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Book your next Dive Course – SSI Course & Event Calendar

Explore beginner to instructor courses, community events, and global dive trips. Immerse yourself in a world of discovery and unforgettable experiences with our SSI course and event calendar.

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Dive into the Great Lakes of North America

The five lakes Huron, Superior, Michigan, Erie and Ontario at the northern border of the USA and southern border of Canada, make up the largest group of freshwater lakes on the world - and they also offer some superior diving. So what can you experience down there? Although the visibility is not too good and there is not much marine life or corals, prepare yourself to explore well-preserved sunken watercraft from decades ago. From wooden schooners to modern steel freighters, this is the perfect dive destination for wreck lovers. Discover your next shipwreck adventure!

Cedar Hill Park

Cedar Hill Park in Wiarton, Ontario, Canada, is located in a sub-bay of Georgian Bay and known as Colpoy’s Bay on Lake Huron. It is an easily accessible shore dive and great for all levels of divers.

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Alice G.Tobermory Tugs (Wreck)

The Alice G was a wooden tug that ran aground during a severe storm in November 1927. The wreck is easily accessible for scuba divers, snorkelers, and freedivers.

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Dolime/Glenchristie Quarry

This is the old Dolime quarry or also now known as the Glenchristie quarry and is located just outside of Toronto, Canada. The quarry sits at around 30 to 40 feet deep and the deeper section towards the back reaches just to about 90 feet. There is limited parking and this is a popular training site, so get there early!

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Madeirense (Wreck)

This cargo boat sunk in October 2000. The highest point of the wreck is at about 24m and the bottom can reach 35m. There is rarely a current and visibility is always more than 25m. This site is sheltered from the prevailing wind.

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Welland Scuba Park

This is an excellent dive site for beginners as well as for advanced training. Explore boats, cars, barges, and other assorted items, all sunk & ready for you to discover! This site is apparently private land, although we have not been able to locate any owner. It has been closed for special events like FloatFest.

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Centeen Park

A popular dive site for all levels of divers, you can see the underwater sculpture placed here with six standing human figures looking up, surrounded at an 18-foot radius by benches at each cardinal point. Two sturgeons point north at 35 feet out, a tribute to a species that was once plentiful in the river.

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Lake Ontario Pipeline

Lake Ontario borders Canada and is the 13th largest lake in the world. The water is fairly cold, especially in the winter so you’ll want a thick wetsuit or drysuit for diving here.

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Tobermory

Tobermory offers some of the most unique freshwater wreck diving Canada has to offer just outside of the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. This area is full of plentiful wrecks, good visibility, and “refreshing” water temperatures.

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Morrison’s Quarry

Morrison’s Quarry, located off of Highway 105 in Wakefield, Quebec, is one of the region’s most popular scuba training sites. It is also a very popular camp ground and home to concerts and festivals during the summer months.

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Little Rock Drop Off

Welcome to the dive shop’s indoor aquatic simulator, more commonly known as “The Little Rock Drop Off“. The Drop Off measures 25’ by 45’ and is 15’ deep with a water temp of 88 degrees.

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Discover the world’s most fascinating aquatic life

Aquatic life under our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams is amazing! From microscopic zooplankton to the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, underwater life comes in all possible shapes and sizes. With 71% of the earth being covered with water, it is no wonder we are so fascinated with what lies beneath the surface. In fact, scientists estimate that there are nearly 1 million different species of aquatic animals. Freshwater ecosystems are home mainly to fish, invertebrates, and reptiles, whereas the ocean contains a wide array of marine life including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles, sharks, and marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees.

Carp

The carp originated as an ornamental and aquaculture fish in China but has spread as an invasive species worldwide. In fact, the common species has now spread to inhabit all continents in the world except Antarctica. Ironically enough, native wild populations in Asia are actually considered vulnerable to extinction yet are highly destructive and abundant in waters in other parts of the world where it’s not supposed to be found.

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Trout

One of the more beautiful types of freshwater fish, trout is the common name for a large number of different freshwater species closely related to salmon. They live exclusively in freshwater lakes and rivers and come in a wide variety of colors that change based on their environment, making them masters at camouflage. Preferring cool, clear streams and lakes, they can be found in waters averaging 10-16 degrees C (50-60 degrees F) so if you want to go diving with trout you better bring a thick wetsuit.

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Catfish

Catfish is the common name given to any fish in the order Siluriformes and are one of the most widely diverse and abundantly distributed species on the planet, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Most of them live in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds with the exception of a few saltwater species. They are easily recognizable by their barbels on the upper jaw and, sometimes, snout and chin, which look like the whiskers of a cat, giving them their name.

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Salmon

When you google the word ‘salmon’ you won’t find a bunch of data on the species itself, but hundreds of delicious recipes as it is one of the most desired fish for eating around the world. It is the common name for any species of fish in the Salmonidae family, most of which occur naturally in North American waters, 5 in the Pacific Northwest and one in the Atlantic. Two occur only in Asia, the masu and amago, but they have been introduced into non-native environments in other parts of the world such as the Great Lakes of North America and the Patagonia of South America.

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Manatee

Together with Dugongs, Manatees form the order of sea cows. These two species differ mainly in their caudal fin; Manatees have a single round paddle-shaped tail while Dugongs have a forked fluke more like that of a whale. With a length of up to 5 meters, a manatee can weigh up to 500 kilograms. Diving with manatees is indescribable. These wonderful animals are very peaceful, calm, and slow, moving at a speed of only 3 to 7 km/h, perfect for observing and studying these majestic marine creatures.

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Seal

The round, sweet eyes of a seal don’t only make these acrobatic mammals one of the cutest creatures in the sea but have a highly functional purpose as well. Seals have excellent underwater vision, especially in dark and murky waters. Being deep divers, sometimes reaching depths of up to 100 meters, having this increased ability to see in low light conditions is not only beneficial, but necessary to survive. Their bodies have also adapted to allow for these deeper, longer dives better than other marine mammals. Seal’s blood contains special properties allowing them to absorb more oxygen than other marine mammals, therefore allowing them to do these deep, long dives with ease.

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Moray Eel

One of the most fascinating fish on the reef, moray eels come in nearly every size and color from the tiny, bright blue ribbon eel, the smallest averaging only 25 cm long, to the black speckled giant moray which can grow up to 4 meters in length! In fact, there are nearly 200 different species. Most morays are marine dwelling fish, but several species have been seen in brackish water, and just a few are found in fresh water. They are clearly distinguishable from the other reef fish with their long, slithering bodies, pointy snouts full of sharp teeth, and long dorsal fins that run the entire length of their bodies. No matter the species, these animals are always an exciting site to see while scuba diving.

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Discover the wonders of the deep with SSI's blog

Join us on an exciting journey of discovery and learn more about exhilarating diving adventures, dedicated conservation initiatives, and innovative educational opportunities that will help you illuminate the extraordinary beauty of the underwater world. Let's explore the underwater world together and delve into the hidden wonders beneath the gentle waves.