger plants.

Our transport returns on time and we are taken back to Tobermory where we picked up the tender and returned to the ship to have lunch.

We ate in Manfredi’s this evening. The first time on this cruise. We really enjoyed our meal at Manfredi’s. Insalata Caprese for me, Frito Mixto (fried shrimp, calamari and pulpo) for Russ. Chicken Parmigiana for me with an arugula salad, a breaded pork chop for Russ.