Diving in Ontario
Ontario is a Canadian province in the country’s east-central region and is home to two major cities: Toronto and Ottawa, Canada’s capital. The northern and southern boarders of Ontario both offer spectacular diving, although very different. Ontario is bordered to the north by Hudson Bay which is nearing the Arctic Circle. The diving is cold, and you will need a very warm dry suit as temperatures rarely exceed 48 degrees F (10 degrees C). If you can handle the chilly waters, you’ll be rewarder with marine life other divers only dream of seeing. Completely opposite from the chilly, salty north sits four of the five Great Lakes that constitute the southern border of Ontario. From the province you can dive Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, all of which offer spectacular visibility and shipwrecks galore. These lakes are so full of historical wreck dives you could spend a lifetime trying to dive them all. Diving in the Great Lakes is best in the winter and spring when, even though the temperature is cooler, the visibility is much better than during the summer months. Ontario offers two international airports to choose from in both Ottawa and Toronto, with Toronto actually being the busiest airport in the country.
Aquatic Life in Ontario
The wildlife sighting opportunities in Ontario are as varied as the types of diving. In freshwater locations like the Great Lakes and the many rivers across this area you’ll encounter plenty of trout, small and largemouth bass, carp, catfish, muskie, lamprey, northern pike, and walleye. More rare sightings include salmon, herring, and sturgeon. You may even be lucky enough to spot a beaver or river otter swimming around as well. In the colder, saltier Hudson Bay to the north live an incredibly diverse array of marine life. These nutrient rich waters attract invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals from the smallest nudibranchs to the largest of whales. In fact, Hudson Bay is one of the best places to offer encounters with the curious, friendly beluga whale. Other wildlife sightings along Ontario’s northern coasts include ringed seals, walruses, narwhals, orcas (killer whales), bowhead whales, octopus, dogfish, salmon, halibut, cod and so much more!