One diver, after a seemingly brief period below the surface, discovers that his gas supply has run perilously low. Another, paralyzed, bobs helplessly on the surface, and when a poorly trained divemaster attempts rescue, things go from bad to worse. Two other divers, fascinated by the bountiful undersea life of the Caribbean, fail to notice that a powerful current is sweeping them rapidly away from their unattended boat.

These are just a few of the true stories you will find in Diver Down, most of them involving diver error and resulting in serious injury or death. Each of these tales is accompanied by an in-depth analysis of what went wrong and how you can recognize, avoid, and respond to similar underwater calamities. This unique survival guide explores the gamut of diving situations, including cave and wreck diving, deep-water dives, river and drift diving, decompression sickness, and much more. It shows you how to prevent tragic mishaps through:

• Inspection and maintenance of primary and secondary diving gear
• Learning and following established safety protocols
• Confirming the training and credentials of diving professionals
• Practicing emergency responses under real-world conditions

About the Author

Captain Michael R. Ange is a senior member of the Technical Training Staff for SDI & TDI (Scuba Diving International & Technical Diving International), International Training Director for Emergency Response Diving International, and contributing author and technical editor for SCUBA Diving magazine. A published writer and photojournalist, Mike has a personal training background as varied as his list of diving students which includes military personnel, law enforcement officials, and technical and recreational enthusiasts. Certified with several agencies, he holds instructor trainer ratings that include Advanced TRIMIX, Semi-Closed, Closed Circuit Rebreathers, Technical Wreck, and Cave. Additionally he’s a Certified Advanced Diver Medic with the International Board of Undersea Medicine and an USCG Licensed Master with Power, Sail and Commercial Towing endorsements.

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A waterspout is a powerful columnar vortex that forms over water and typically resembles a funnel-shaped cloud. Some are associated with cumulus congestus, some with cumulonimbus clouds, and others with cumuliform clouds. A fair-weather waterspout’s life cycle has five stages. A prominent circular, light-colored disc with a larger, darker area around it at first appears on the water’s surface. A pattern of light-and dark-colored spiral bands emerges from the dark spot on the water’s surface after the formation of these coloured discs on the surface. Then, around the dark spot with what seems to be an eye, a dense ring of sea spray known as a “cascade” appears. The waterspout eventually transforms into an apparent funnel that leads from the water’s surface to the cloud above. The spray vortex can reach heights of several hundred feet or more, and as it moves, it frequently leaves a visible wake and a related wave train. The life cycle of the waterspout is finally completed as the funnel and spray vortex start to dissipate as the warm air inflow weakens.

Most waterspouts are weak, small rotating columns of air over water rather than sucking up water. Stronger variants, produced by mesocyclones, do occasionally exist, despite generally being weaker than their land-based counterparts.

Although they have been spotted in the Great Lakes, tropical and subtropical regions are where waterspout formation is most common. But, nine waterspouts were reported on Lake Michigan in the United States at once in 2012. Although they are rare, waterspouts have been observed in conjunction with lake-effect snow precipitation bands.

Tornadoes over water, also known as “tornadoes watersprouts” are formed from mesocyclones in a manner that is essentially the same as how tornadoes on land are formed in connection with severe thunderstorms. Tornadic waterspouts would also include a tornado that crosses from land to water. True tornadic waterspouts are consequently more uncommon than their fair-weather counterparts.

Any object within 90 cm (1 yard) of the water’s surface, including fish of all sizes, frogs, and even turtles, can be lifted into the air, depending on how quickly the winds from a waterspout are whipping. Sometimes, a waterspout can pull small animals like fish out of the water and up into the cloud. Even if the waterspout stops rotating, the fish in the cloud can still be carried over land and tossed around by the wind until the cloud’s currents are no longer able to keep the fish in the air. People up to 160 km (100 miles) inland have reported seeing fish fall from the sky.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a widely held belief among sailors that firing a broadside cannon volley dispersed waterspouts. Captain Vladimir Bronevskiy, among others, asserts that it was a successful tactic because he saw a phenomenon disappear in the Adriatic. The Mary Celeste was abandoned, and a waterspout has been suggested as the cause.

Watersprouts have long recognized as significant marine hazards. Watercraft, aircraft, and people are all in danger from stronger waterspouts. It is advised to stay well away from these phenomena and to always be alert by monitoring weather reports. When waterspouts are expected to move onshore or have already been sighted over coastal waters, the National Weather Services frequently issues special marine warnings or tornado warnings.

We’ll be showcasing Chris’s videos in collaboration with The Scuba News Canada. These are educational and informative, and Chris admits that he hopes to inspire people to try scuba diving. On TikTok, he has over 145,000 followers from all over the world. He makes regular scuba diving adventure and instructional videos, as well as answering viewer questions in his videos about anything scuba or water-related. He feels seasoned divers can stay current with the new dive industry and training philosophies, so his channel has something for the novice to experienced divers.

About Chris Foisey

Chris was certified at Dans Dive Shop in 2011 and started working there that summer. After a few years, he started to pursue technical diving as well as becoming a Padi Dive Master. Over the years he has built his certifications up to a Level 1 cave diver and trimix decompression diver, Padi Master Scuba Diver Trainer as well as a hydrostatic technician and a full-time employee at Dan’s Dive Shop. Over the last 10 years, Chris has completed over 1200 dives all over the world and personally certified over 300 students.

Follow Chris on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube & Modern Diver

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The strike by the seaway workers has ended and Great Lake freighter traffic is starting up again on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7 a.m, according to Canadian news sources. Workers on strike perform maintenance, operational, and supervisory duties at 13 of the 15 locks along the trade route as well as raising and lowering boats between (locks) sections of varying depths along rivers.

Read The Scuba News Canada article: The St. Lawrence Seaway Could Be Prematurely Shut Down in 2023 Due to a Strike

The seaway, a major shipping route that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes between Lake Erie and Montreal, has been closed since October 22, 2023 due to the walk-out of over 300 striking workers. While they await passage, ships have been left adrift. Due to the inability of businesses to accept goods that were being transported by freighters, the strike had a major effect.

Lana Payne, national president of UNIFOR, told reporters that striking workers wanted fairer compensation and solutions to “a toxic workplace.”

HMCS Saskatchewan was a destroyer of the Mackenzie class that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and then in the Canadian Forces. She was the second naval unit in Canada to bear the name of HMCS Saskatchewan. The vessel is named after the Saskatchewan River in Canada, which runs from Saskatchewan to Manitoba.

She was mostly utilized as a training ship on the west coast after entering service in 1963. In 1994, she was decommissioned and sold as an artificial reef. She was sunk off the coast of British Columbia in June 1997.

The Mackenzie-class ships had a length of 366 feet (112 meters), a beam of 42 feet (13 meters), and a draught of 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m). The Mackenzie’s had a complement of 290 and displaced 2,880 tons (2,830 long tons) when fully loaded.

HMCS Saskatchewan was initially stationed on the east coast, in Halifax. She was stationed off Haiti as part of an international force monitoring an insurgency against the sitting president, François Duvalier, in April 1963, while sailing to the Pacific. She was assigned to the Pacific in October 1963 and ran aground in the Gulf of Georgia on September 8, 1968. A court-martial later found the captain guilty of carelessness in the case. The destroyer returned to the east coast in February 1970, when she took over as the flagship of NATO’s standing fleet, STANAVFORLANT, from HMCS Nipigon.

Saskatchewan returned to the west coast in 1973 and spent the rest of her service there, mostly as a training ship with the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces’ Maritime Forces Pacific. The destroyer was dispatched in July 1982 to pursue the Soviet spy ship Aavril Sarychev, which had been spying on the west coast of North America. From May 27 to June 17, 1986, she was undergoing a DELEX overhaul at the Burrard Yarrow Shipyard in Esquimalt. She was one of the Canadian warships dispatched to Australia in the fall of 1986 to take part in the Royal Australian Navy’s 75th anniversary festivities. The ship remained a training ship with Training Group Pacific until 1 April, when she was paid off.

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As of Saturday, October 21, 2023, midnight, UNIFOR employees who work for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation are prepared to strike, which would effectively halt transit through the Seaway. More than 35 million metric tons of grain and other cargoes travel along the route every year during the Seaway’s season, which starts in late March and lasts until the start of winter.

Workers will begin forming picket lines at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2023 if no agreement is reached by the end of today’s negotiations, which will last through October 19.

315,000 workers in all significant sectors of the economy are represented by UNIFOR, which is Canada’s largest private sector union. The union fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, promotes the rights of all working people, and works to bring about progressive change for a better future.

Observers are cautioning that if the strike continues and the seaway closes, the 2023 shipping season will be over and some vessels may become trapped.

Since the previous contract expired on March 31, the 315 unionized workers, who are UNIFOR members working in Canada, have been operating without a contract.

As of this posting, (October 24, 2023) last-ditch negotiations to reach a deal fell through and the massive inland waterway was forced to close. The Seaway workers, who are represented by Unifor, walked off the job early on Sunday morning.

November 29, 1966 on this day in history

Only Dennis Hale survived of the 29 crew members when the SS Daniel J. Morrell freighter broke in half and sunk off Harbor Beach (63 miles north of Port Huron, Michigan) in an unforgiving November Lake Huron storm. In the same storm, Sistership Edward Y. Townsend suffered a broken hull and was condemned when it arrived at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

At first, investigators did not believe Dennis Hale’s account that the vessel broke in two at the water surface, and the stern continued under power until it finally sunk.

The SS Daniel J. Morrell was a 603-foot (184 m) Great Lakes freighter. The freighter was used for carrying bulk cargo such as iron ore, but when the 60-year-old ship sank, it was working with only ballast. Daniel J. Morell was designed and launched in 1906 by the West Bay City Ship Building Company, based in West Bay City, Michigan. Its tonnage was 7,239 GRT, was 603 feet long with a 58-foot beam and powered by 2 marine boilers.

Daniel J. Morrell was trapped in winds greater than 70 mph (110 km/h) and swells that topped the ship’s height 20 to 25 ft (6.1 to 7.6 m) waves in the last run of the season with her sister ship, Edward Y. Townsend. The Townsend made the decision to take shelter in the St. Clair River during the early morning hours, of November 29, 1966, leaving Daniel J. Morrell alone in the waters north of Pointe Aux Barques, Michigan, and attempting to head to the protection of Thunder Bay. The ship started her death throes at 02:00 am, forcing the crew onto the bridge, where many jumped in the 34 ° F (1 ° C) degree Lake Huron waters to their deaths. The ship’s hull broke at 02:15 am and thus water started to flood in. The remaining crewmen loaded into a raft.

There were shouts that a ship had been spotted off the port bow as the remaining crew waited for the ship to break up and the raft to be tossed into the lake from the bow of the Morell where the crew had boarded. Moments later it was discovered that not another ship was the looming target, but the aft portion of Daniel J. Morrell, barreling toward them under the power of the engine of the ship. With the rafts heading into the distance, the ship broke up.

In the words of author William Ratigan, the vessel’s remains vanished “like a great wounded beast with its head shot off into the night”.

The following afternoon, 30 November 1966 around 12:15 pm, Daniel J. Morrell was reported missing as she did not make her destination, Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. A “be on the lookout” warning was issued by the U.S. Coast Guard and several vessels and aircraft were deployed to search for the missing freighter.

A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the sole survivor, 26-year-old Watchman Dennis Hale, nearly frozen and floating in a life raft with the bodies of three of his crew members at about 4:00 pm on November 30, 1966. In freezing weather, Hale survived the nearly 40-hour ordeal wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, a lifejacket, and a pea coat.

Escaping the same fate as her sister ship, Edward Y. Townsend had been found to have a large crack in her deck that grew worse from the same storm. She was considered a complete loss, and for nearly two years she remained docked. Plans were made for the vessel to be towed to Europe for scrapping. On October 7, 1968, she was caught in a heavy storm off Newfoundland on her way to Europe, and snapped in two and sank in the approximate area where the RMS Titanic had sunk many years before.

Eventually, the remains of 26 of the 28 missing crewmen were recovered, in the days following the sinking. Some of the crewman bodies were not found till May of 1967. In May 1967, the two men whose bodies were never found were confirmed to be legally dead. On September 2, 2015, at the age of 75, Dennis Hale, the sole survivor of the sinking, died of cancer.

The significant factor in this loss was the disruptive force of the November seas and wind, on the Great Lakes as it was in several similar accidents which include the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Henry Steinbrenner. The Coast Guard investigation of Daniel J. Morrell’s sinking reported that she broke in half because of the brittle steel used in her hull, which was a “common problem” in ships constructed before 1948.

Daniel J Morrell remains intact and upright underwater. There are two sites for diving. At 130ft (40m), the bow can be reached, but both the bow and the stern rest at about 200ft on the bottom (61m). The mast, intact cabin, mushroom anchors and a long swim to where the ship broke in half are the signature features on the bow. The stern has just about everything to see as when it went down, lifeboats on the side, dishes in the galley, life ring down the stairs, and open engine room. The top of the deck features a double wheel and a smokestack.

This is an technical dive due to the depth, resting at 200 feet.

Becky Kagan-Schott, an underwater videographer, explores the Sandusky shipwreck, one of thousands of perfectly preserved time capsules in the Great Lakes. “Some of these shipwrecks look like they sank yesterday,” Becky quoted. The Sandusky, built in 1848 in Sandusky, Ohio, is the oldest known shipwreck in the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve and is frequently visited by divers.

On September 20th, 1856, a violent gale erupted on Lake Michigan’s northern end, catching the two masked brig Sandusky in the Straits and sinking her in 84 feet of water. She was sailing east from Chicago to Buffalo, New York, loaded with grain. In total, nine crew members pershished. According to the story, three men clung to the mast that protruded from the water, but they died before they could be rescued by side-wheeler Queen City, along with the other six crew members.

The Sandusky is located five miles west of the Mackinac Bridge. The decks are crumbling in places, but there are some interesting artifacts on and around the wreck for underwater photographers, but divers are strongly advised to “observe not expropriate” anything off the sunken ship.

From May to September, a mooring line is in place to help divers with location and to prevent damage from anchors and hooks.

Intermediate to Advance dive skills are required and the location is:

Shipwreck: N45° 47.959′  W084° 50.249′

Mooring:    N45° 47.978′   W084° 50.248′

YouTube Video featuring Becky Kagan-Schott @ Liquid Productions

The Goderich Salt Mine (Sifto) is the largest underground salt mine in the world.

The world’s largest underground salt mine, the Goderich (Ontario) mine, is 1,800 feet beneath Lake Huron. The depth of the mine equals the height of Toronto’s CN Tower. The mine is about the same size as Goderich itself, covering a surface area of 7 sq km beneath Lake Huron. It has been in operation since 1959.

Sam Platt, who was prospecting for oil in Goderich Harbour on Lake Huron in 1866 but found rock salt instead of oil. Sifto Canada was founded in 1950, and in the 1990s, Compass Minerals, a US chemical company, purchased the business. The Goderich mine, which has grown to be the largest salt mine in Canada, continues to be a major supplier of salt for Compass Minerals.

The facility uses mechanical evaporation to create high-purity, coarse-and fine-grained salt products in bulk and packages for use in commercial, agricultural, and industrial settings. The mine’s rock salt, which is used for deicing and water conditioning, is also packaged at the plant. Table salt, fine evaporated salt, water conditioning salt, agricultural salt, and highway deicing salt are some of the company’s main products.

The Goderich salt mine has a production capacity of 9 million tons per year, and produces 7,250,000 tons per year.

On a beautiful evening after work, Sean from Nova Scotia went out for another underwater exploration and clean-up.

Now what the heck is a bottle from New York City doing all the way up here? The first image has the words M.B. & Co. 145 West 35th Street N.Y. 1861 embossed on it. I couldn’t believe it when I came across it on tonight’s dive.

The next item of interest was another button, this time with the image of an elephant, the number 78 and the phrase Assaye Maida Java. A quick Google search reveals it was from a soldier from the 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, from the United Kingdom.

Saltwater Sean

M.B. & Co.

There isn’t much information available on the M. B. & Co in New York in 1861. However, many bottles from this company are available for around $35.00 on eBay and Amazon.

78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot

On March 8, 1793, Francis Humberston MacKenzie, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie and later Lord Seaforth, raised the 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot. Formed at Fort George in July 1793, the regiment relocated to the Channel Islands in August 1893, and embarked for Holland in September 1794 to serve in the French Revolutionary Wars.[ It saw action in November 1794 during the defense of Nijmegen. The regiment arrived in England in April 1795, then sailed to France for the Battle of Quiberon Bay in June 1795 and the landing at Île d’Yeu, off the coast of Brittany, in September 1795, before returning to England.

In 1865, the regiment embarked for Gibraltar, and in May 1869, it sailed on the troopship HMS Crocodile to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving on May 14, 1869. During the summer, the regiment camped at Bedford to practice musketry at the military range. Alexander Keith, Grandmaster of the Masonic Lodge of Nova Scotia, hosted a farewell ball for them before they left in 1871. In November 1871, the regiment, along with 17 young local women who had married soldiers, boarded the troopship HMS Orontes bound for Ireland.

The 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band, a grade one pipe band formed in 1983, is managed by Citadel Hill, which features a living history program with animators portraying the 78th Highland Regiment.

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On 14 October 1942, 78 years ago, at 3:40 am, the Newfoundland passenger ferry SS Caribou was torpedoed by the German submarine U-69 37 km (20 nmi) southwest of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, and sunk five minutes later. 137 people died, including civilian woman/children, Captain Benjamin Taverner, the long-time ship’s captain, and his sons Stanley and Harold, who served as first and third officers, respectively. Her sinking and large death toll made it clear that the war had really arrived on the home front of Canada and Newfoundland, and is cited by many historians as the most important sinking during the Second World War in Canadian-controlled waters.

SS Caribou was constructed for the Newfoundland Railway in 1925 at Rotterdam, Netherlands. Launched in 1925, the Caribou had a capacity of 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) and was able to attain a speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h) when fully loaded. Between 1928 and 1942, the SS Caribou was a Newfoundland Railway passenger ferry running between Port aux Basques, in the Dominion of Newfoundland, and North Sydney, Nova Scotia. She was considered a luxury ferry for the times, due to the fact she had electric lights and steam heat in all the rooms. In addition, Caribou also helped during the seal hunt along the Newfoundland coast every spring due to its ice-breaking design.

On 13 October 1942, SS Caribou was part of the convoy Sydney-Port aux Basque (SPAB), organized by HMCS Defender, a Royal Canadian Navy base. The SPAB convoy series normally occurred three times a week and was carried out in the dark. The naval escort vessel on this ill-fated voyage was HMCS Grandmère, a Bangor-class minesweeper. Sadly, the German submarine U-69 was patrolling the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It was a dark evening and the U-69 was silhouetted against the night horizon by the thick smoke from the coal-fired steam boilers of the Caribou. Grandmere saw the submarine and attempted to ram it, but the U-69 submerged. The minesweeper (Grandmere) launched six deep charges over the next two hours but did not damage the submarine and U-69 crept away undetected into the Atlantic. Following procedure, Grandmère then went back for survivors.

The Canadian naval vessel Grandmere was criticized in the Sydney Post-Record and The Globe and Mail as well as other media outlets in the days after the sinking for not stopping and helping save survivors immediately; but it was against operating protocols, and would have put her in immediate danger of being sunk as well. Grandmère sailed for Sydney, Nova Scotia after picking up survivors because it had better hospital facilities than Port aux Basques, Newfoundland.

It was suggested by Gordon Payne, listening to the lyrics of the song, that it was composed by someone who was on The Caribou when it sunk. Many years ago, he heard a portion of the song and later got the full version of Cox’s Cove from Eli Payne. One of the survivors from the Caribou was William Lundrigan of Corner Brook.

The SS Caribou has not been pinpointed, according to Neil Burgess of the Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland & Labrador, and is situated at 450 metres, (1476 feet) beyond the depth of technical divers. To collect photos/videos, an ROV would be required.

How should old fishing nets and ropes be prepared for recycling?

In this video, we provide you with six easy steps to follow in order to properly prepare your used, broken, abandoned, and discarded fishing gear for recycling.

We separate the nets by type of plastic, rinse them in clean water, and store them in a dry, secure location after removing any metal weights and buoys. By taking these actions, you can lessen the impact that ghost gear has on marine ecosystems and, depending on how many nets you recycle, you can also raise money for your neighbourhood. Never burn or throw away used nets or ropes because doing so harms the environment and you.

What is Ghost Gear?

Ghost fishing gear, in particular, is one of the biggest threats to our oceans. Any fishing equipment that has been left behind, misplaced, or otherwise thrown away is referred to as “ghost gear,” including nets, line, rope, traps, pots, and floats. Other common terms include derelict fishing gear (DFG) and abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). These marine pollutants are among the most dangerous objects in our oceans and can kill fish, marine mammals, and other marine life. They also present a navigational risk and decompose into other pollutants like microplastics.

Ghost gear is primarily caused by snagging, tangles with other fishing gear, weather, and accidentally being cut by passing marine traffic. Intentional discard by harvesters is less common and typically results from IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing, in which boats may cut loose their gear to avoid being apprehended by authorities.

More than eight million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, and between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tons of ghost gear are thought to enter the oceans annually globally. In the Canadian Arctic, ghost gear has been identified as a significant source of marine debris, much of which comes from offshore.

Ghost gear is a threat to Canada’s waters and the rest of the world, and we have recognized this and made it a national priority. We are dedicated to taking effective measures to support ghost gear prevention, recovery, and responsible disposal by working with numerous organizations, including:

• Indigenous groups
• fish harvesters
• the aquaculture industry
• non-profit organizations
• communities

Let’s work together to keep our oceans free from ghost gear.

YouTube Video

Dr. Sam Willis delves into the origins of HMS Terror, which was inspired by the BBC series ‘The Terror,’ a chilling tale based on one of polar exploration’s deepest mysteries. The TV show was based on the Terror’s final and tragic voyage, when the ship sailed into the ice off the west coast of Greenland in 1845, under the command of Sir John Franklin and alongside another ship, HMS Erebus, in search of the Northwest Passage.

In this Mariners Mirror episode, Sam Willis talks with Ed Williams-Hawkes, a powerboat specialist, historian, and resident of Topsham, Devon, where the Terror was designed, about the fascinating history of the HMS Terror, which had a long and remarkable career.

Both ships were beset by ice, but the crews remained with the ships until April 1848, when they abandoned them. At that time, Franklin and over 24 sailors had perished. The survivors tried to walk to the Canadian mainland but disappeared and were never seen again.

The TV show is a fictional and fantastical account of what could have happened to the men; the fact is that we know very little about their fate, and it remains one of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time.

Mariner’s Mirror

The Society for Nautical Research’s journal is The Mariner’s Mirror. The Society was founded in 1910 to promote research into seafaring and shipbuilding in all ages and across all nations, as well as the language and customs of the sea and other nautical subjects. Mariner’s Mirror is recognized as the international journal of record for maritime and naval history. It is ranked by the European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH) as an INT1 journal (the highest classification), which has internationally recognized scholarly significance with high visibility and influence among researchers in the various research domains in different countries and is regularly cited all over the world.

“The Terror” originally was broadcast on AMC in 2018/2019.

“The Terror” is currently available for viewing on Prime Video.

The SS Ithaka is a steam freighter that has sunk off the Hudson Bay coast not far from Churchill, Manitoba. She was initially constructed in 1922 as the lake freighter Frank A. Augsbury for the Canadian George Hall Coal & Shipping Corporation. She then sailed for a number of different owners in various locations, receiving a number of name changes along the way, including Granby in 1927, Parita II in 1948, Valbruna in 1951, Lawrencecliffe Hall in 1952, Federal Explorer in 1955, and finally Ithaka in 1960, before being sunk later that year.

She was built by Fraser, Brace, Ltd. of Trois-Rivières, Quebec as the lake freighter Frank A. Augsbury for the George Hall Coal Company and launched on October 21, 1922. Frank A. Augsbury was a ship with a gross tonnage of 2,051 and dimensions of 251 ft 2 in (76.6 m) by 43 ft 1 in (13.1 m) with a draught of 18 ft 1 in (5.5 m). It was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine with a horsepower rating of 1,000 kW and coal-fired Scotch marine boilers. In 1927, she was bought by Canada Steamship Lines, who changed her name to Granby. The Ministry of War Transport took control of her, and France, Fenwick and Company oversaw her operations during the Second World War.

The British MV Atlantic City and the Granby collided off the West Goodwins (Kent England) on June 28, 1945, leaving Granby holed above the water. After being transported to the Downs, the tugboats Empire Larch and Empire Mary tow Granby to Gravesend on July 2, 1945. She was towed out of Gravesend on August 3 and foundered in the River Blackwater. She was bought by the Italian shipping company Lloyd Mediterraneo S.p.A. di Nav. in 1951 and given the new name Valbruna after being sold to the Panamanian company Cia Naviera Parita S.A. in 1948 under the new name Parita II. The Hall Corporation of Canada, Ltd., the original owners’ successor business, purchased Lawrencecliffe Hall in 1952 and brought her back to Canada as Lawrencecliffe Hall. In 1955, the Federal Commerce & Navigation Co., Ltd. purchased her once more, and they gave her the new name Federal Explorer.

She served as a supply ship for settlements along the Canadian Arctic coastline for Federal Commerce and Navigation, which twice chartered her to the Clarke Steamship Company in 1956 and used her to launch the Federal Intercoastal Line in 1957. In 1956, the Federal Explorer and her captain, Captain Simon Bouchard, transported fuel oil to RCAF stations in the Arctic as well as parts for a new nickel mill that was being built in Rankin Inlet. In 1958, she delivered grain from Churchill, Manitoba, to Montreal in late October after transporting nickel concentrates to Churchill, Manitoba, for rail delivery to Fort Saskatchewan.

The Ithaka Shipping Company bought Federal Explorer for the last time in 1960, and her owner, a Greek named J. Glikis, registered her in Nassau, Bahamas. She left Churchill on September 10, 1960, carrying supplies for the settlement and the nickel concentrate that the Clarke Steamship Company had chartered her to deliver from the Rankin Inlet nickel works. During the journey, she was caught in a strong gale and lost her rudder. On September 14, she dropped her anchor, but the anchors did not hold, causing her to run aground in Bird Cove, about ten miles east of Churchill.

The storm slammed her against the gravel bank, ripping her bottom completely out. Although the insurers, Lloyd’s of London, declared the ship a total loss and declared the grounding to be suspicious, they declined to pay the insurance claim. On September 18, the CCGS William Alexander of the Canadian Coast Guard rescued all 37 members of the crew, who then landed in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Due to the shallow water she grounded in, visitors could easily walk to the wreck during low tide, and her navigating equipment, as well as a large portion of her cargo, including two generators and some plywood panels, were salvaged.

Since 1960, the MV Ithaka has been resting upright on that reef.

Discover Churchill Tours offers guided hikes through the heart of polar bear territory to the SS Ithaka shipwreck at low tide from June 21 to September 21.

YouTube Video

The longest-living mammal is thought to be the bowhead whale, which can live for more than 200 years. The whale was likely bomb lanced sometime between those years, as evidenced by the discovery in May 2007 of a 15 m (49 ft) specimen caught off the Alaskan coast with the 90 mm (3.5 in) head of an explosive bomb lance of that same model. The whale’s age at the time of death was calculated to be between 115 and 130 years.

Life Expectancy of Other Whales

• Orca 50-90 years.
• Humpback 45-50 years.
• Beluga 35-50 years.
• Blue Whale 80- 90 years.
• North Pacific Right Whale 70 years.
• Short-Fin Pilot Whale 45 years.

After living in captivity for more than 50 years, Lolita the orca passed away. (18 August 2023) The orca, also known as Tokitae and Toki, displayed significant signs of distress over the past two days before she passed away, according to a Facebook post from the Miami Seaquarium. Lolita’s demise has been connected to a potential renal problem.

From 1914 to 1924, the Port Nelson dredger operated in Manitoba, Canada.

Dredging is excavation that takes place in shallow or open ocean waters, partially or entirely underwater. By collecting and moving bottom sediments, it helps with coastal protection, land reclamation, and coastal redevelopment while maintaining the navigability of waterways and ports. Dredging typically has two main goals: to recover valuable or useful material or to increase the depth of the water.

The Polson Ironworks in Toronto, Ontario was given a contract by Canada’s Department of Railways and Canals to build a sizable suction dredger to aid in the construction of Port Nelson, the nation’s first port on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. She was finished in March 1914 and towed to Hudson’s Bay, where she ran aground as soon as she arrived in September. She was thrown onto the man-made island she helped to create by a storm in 1924, where her wreck is still visible today.

She was 180 feet (55 meters) long, had a beam of 43 feet (13 meters), a draft of 6 feet (1.8 meters), carried a crew of 35, and had a displacement of 1200 tonnes.

Around 1,000 people made up Port Nelson’s peak population at the beginning of the 20th century, but it is now a ghost town.

YouTube Video

A Canadian company called InFocus Canada specializes in producing exquisite fashion scarves that feature pictures taken by well-known professional photographers and are made entirely from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. We collaborate with top photographers from around the world to exhibit their stunning and impactful work through the medium of wearable art because we believe in the ability of an image to inspire action. We support philanthropy and donate 10% of the proceeds from our scarf sales to various foundations and charities. We pledge to use only ethical and sustainable production methods and materials, and we only partner with businesses whose environmental and CSR policies have been independently audited by a third party. We are committed to offering exquisite fashion items because we believe that beauty can inspire and empower those who wear it.

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Mission Statement

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After being launched in Cleveland for her initial owners, R. John W. Moore, et al., on April 7, 1887, The Mather experienced a number of mishaps and ownership changes. On October 20, 1887, the tug Mystic tow her to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan with broken machinery as she made her way from Sandusky, Ohio to Duluth, Minnesota. She was sold to Samuel Mather, et al. of Cleveland, Ohio, on May 9th, 1888. She was harmed by a strong gale on August 11th, 1888, near Detour, Michigan, and later repaired in Cleveland. She was sold to James Pickard, et al. of the Interlake Transportation Company on April 13, 1889. She towed the Senator and the Winana in June 1889. She was defamed for sinking the steamer Ohio on September 30, 1890. A steamer that transported coal, the Mather “perished with an abnormal cargo of wheat.”

The wooden Mather was rammed on the starboard side near the aft hatch by the steel package freighter Brazil on November 22, 1891, at 2:00 am while she was headed down from Duluth, Minnesota to Buffalo, New York with a load of 58,000 bushels of wheat. This incident occurred in Whitefish Bay, which is located 8 miles (13 km) north of Point Iroquois, during a dense, heavy fog. On her starboard side, the collision left an 11-foot (3.4 m) hole. The crew of twenty sustained no casualties. Her crew managed to escape with her lifeboats during the 25 minutes she was at sea, but they were left without any personal belongings. The Brazil picked up the crew, who were then moved to the steamer Parks Foster to be taken to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Brazil continued on to Duluth with her load of coal, where it was discovered that the collision had broken three frames and a stringer. The Mather was worth $50,000, and when combined with her wheat cargo, the loss was estimated to be over $226,000.

Bob Smith of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan made the discovery of the Mather’s wreck in May 1978, and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) has produced a substantial amount of film about it. The Mather’s artifacts were taken by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society for preservation and display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, according to shipwreck historian Janice Gerred. The 1980 Michigan Antiquities Act, however, made it illegal to take items from shipwrecks on Great Lakes bottomlands. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and GLSHS offices were raided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment in 1992, and among the items seized were some that had been forcibly removed from the Samuel Mather in the 1980s. As a result of a 1993 settlement agreement with the GLSHS following the DNR raid on the museum in 1992, artifacts from the Mather’s wreck are on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a loan from the State of Michigan. The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve has begun to protect the Samuel Mather’s wreck as part of an underwater museum.

According to Stonehouse, the Mather’s wreck is “one of the best known examples of a wooden freighter that is still available for examination.”The Mather, which sits upright with an intact deck and a largely intact stern superstructure, is a well-liked wreck site for scuba diving. She is in excellent condition overall, probably because she sank gradually enough for pressures to equalize. She has a mast that is 75 feet high, a deck that is 155 feet high, and a bottom that is 180 feet deep.

Despite not being the deepest dive in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve, the Mather claimed the lives of three scuba divers: one in 1998, one in 1999, and one in 2012, despite not being the deepest dive.

Harrington, a Great Lakes diver, issues this warning: “Divers must be certain of their abilities and equipment” when diving the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.

The Henry Steinbrenner freighter had a 31-person crew when it sank in a Lake Superior storm in 1953, according to a recent discovery. It went down, south of Isle Royale.

The Great Lakes freighter SS Henry Steinbrenner was primarily built for the iron ore, coal, and grain trades on the Great Lakes. It measured 427 feet (130 m) in length, 50 feet (15 m) in width, and 28 feet (8.5 m) in depth. She was launched as hull number 14 by the Jenks Ship Building Co. of Port Huron, Michigan after being ordered by the Kinsman Transit Co. of Cleveland, Ohio. She had a forward forecastle with crew cabins on top, followed by a cabin and pilot house. With the exception of 12 hatches outfitted with telescoping type hatch covers, the middle section was a long, nearly flat deck over the cargo holds.

The Steinbrenner’s first two decades on the Great Lakes were full of excitement. On December 6, 1909, the Steinbrenner was loaded with iron ore and headed downward when she collided with the nearly-new SS Harry A. Berwind on the St. Marys River. On May 10, 1910, the Steinbrenner was recovered, repaired, and put back into service after it sank in the river and was deemed a total constructive loss. She would go back to her rather uneventful trading routine until she ran into another ship again. She hit the SS John McCartney Kennedy this time in a murky Whitefish Bay, but she was able to stay afloat. After spending $5000 on repairs, she started trading again.

Final Voyage

On May 10, 1953, at 5:11 AM, the 52-year-old ship sailed from Superior, Wisconsin, carrying close to 7000 tons of iron ore for the Lake Erie steel mills. Although the weather was favourable at the time, forecasts for the rest of the day called for rougher conditions. For Captains at this time, setting sail despite unfavourable forecasts wasn’t unusual. The majority of Captains and crews had experienced several storms during their careers, but weather reports were less reliable than contemporary forecasts. Later that afternoon, the forecast gale hit, battering the Steinbrenner with strong winds and huge waves. Captain Albert Stiglin secured his ship’s deck but did not order his crew to cover the twelve “Telescoping” leaf-type hatch covers, which were not watertight and allowed some water to seep into the cargo holds. Around eight o’clock in the evening, one of the leaves on hatch number 11 came loose, allowing water to pour into the hold. Crew members were sent to secure the cover, but as the storm grew more intense, 80 mph (129 km/h) winds and big waves managed to work the leaf loose once more. The storm was forcing open doors and vents, which complicated the situation. It was now too dangerous for crews to be on the deck. Despite the start of the pumps, the flooding persisted. Although Captain Stiglin made an effort to prevent further damage from the waves, by morning other hatch covers had become loose and the ship was struggling to make forward motion.

The ship was doomed as soon as a few more manoeuvres were completed. On May 11, 1953, just after 7:00 AM, an SOS was broadcast. The crew gathered at the forward life raft and the rear lifeboats at 7:35 AM when the whistle signalled an abandon ship. There was confusion as the ship sank, and several men were hurt or ended up in the water. 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) south of Isle Royale Light, the ship quickly sank. Following the SOS, a search for survivors was launched by the steamers Wilfred Sykes, Joseph H. Thompson (at the time the largest ship on the lakes), D.M. Clemson, D.G. Kerr, William E. Corey, and the Canadian ship Hochelaga.

Six men were taking refuge in the life raft when it was discovered by the Joseph H. Thompson, which was being commanded by Captain Robert F. Leng. One lifeboat was discovered by the D.M. Clemson, which was commanded by Captain Arthur M. Everett. Captain Everett carefully manoeuvred the Clemson to position the lifeboat in the ship’s lee in the face of strong winds and choppy seas, and then had the survivors hoisted aboard with ropes. After that, the men were brought to the captain’s quarters where they were given hot food and clean clothing. The men from the other life boat were saved by the Wilfred Sykes.

17 men ultimately perished in the tragedy. The crew was blamed for not covering the hatches with tarpaulins, but in a storm of that size, even tarpaulins might not have been sufficient to keep the Henry Steinbrenner afloat. The sinking of the Steinbrenner made Great Lakes vessel owners more determined to retrofit some of their older ships with watertight single piece hatch covers.

Norm Bragg, who survived this wreck in Lake Superior, was a watchman on board the SS Daniel J. Morrell when it sank in Lake Huron. He helped that crew understand their plight, gave quick advice and said, “It’s been good to know you.”

17 crew members died and 14 were rescued from the frigid waters.

In September 2023, Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman found the ship in 750 feet (230 meters) of water, surrounded by its iron ore cargo.

The most significant navigational risk on Lake Superior was a reef, which is where the Stannard Rock Light is situated. One of the top ten engineering achievements in the United States is considered to be the exposed crib of the Stannard Rock Light. It is the farthest lighthouse (from shore) in the United States at 24 miles (39 km) from the closest piece of land. It was known as “The Loneliest Place in the World” and was one of the “stag stations” that was exclusively staffed by men.

The lighthouse was automated in 1962, and the US Coast Guard continues to operate it as a navigational aid. It is off-limits to the general public and only accessible by boat or airplane.

This underwater mountain, which measures 0.25 miles (0.40 km) in length and has a maximum depth of 4 feet (1.2 m) and a mean depth of 16 feet (4.9 m), was first spotted in 1835 by Captain Charles C. Stannard of the ship John Jacob Astor. This reef, which was “atop a mile long reef” more than 50 miles northwest of Marquette, posed the greatest threat to navigation on Lake Superior, and it was first identified by a day beacon in 1868. At the time, tests were conducted to see if a light could endure in such a hostile environment. In 1866, a temporary marker was erected there. A lighthouse had to be built as a result of the Soo Locks opening and the booming increase in trade between Duluth, Minnesota, and the lower Great Lakes. Captain Stannard was honoured with a lighthouse. Of all the lighthouses in the United States, the Stannard Rock Light is the furthest from land at 24 miles (39 km) away. A superior lake trout fishery can be found all year long thanks to Stannard Rock Reef. On August 17, 1997, Lucas Lanczy, then 16 years old, caught the 61 pounds, 8 ounces (27.9 kg), state record lake trout for Michigan at Stannard Rock Reef using 12-pound (5.4 kg) line.

Maintenance workers had to hack away the ice around the door to get to the men in the early winter when Lake Superior’s waves crashed against the stone tower of the Stannard Rock Light. Before the keepers at the Stannard Rock Light received help in the event of an illness, mishap, or fire, it might take days or even weeks. It was designated as a “stag station” where only men could work because it was one of the rock lighthouses. The Stannard Rock Light was referred to by the keepers as the “Loneliest Place in the World”. It has always held the title of being the “loneliest place” in the contiguous United States as well.

For 60 years, the Stannard Rock Light keepers used flammable illuminants to light up the lantern and the dwellings; the lighthouse wasn’t electrified until after World War II. A few years later, the buildings on the pier were completely destroyed, and the interior of the tower was severely damaged, due to an explosion of gasoline and propane tanks used to fuel the station plant. Three keepers were stranded on the concrete pier at the base of the tower for three days before a passing ship discovered them and alerted the Coast Guard after the explosion claimed the life of one of the keepers. The kind Woodrush came to the men’s aid.

The station was automated in 1962 after the Coast Guard repaired the fire damage and decided the location was too isolated and dangerous. A 3,000 candlepower light was used in place of the previous 1,400,000 candlepower one. The second order of 12 bulls-eyed Fresnel lenses was painstakingly disassembled by the Coast Guard, carried down 141 tower stairs, packed in six wooden crates, and then lowered by block and tackle 80 feet (24 m) to the crib for shipment. The Fresnel lens was located 37 years later at the Coast Guard Academy’s storage facility in New London, Connecticut, after a protracted search. In 2000, the tower’s base unit for the lens was moved to the museum. The camera lens is now visible at the Marquette Maritime Museum.

The Stannard Rock Light is still a working navigational aid and belongs to the Coast Guard. The lighthouse is off-limits to the general public and can only be seen from an airplane or boat. Having warned mariners away from the perilous reef for more than a century, the lighthouse was given a new purpose in 2008 when researchers installed equipment atop the tower to determine whether increased evaporation was the reason for the Great Lakes’ declining water levels.

It is possible to reach the lighthouse by boat, but guests are not permitted to go inside.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

At Milwaukee’s Wolf & Davidson Shipyard, the wooden steamer William H Wolf was launched on August 6, 1887. For the Wolf & Davidson Steamship Company, she was constructed. The Wolf’s dimensions were 285 feet long, 42.3 feet wide, and 19.2 feet deep. Georgia pine, which is typically only used on coasting vessels, made up the majority of her ceiling, deck beams, and deck. Her oak beams were shipped in from Kentucky and Indiana.

There was a sizable crowd present for the launch of the William H, Wolf , a vessel that was exquisitely constructed. On the dock of the Northwestern Fuel Company, which is across the river from the shipyard, spectators gathered. She caused a huge wave that swept up in the dock ten or twelve feet, damaging the coal sheds and partially collapsing the dock, which was unfortunate for the spectators as she slid into the river.

The Milwaukee Sentinel’s description of the scene from August 7, 1887

“A suppressed cry of horror rose to the lips of the 3,000 or more people who witnessed the launch of the mammoth new steamer William H Wolf yesterday afternoon at Wolf & Davidson’s shipyard, as simultaneously with that occurrence a staging on the Northwestern Fuel company’s dock gave way and the seventy-five persons upon it were precipitated either upon the dock below or into the river. The spectators saw the huge vessel make her plunge as the last block was knocked away, a great wave was caused by the displacement of water, and through the wall of spray the platform was seen to lift and then crash down upon the docks below, burying many of the people beneath the fall timbers, maiming, mangling and wounding a score of the unfortunates. The cries of the unfortunates, the hoarse shouts of men rushing to the rescue, the shrieks of women and children, the splashing of the waves mingled in a sound that was painful discord to the ears of the horror-stricken spectators. The accident caused two fatalities, several person are so badly injured that death will probably ensue and twenty or more others are badly injured. Ten or twenty persons were thrown into the river, but it is not known whether all were rescued. The lifesaving crew and police dragged the river in the vicinity for two hours after the accident without bringing any bodies to the surface. Still many people believe a number were drowned and thought that the suction of the boat dragged the bodies out of reach of the searchers.”

Milwaukee Sentinel

The Wolf was a popular steamer and enjoyed a successful career up until October 20, 1921, when she caught fire while in the St. Clair River while downward bound. On the Canadian side of the channel, across from Marine City, she sank after burning to the water’s surface. When the fire was discovered, she had just finished unloading her pulpwood cargo at Port Huron and was heading down to dry dock. Of the 22 people on board, two were lost. She was floated, taken south of Fawn Island, and sunk in 1925. She now rests in about 50 feet of water and is a well-liked dive site. The William H. Wolf, is the largest wreck in the St. Clair River. The engine and propeller are still at the site, along with its two intact boilers.

YouTube Video 2012

Learn about the algae in Lake Ontario, how the governments of Canada and the United States are managing the lake’s nutrient levels, and what you can do to help!

Details

Date & Time: Oct 19, 2023 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) Zoom

Description

AGENDA (times given in ET)

12:00 – 12:02 Welcome – Emma Tahirali, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).

12:02 – 12:15 Nutrients and algae 101: Understanding and identifying algae, successes and challenges in managing nutrients – Marie-Claire Doyle, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

12:15 – 12:20 Audience Q&A #1

12:20 – 12:40 Taking Action: Controlling nutrient inputs to the lake – Reducing nutrient impacts to Lake Ontario nearshore – Upgrades to wastewater infrastructure in the city of Toronto (10 min): Bill Snodgrass, Toronto Water – Improving water quality in Western NY’s Lake Ontario basin with soil health practices (10 min): Caitlin Tucker, American Farmland Trust.

12:40 – 12:45 Audience Q&A #2

12:45 – 12:55 How to report nuisance and harmful algae – Emma Tahirali, MECP – Brian Duffy, NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

12:55 – 1:00 News you can use: Steps you can take to reduce nutrient pollution and algal blooms in Lake Ontario.

Learn More and Register

The merchant ship HMS Investigator was acquired in 1848 to look for Sir John Franklin’s disastrous Northwest Passage expedition. She made two trips to the Arctic before being forced to be abandoned in 1853 when she got stuck in the pack ice. She was the fourth ship to carry the name in the Royal Navy.

The 422-ton Investigator, built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Greenock on the Firth of Clyde, was bought by the Admiralty in February 1848 and modified by R. & H. Green at Blackwall Yard on the River Thames for arctic exploration. Woolwich Dockyard’s master shipwright William M. Rice strengthened her for use in the Arctic. She was heavily reinforced with 516 in (8 mm) steel plating and timber, including teak, English oak, and Canadian elm. Ten pairs of diagonal plates and ten pairs of wrought iron diagonal riders were installed on the sides of the ship between decks. The upper decks were doubled with 3 in (76 mm) fir planking to handle snow and ice loads. To enhance lighting and ventilation, Preston’s Patent Ventilating Illuminators were installed. A modern stove system designed by Charles Sylvester that could warm the entire ship was also used successfully. William Edward Parry had used a similar or identical device in 1821 to aerate the lowest deck and prevent condensation.

Career

Investigator travelled with HMS Enterprise on James Clark Ross’ search for Franklin’s missing expedition in 1848. Captain Robert McClure was in charge when they set out on their return trip, but at Mercy Bay, which is next to Banks Island, the ship got stuck in the pack ice.

She was unable to break free of the ice, leaving her crew stranded for two years before being rescued by the HMS Resolute, another British vessel. The crew of 66 went through unspeakable hardships during those two years. Many men suffered from scurvy and three of the 66 sailors died.

Investigator was abandoned after the crew was saved and left to sink to the bottom of the Beaufort Sea, where she remained until July 2010 with her secrets frozen in place. However, due to difficulties in accessing the area—which is extremely inhospitable and frequently iced over—her exact location was unknown for more than 150 years.

The circumstances surrounding Investigator’s abandonment are not a mystery, unlike the losses of Erebus and Terror. Alexander Armstrong, the ship’s physician, published an unofficial account of the voyage in 1857.

Inuit oral traditions contain tales about the ship. The local natives used the abandoned ship as a source of copper and iron; when smaller boats were found on the shore, metal nails were missing. According to an Inuit report from 1910, “one year she had still been on the beach and the next year she was gone without a trace.” During his Arctic expedition in 1915, Canadian anthropologist Vilhjalmur Stefansson reached Mercy Bay, but he was unable to locate her remains.

Discovery

A team of archaeologists, scientists, and surveyors from Parks Canada started looking for the Investigator’s sunken wreck in Mercy Bay at the park’s northernmost point in July 2010. The expedition was the first to look specifically for the ship. Based on the original Royal Navy records of the ship’s location when it was abandoned, the team reached Banks Island in the Beaufort Sea on July 22 and started a sonar scan of the region three days later. The ship’s deck was located about 8 meters (26 feet) below the surface, 150 meters (490 feet) off the north shore of Banks Island.

An official with Parks Canada stated that the ship was discovered “sitting upright in silt; the three masts have been removed, probably by ice.” Due to the chilly Arctic water, her hull is partially buried in silt, and the outer deck is not degrading as quickly. Although the team sent a remotely operated underwater vehicle to take pictures and assess the wreckage, there are no plans to raise the ship’s remains.

As a site for archeological and cultural heritage, Parks Canada acknowledges that Great Britain still has legal ownership of the HMS Investigator.

Many books on scuba diving have been published over the course of time, almost since the beginning of the scuba era. The Scuba News Canada will post these “nostalgia” books considered a “blast from the past” on a regular basis, and we want you, our readers, to make suggestions of “older nostalgia diving books” you have enjoyed, or believe our readers will. We will publish it and add your social media/website link to the article if you send us the proposal. Contact us.

The SS Anglo Saxon was an iron screw steamship owned by the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company that was wrecked on the Newfoundland Coast (Chance Cove) on April 27, 1863, with a large loss of life. About 300 people were thought to have perished, and some were buried on the beach nearby. The remains of those lost were reburied inland after the beach cemetery was dug up. The beach was being washed away by rising sea levels.

An Interesting But Tragic Read

“Tragic Wreck of the Anglo Saxon” available at Amazon

“I was able to get out for one last adventure before a rainy weekend ahead of us. I found a bunch of stuff, including a peculiar old “quack medicine bottle” (Nerviline) from the early 1900s.”

Saltwater Sean

If you enjoy watching old-style western television programs, you may occasionally have come across a plot involving a travelling medicine wagon and a person posing as a “Doc”. This could be regarded as the start of marketing campaigns in the early 1900s. The “doctor,” who was in charge, would send representatives to neighbouring towns to promote the show, hang banners and posters, and pique interest in the wonder drug that would be displayed. Some of these townsfolk would seem to be suffering from a condition that the elixir would miraculously cure. Despite the fact that these medications were very popular, the ingredients were not controlled. The majority of these elixirs contained morphine, cocaine, and significant amounts of alcohol; some had alcohol content of over 30%. A “Cure For What Ails You”

At the time, Nerviline, one of these medications, was promoted as a treatment for neuralgia, toothaches, rheumatic pains, sore throat, lumbago, sore, aching joints, muscular strains, sprains, chest soreness from colds, chilblains, hoarseness, and insect bites. a panacea for all ailments! The packaging for Nerviline included a rectangular, transparent, glass bottle without a cork with visible mould lines and information embossed on the bottle.

Medicine Shows became less and less popular as people started to doubt the efficacy of these tonics. The government started paying attention after some of these “medicines” caused terrible side effects and even deaths. The Food and Drug Administration was eventually established after the Pure Food and Drug Act was eventually passed in 1906.

About Nerviline

After having studied at Queen’s University, Neil C. Polson established a drug business in Kingston in 1877. N.C. Polson & Co. became widely known across North America as a druggist and chemical manufacturer. They manufactured “Catarrhozone” and “Nerviline” under the Polson Co. umbrella. One of their products, Catarrhozone, was widely advertised as an inhaled germ-killer and remedy for all respiratory ailments. The Vapor treatment was meant to be dropped onto a small piece of wool held inside the portable wood inhaler, then inhaled periodically through the mouth. The company Polson Co. also produced Nerviline, a remedy for every ailment. On a bottle labelled “Polson’s Tasteless Preparation, the ingredients are cod liver oil and is pleasant and palatable along with doses for adults and children. Neither a confirmation that the aforementioned bottle was Nerviline nor a list of the ingredients for Nerviline can be found. It’s possible that Nerviline included morphine, cocaine, and a sizable amount of alcohol but unknown.

The United States and the West Indies received shipments of Polson’s goods from Kingston, Ontario.

In 1893, Polson was elected mayor of Kingston.

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Deep inside a Canadian mine, researchers made a remarkable discovery in 2016. They discovered the oldest body of water in the world at a depth of about 3 kilometres (1.8 miles). The water surpasses the record for the oldest known water and dates back a staggering 2 billion years. On November 25, 2020, a sample of Kidd mine water was added to the collection at Ingenium in Ottawa. (The Ingenium Centre is a state-of-the-art facility designed to protect and showcase Canada’s national science and technology collection)

Kidd Mine is the world’s deepest copper-zinc mine 3,014 m (9,888 ft) below the surface 24 km (15 mi) north of Timmins, Ontario.

Researchers used the chance to explore the mine more deeply after the discovery of the water. To ascertain the age of the water, they examined the gases that were trapped inside the water.

Texas Gulf Sulphur Company’s aerial geophysical survey in March 1959 revealed an anomaly in the Kidd-55 segment that called for ground investigation. In October 1963, a ground electromagnetic survey was carried out, and in November, a drill rig began drilling a 600-foot core sample. The core had an average copper content of 1.15%, an average zinc content of 8.64%, and 3.94 ounces of silver per ton, which was later confirmed by the Union Assay Office in Salt Lake City. In March 1964, a second hole was drilled, and two more were done in early April. After the board of directors meeting on April 16, 1964, a press release announcing the discovery of the copper-zinc-silver ore deposit at Kidd Mine was issued.

Officers of the company engaged in insider trading in Texas Gulf shares during the initial exploration of the site. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s subsequent lawsuit led to a historic ruling that established every market participant’s right to “relatively equal access to material information.”

Open pit mining was used to produce ore until the mine converted to underground mining in the year 1966. Copper, zinc, and a number of other metals are produced at the mine. Together, Kidd Mine and Met Site employ over 850 staff members and contractors. Kidd is widely regarded as a leader in health, safety and environmental performance and has received numerous regional and national awards for its achievements in these areas. The Mine employs the latest technology in its operations and is a significant driver of economic development in Northern Ontario. In 2016, Kidd Operations celebrated its 50th year of operation.

The beginning of this video states “Stunts in this video were performed by experienced freedivers: always dive within your limits”

Garrett Clement teamed up with Jenna Blake to explore the underwater playground found in the rivers of Vancouver Island.

Underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus like scuba gear is known as freediving, free-diving, free diving or breath-hold diving. The depths and duration of freediving are constrained by physiological factors such as the limits of breath-hold, immersion in water, and high ambient pressure.

History

With the exception of the sporadic use of reeds and leather breathing bladders, freediving without the aid of mechanical devices was the only option in ancient times. The divers experienced the same issues divers do today, such as blacking out during a breath hold and decompression sickness. Ancient cultures used freediving to help with food gathering, gather resources like sponge and pearl, recover sunken treasures, and support military operations.

Freediving Today

In the last few years, competitions for freedivers take place in lakes, the open ocean, or swimming pools. Divers competing in these events are scored according to their weight, depth of dive, and time spent holding their breath. Each of these criteria may have a different significance depending on the discipline.

Never dive alone is the most important freediving rule, and regardless of your skill level, it is continually emphasized at all freediving courses. Always go with an experienced partner, ideally one that is on the same level as you or even a level higher. Your companion must understand basic safety rules, how to respond in the event of a blackout, and how to administer first aid.

Freediving can be very risky, especially if you don’t have the proper equipment. It’s a sport that is almost entirely focused on swimming through the ocean’s depths on a single breath. Make any errors, incorrect assumptions, or unwarranted demands; you might not take another breath ever again.

Compared to scuba diving, the death rate for competitive freediving is low, but deaths do happen, usually from blackouts. AIDA (or an equivalent) freediving authority oversees each international competition, and some competitors have been known to dive more than 300 feet on one breath.

In June 2012, an Austrian freediver, went deeper than his own personal “No Limit” with a freedive to 253.2 meters (831 ft) suffering injury in the process. On land, he still struggles with balance and co-ordination, but not underwater. He keeps performing deep free dives.

It’s important to be well-trained, just like with scuba diving, and to “dive within your limits,” as the video advised.

David Attenborough investigates the extraordinary ways that animals perceive and create sound, as well as the significant role that sound plays in the lives of animals worldwide, from birth to survival as adults and mating.

This innovative series puts sound front and centre for the first time using cutting-edge recording techniques and 360-degree Dolby Atmos soundscapes.

We see how young caiman communicate with one another inside the egg, how lions and hyaenas use sound to fight in the dark, how a strange fish confused locals with its eerie hum, and how some birds have mastered the art of mimicry to remarkable effect.

Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough will immerse viewers in a world of wonder, insight, and cutting-edge scientific findings.

Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough was commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Zai Bennett, MD of Content, Sky UK&I, Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries & Factual and Tom Barry, Commissioning Editor.

Working on scenes for the upcoming series Secret World of Sound with Humblebeefilms and CBC required Tavish Campbell and colleagues to spend the last two springs working long days and nights in shallow water.

Coming to Skytv and Netflix in early 2024.

We’ll be showcasing Chris’s videos in collaboration with The Scuba News Canada. These are educational and informative, and Chris admits that he hopes to inspire people to try scuba diving. On TikTok, he has over 145,000 followers from all over the world. He makes regular scuba diving adventure and instructional videos, as well as answering viewer questions in his videos about anything scuba or water-related. He feels seasoned divers can stay current with the new dive industry and training philosophies, so his channel has something for the novice to experienced divers.

About Chris Foisey

Chris was certified at Dans Dive Shop in 2011 and started working there that summer. After a few years, he started to pursue technical diving as well as becoming a Padi Dive Master. Over the years he has built his certifications up to a Level 1 cave diver and trimix decompression diver, Padi Master Scuba Diver Trainer as well as a hydrostatic technician and a full-time employee at Dan’s Dive Shop. Over the last 10 years, Chris has completed over 1200 dives all over the world and personally certified over 300 students.

Follow Chris on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube & Modern Diver

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Six craftsmen were flown by Norurflug helicopter pilot Gsli Gslason on June 23, 2017 to the Vestmannaeyjar islands’ Prdrangar lighthouse. Maintenance work was being done by these six men.

The magnificent lighthouse, which was constructed in 1939 and is situated close to the Vestmannaeyjar islands in south Iceland, was the men’s hotel for the night. The lighthouse is situated on top of a very steep cliff, making access difficult. Gsli and his passengers were fortunate to experience clear skies and good weather for their flight.

Gsli exclaimed to the National Broadcasting Service, “It was an amazing day!” We even saw a killer whale family swimming close to the lighthouse.

About the Þrídrangaviti Lighthouse

The Vestmannaeyjar archipelago’s Þrídrangaviti Lighthouse, which is 7.2 kilometres (4.5 miles) off Iceland’s southwest coast, is frequently referred to as the world’s most remote lighthouse.

The three named sea stacks at that location—Stóridrangur (on which the lighthouse is located), fudrangur, and Klofadrangur—are referred to as the “three rock pillars” in the name. It was built in 1938 and 1939, and the lighthouse was put into service in 1942. It was originally built by hand without the use of machinery, and access was only possible by climbing the tallest of the three rocky stacks, which stands at 120 feet.

Rni G. Orarinsson oversaw construction of the lighthouse and enlisted expert mountaineers to scale the sea stack. For the final pitch, they created a human stack with one man on his knees, another man on top of him, and a third person climbing on the second one because their climbing tools did not allow them to bite into the rock near the top and there were no handholds.

Today, it is reachable by helicopter landing on the helipad at the site.

Technical Notes

• Nine nautical miles away, the light is visible.
• The lamp is located 110 feet (34 meters) above sea level.
• The building itself is 7.4 meters (24 feet) high and has a single story, a deck, and a lamp on its roof.

Friendship 500, a floating McDonald’s restaurant, also known as the McBarge, anchored in Burrard Inlet near Vancouver, BC.

The Friendship 500, officially known as the McBarge, is a former McDonald’s restaurant built on a 187-foot-long (57 m) barge for Expo ’86 in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was the second floating McDonald’s location in the world (the first being in St. Louis, Missouri), and was intended to showcase future technology and architecture. It was moored on Expo grounds in Vancouver’s False Creek. Although the barge’s floating design allowed it to operate in a new location after the exhibition, the derelict McBarge was anchored empty in Burrard Inlet from 1991, amid industrial barges and an oil refinery,until it was moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia, in December 2015. Apart from a brief appearance in 1986 by its original owner, McDonald’s, the McBarge has never been actively used for anything and has been passed from owner to owner for the past 34 years.

The floating restaurant was designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for Expo 1986, and it was one of five McDonald’s locations on the Expo grounds that cost a total of $12 million to build. McDonald’s intended to keep using it as a restaurant after Expo ’86, but the barge remained empty at the Expo grounds until 1991, when the new owner of the grounds forced McDonald’s to remove it. It is now anchored in Burrard Inlet, north of Burnaby, British Columbia.

In 2003, Marvel Entertainment and New Line Cinema rented the barge as the Nightstalkers’ lair for the 2004 film Blade: Trinity.

The current owner of the McBarge, Gastown developer Howard Meakin, submitted a proposal to Mission city council in June 2009 for a waterfront development on the Fraser River, with the former McBarge as the centrepiece. The “Sturgeon’s on the Fraser” development would include several restaurants and a marina complex, as well as paddlewheeler excursions and float plane service to Victoria and Nanaimo. As of August 2010, the proposal had local support but was still awaiting council approval. The development was ultimately rejected due to concerns about float plane noise and other environmental issues.

Other ideas that have been floated without the involvement of the owner include using the barge as a homeless shelter to alleviate overcrowding in Vancouver’s current temporary shelters.

Meakin announced in December 2015 that the barge would be leaving Burrard Inlet after nearly 30 years. On December 22, it was relocated to Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The barge was to undergo a $4.5 million refit there before being relocated to an unspecified location.

The barge’s owners, along with diving pioneer Phil Nuytten, announced plans to convert it into the Deep Ocean Discovery Centre in 2017. An event to launch a crowdfunding campaign was scheduled for October 21, 2017, but it was cancelled due to weather concerns. A petition to Vancouver City Council seeking Historic Place Status for the barge received only 185 signatures. There has been no mention of a rescheduled event, and its Facebook and Twitter pages have not been updated since 2017.

It was reported in 2020 that there were plans to convert the barge into a seafood restaurant, though no location had been determined. Later in 2021, it was revealed that an unnamed location had been chosen but was awaiting government approval.

YouTube Video

From 1892 to 1898, the City of Ainsworth operated as a paddle steamer sternwheeler on Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada. She was one of the first sternwheelers on Kootenay Lake, and regrettably the most tragic. The SS City of Ainsworth was constructed in 1892 to give the expanding community at Ainsworth a way to reliably transport goods and passengers.

This third sternwheeler constructed for use on Kootenay Lake, City of Ainsworth was launched on May 4, 1892. The first two were Nelson, which was launched in June 1891, and Spokane, which served the Great Northern Railway. Ainsworth travelled from Kaslo to Nelson, stopping at Ainsworth, Pilot Bay, and Balfour along the way. The famous Moyie, which would serve the region for 59 years and be the last commercial sternwheeler to operate in the province, was among the many sternwheelers built for Kootenay Lake in the years after her launch. It is also one of the very few that have been preserved and can be seen today. City of Ainsworth, on the other hand, faced a much more bleak future.

City of Ainsworth Demise:

City of Ainsworth left Nelson for Bonner’s Ferry on November 29, 1898, but was caught in a gale-force storm. She started to founder after being weighed down with eight cords of wood on her bow. The firewood was quickly thrown overboard by the crew and passengers, but then water suddenly rushed up onto her stern, turning her broadside and causing her to roll in the waves. She occasionally rolled over to the point where water poured into her smokestack. One of the two lifeboats was deployed by the first officer, but as soon as five people boarded it, it was swamped and four of them perished in the waves. Five more people perished after the second lifeboat was launched with less successful results. Captain Lean, Seaman Donnelly, and Engineer Kale helped Captain Lean row four passengers 3.2 km (two miles) through the storm-tossed water and safely land them at the shore. One of the lifeboats was reclaimed. The remaining passengers were all saved by the three men on two additional trips, but the final death toll of seven crew members and two passengers made it the worst sternwheeler accident on Kootenay Lake.

City of Ainsworth sank in 110 m (360 feet) of water, and it wasn’t until 1990—nearly a century later—that its wreckage was found. Several Cambrian Foundation members successfully completed two dives to City of Ainsworth in September 1997. Due to the wreck’s extreme depth, the poor visibility in the water, and the hazardous surface conditions on Kootenay Lake, no prior attempts to dive down to it had been made. After only 10 minutes at the bottom, the dive team had to decompress for 75 minutes, but they were still able to film City of Ainsworth and report that she was largely undamaged and sitting upright.

During the week of August 28 to September 1, 2023, highly experienced divers from Alberta and British Columbia dove the shipwreck. The VexNow team (Divers: Brian Nadwidny, Johnny Ryan, Alan Drake and Glenn Farquhar. Supported by John McCuaig, Terina Hancock and Cathie McCuaig) visited the site 3 times and obtained video and photographic images that show the collapse over the years.

As a “Provincial Heritage Site,” the location is legally protected under the Heritage Conservation Act. The City of Ainsworth’s wreck is significant as a memorial to the biggest maritime catastrophe in the history of the inland lakes of British Columbia.

Sean McMullen (Saltwater Sean) and The Scuba News Canada are happy to announce that the short environmental documentary “Saltwater Souvenirs,” which was produced last year, won the Best Environmental Short Documentary prize at the Sugar Loaf Film Festival in New York earlier this year.

Sean McMullen will visit New York to attend the festival and see the short film’s premiere along with director Sean MacDougall.

Learn more at The Scuba News Canada: Saltwater Souvenirs – Upcoming Documentary

Treasure hunter, free diver, and explorer Sean McMullen is on a quest to discover what lies beneath Nova Scotia’s waters. Sean resides in Chester, Nova Scotia.

The Scuba News Canada is pleased to have presented many of Sean’s videos and his underwater finds.

For one of the dives of the year’s highlights, Garrett Clement got together with a couple of friends for a Campbell River salmon run via snorkelling.

An annual fish migration phenomenon known as a salmon run occurs when many salmonid species, which are typically born in freshwater and spend the majority of their adult lives in the ocean downstream, swim back upstream to the upper reaches of rivers to spawn on the gravel beds of small creeks.

Salmon are anadromous, which means they spend their early years in rivers or lakes before migrating to the sea where they spend their adult years and put on the majority of their body mass. The adults return to the upstream rivers to reproduce once they reach sexual maturity. (2-3 years) Usually, they return with uncanny accuracy to the river where they gave birth, sometimes even to the exact spawning grounds. It is believed that once they are close to their natal river, they use their sense of smell to focus on the river entrance and even their natal spawning ground. When they are in the ocean, it is thought that they use magnetoreception to locate the general location of their natal river.

What takes place when salmon spawn?

Thousands of fertilized eggs are laid in the gravel by salmon once they reach their spawning grounds. With a male standing by her side, each female digs a nest. The female makes a depression where she releases her eggs using her tail. The male also exhales a cloud of milt at the same time.

Campbell River can legitimately claim to be the “Salmon Capital of the World” due to the presence of five different species of salmon. Sport fishers have long been drawn to the east coast of Campbell River, Vancouver Island. Naturalists are equally compelled to look for the pink, coho, chinook, chum, and sockeye as well.

The annual salmon run is a significant feeding event for predators like grizzly bears and bald eagles. Salmon post-spawning deaths have significant ecological repercussions because the nitrogen, sulphur, carbon, and phosphorus-rich nutrients in their carcasses are transferred from the ocean and released to inland aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial animals (like bears), and the wetlands and riparian woodlands next to rivers.

Why do salmon turn red during spawning?

Salmon alter their colour to entice a spawning partner. To get back to their home stream, lay eggs, and dig their nest, Pacific salmon expend all of their energy. When they get back to freshwater, (after traveling hundreds of miles) the majority of them stop eating. They run out of energy after spawning to make the trek back to the ocean. All Pacific salmon species and the majority of Atlantic salmon (about 70%) die after spawning, and the salmon life cycle then restarts with the new generation of hatchlings.

Salmon in particular, and fish in general, do not taste good after spawning primarily due to their low fat content. It is advised to consume them prior to spawning.

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Many books on scuba diving/Canada’s history have been published over the course of time, almost since the beginning of time. The Scuba News Canada will post these “nostalgia” books considered a “blast from the past” on a regular basis, and we want you, our readers, to make suggestions of “older nostalgia diving/history books” you have enjoyed, or believe our readers will. We will publish it and add your social media/website link to the article if you send us the proposal. Contact us.

Evelyn M. Richardson writes in We Keep A Light (published 1945) about how she and her husband acquired the tiny Bon Portage Island and created a happy home there for themselves and their three children. The Richardsons shared the duties and pleasures of island life on a remote lighthouse station off the southern tip of Nova Scotia, from carrying water and gathering firewood to making preserves and doing homework at home. The close-knit family enjoyed the variety and beauty of island life and didn’t mind their isolation.

A memoir, We Keep A Light is much more than that. It is a beautifully written, captivating account of family life set against a glowing lighthouse, Nova Scotia’s enduring shores, and the constantly shifting sea.

“We Keep a Light” Available at Amazon

Off the beaten path but definitely worth a visit is the Cape Ray Lighthouse, Newfoundland. Unnamed Road is Cape Ray’s address in Newfoundland, but it is located off Highway 408.

The free-standing, tapered, reinforced-concrete Cape Ray heritage lighthouse has an aluminium and glass lantern atop its free-standing, octagonal tower. The lighthouse directs international and coastal shipping vessels navigating the Cabot Strait, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence, near the small fishing community of the same name, in a remote area on the southwest coast of Newfoundland.

The lighthouse serves as an example of how Canada’s aids to navigation system expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries in response to an increase in marine shipping. Before Confederation, Canada made several attempts to have a lighthouse built at this location before finally succeeding in 1871. In order to build a lighthouse on Cape Ray, Canada was given free land by Newfoundland. However, because the location was still considered to be a part of the French Shore, “Her Majesty’s Imperial Government” had to approve the project as well. By the end of 1870, the tower was completed, the lighthouse was prepared to receive its lantern and lighting equipment. The first lighthouse at Cape Ray was a hexagonal wooden tower that stood 41 feet tall. A rotating catoptric apparatus made of 12 lamps and reflectors produced the lighthouse’s signature white flash every ten seconds. The lighthouse cost a total of $11,347.76 to build, and Robert Rennie was hired as its first keeper at an yearly salary of $600.00 on July 13, 1871.

In 1885, a fire destroyed the original lighthouse, and in 1959, a fire damaged the replacement.

After Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, Canada pledged support for the island’s aids to navigation program, which is reflected in the 1960 completion of the current lighthouse.

The light station was constructed to aid in Canada’s greater navigational needs, but over time it also helped to sustain the small community that gradually grew at Cape Ray, particularly for the cod, herring, and salmon fishermen who used the light as they entered the harbour. Additionally, the lighthouse’s location has been important to Newfoundland and Labrador’s communications since 1856, earning the province’s designation as a “Receiving the World Communications” site.

The lighthouse, which is manned, is a well-known and adored landmark in the neighbourhood. The site has seen an increase in visitors in recent years as a result of the community’s conversion of the former keeper’s residence into a museum and interpretation centre and the large shed into a craft shop. Additionally, the lighthouse serves as a reminder of Cape Ray’s past as a fishing village and its significance to marine traffic.

Cape Ray’s lighthouse is protected by the “Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act”. 

According to Wayne T. Joy, late summer brings Sea Horses to the waters around Halifax. This video was taken at Paddy’s Head, September 9, 2023. A great find and video!

Sizes of seahorses range from 0.6 to 13.8 in (1.5 to 35 cm). Their long snouted heads, bent necks, and distinctive trunk and tail give them an equine appearance, earning them the name. Despite being bony fish, they lack scales and instead have a thin layer of skin stretched over a series of bony plates that are distributed throughout their bodies in rings. The number of rings varies depending on the species.They are also protected from predators by the armour of bony plates, and because of this outer skeleton, they no longer have ribs. Seahorses propel themselves forward while swimming upright, a trait that their close relatives, the pipefish, who swim horizontally, do not share.

The pectoral fins, which are situated behind their eyes on either side of the head, are used for steering. They lack the fish-specific caudal fin. Their prehensile tail is made up of square-shaped rings that can only be unlocked under the most difficult circumstances.They can grow and reabsorb spiny appendages depending on their habitat, and they are skilled at camouflaging.

There is insufficient information to determine the risk of seahorse extinction, and the possibility of losing more seahorses is still a concern because data are lacking on the sizes of the various seahorse populations, as well as other issues like how many seahorses are dying each year, how many are being born, and how many are used as souvenirs. Seahorse habitats like coral reefs and seagrass beds are becoming less and less viable. Additionally, bycatch has a significant cumulative impact on seahorses in many places, where it is thought that 37 million of them are taken each year across 21 nations.

The male seahorses’ most remarkable trait is that they can become pregnant and give birth, which makes them a rare animal adaptation. Usually, male seahorses carry their eggs for two to four weeks. Then, 100 to 1,000 babies are born at a time.

Deep Perspective Diving (Wayne T. Joy)

The Scuba News Canada covered the SS Norisle in October 2018. At that point, the legal process to “Bring History Home” had been initiated by the Tobermory Maritime Association. Before entering the Fathom Five National Marine Park, the S.S. Norisle was to be brought back to Tobermory, where she had previously served. The Township of Assiginack (TMA) then resumed its efforts to sink the SS Norisle in Tobermory as a dive site after the lawsuit between the SS Norisle Steamship Society and the Township of Assiginack was finally settled. A Facebook page was created to support this venture. The S.S. Norisle Society was attempting to restore the ship and convert it into a Great Lakes tour ship. However, the estimated costs, which were in the tens of millions of dollars, were too high.

The best-laid plans were altered September 1, 2023. The council of the Township of Assiginack recently decided to approve a proposal from Marine Recycling Corporation to scrap the S.S. Norisle. More than $743,000 will be spent by local tax payer’s money in the township to achieve this feat. Since the township bought the Norisle in 1975, it was moored in Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island. It was once a tourist destination and floating museum, but due to deterioration, both safety and the environment are now at risk.

About the SS Norisle

Along with her sister ships, the MS Norgoma and the MS Normac, which are owned by the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited, the SS Norisle was a steam-powered automobile ferry that ran between Tobermory and South-Baymouth Manitoulin Island in Canada.

The words “Nor” and “Isle,” which refer to Manitoulin Island and the Northern Region of Lake Huron, respectively, are combined to form the name Norisle.

The ship has a length of 215 feet. The first steamship to be constructed in Canada following World War II was Norisle, which was constructed at the Collingwood shipyards in 1946. Her engines were created and built to power a Royal Canadian Navy corvette, but after the war, Norisle received them. They are currently the only engines of their kind still in use. During her time as a ferry, the ship had two doors on the starboard side, each of which had a ramp for vehicles to drive up and down. She operated until 1974, when the much bigger and more advanced MS Chi-Cheemaun, which could carry a much greater number of passengers, replaced her and her sister ship, Norgoma.

Approximately 90% of the Norisle is expected to be able to be recycled into metal that can be used in other ships.

Silent colour 16mm film of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s launch by R.J. Anderson and Company on June 7, 1958. This video depicts the large crowds of spectators at Great Lakes Engineering Works, (shipbuilders in Detroit, Michigan) on the river in boats, and on the stage that has been erected in front of the boat. The launch is recorded from the port quarter of the freighter and the port bow once more. After several shots of the crowd and the freighter floating in the slip, the movie comes to an end.

Read The Scuba News Canada Article on the Edmund Fitzgerald

Since 1995, diving at the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck location has been prohibited, including the use of side-scanning sonar gear. Huge fines will be imposed. No bodies were ever recovered from the tragedy and the wreck scene is considered a grave site.

YouTube Video

In order to create the Try-A-Trade: Ship Repair and Fabrication Program, Heddle Shipyards in Hamilton, Ontario has partnered with Mohawk College.

The training course offered by Mohawk College includes instruction in technical skills, training in health and safety, an evaluation of literacy and fundamental skills, and instruction in employability skills. After that, students will complete an 8-week paid placement at Heddle Shipyards where they will rotate through departments like Blasting & Painting, Steel/Welding, and Mechanical to gain practical experience while being supervised by knowledgeable mentors.

Through this cutting-edge skills development program, we are delighted to have 12 Mohawk students explore careers in shipyard operations so far. Heddle is persistently committed to playing our part in generating highly desirable positions in the skilled trades that are essential to reviving shipbuilding in Ontario.

About Heddle Shipyards

Heddle Shipyards are the Largest Canadian Ship Repair and Construction Company on the Great Lakes.

Heddle Shipyards has operated shipyards in Canada for over 30 years. Our success is based on our commitment to safety, hard work and innovative thinking.

With facilities across the Great Lakes, Heddle Shipyards is on course to be recognized as the most reliable provider of ship repair services in Canada. We strive to exceed industry standards for quality, health and safety, and to build meaningful and consistent relationships with our customers, suppliers, partners and employees.

Our core business is ship repair and maintenance. We also offer a range of complimentary Vessel Lifecycle Services, from new builds to vessel recycling. We excel in Heavy Industrial Fabrication Services as well as Project Support Services. 

Over the past 30 years, we have built a team of experts that are capable of  solving complex repair and maintenance projects. We have leveraged our skills, experience and expertise to diversify our business and earn long-term customers in various industries, including Offshore Energy, Civil Infrastructure, Marine Infrastructure and Resource Extraction (i.e. fish farming, mining & forestry etc.).

Learn more at: https://heddleshipyards.com/

Hub Island, also known as Just Room Enough Island, is an island in the Thousand Islands chain in New York, America. The island, which appears to be about 3,300 square feet (310 m2), or one-third of an acre, is renowned for being the smallest inhabited island. The island itself is as big as a tennis court. The island, which was bought by the Sizeland family in the 1950s, has a house, a tree, bushes, and a small beach.

Close to the Canadian border, Just Room Enough is located on the Saint Lawrence River between Heart Island and Imperial Isle. The village of Alexandria Bay, which is a part of the town of Alexandria in Jefferson County, New York, contains the island.

The Sizeland family purchased the island in the 1950s with the intention of using it as a vacation retreat and constructed a home there. In 2010, The Washington Post reported that “One misstep and you’re swimming” due to the island’s small size. This tiny cottage covers almost every square inch of the dry land. After competition of the cottage, the Sizeland family renamed the property’s name from Hub Island to Just Enough Room Island and planted a tree there.

On this island, a family reportedly still resides. However, they desired a quiet location far from everything. They frequently fail to achieve their goal of solitude because of all the tourist boats and the curious onlookers.

The land must be larger than one square foot, remain above the water year-round, and support at least one tree in order to be classified as an island in the area. Although Just Room Enough Island satisfies these requirements, it is more of a house than an island.

The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse that can be found in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the Toronto Islands. It is one of Toronto’s oldest structures and the oldest Great Lakes lighthouse still in operation. Construction on it began in 1808. The lighthouse is perhaps best known for the 1815 murder of John Paul Radelmüller, its first keeper and a German immigrant whose death served as the inspiration for Toronto’s most famous ghost story. Many elements of the traditional account of his death have been supported by recent research, which has also helped to identify the soldiers who were accused of the crime but ultimately cleared.

The Gibraltar Point lighthouse was approved in 1803 along with two other lighthouses by an act of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada, but construction didn’t start until 1808. In 1832, it was raised to 82 feet (25 m) from its original 52-foot (16-meter) height. The diameter varies from approximately 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) at the top to approximately 7 meters (23 ft) at the base. Stone quarried in Queenston is used for the base, and Kingston stone is used for the extension. A harbour fee assessed to all boats entering the harbour was used to fund the construction and maintenance of the lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in August 1809 and stood 25 feet (7.6 m) away from the water. Sand has since accumulated and built up over time so that it now stands about 100 metres (110 yd) inland.

The lighthouse keeper’s cottage was present when the lighthouse was opened. It was a square-log home with clapboard siding. It had two stories, with sleeping quarters in the attic and two rooms on the first floor. The lighthouse keeper would raise a flag to alert the harbour master of Toronto when ships came close. The cottage is no longer standing.

At first, the tower light was a cage made of glass and oak that was lit by candles. In 1832, the tower switched to sperm oil, and in 1863, it switched to coal. The wood lamp structure from the beginning was changed to steel in 1878. In 1916–17, an electric light was installed, and it was upgraded in 1945. Metro Parks took over management in 1958 and made renovations in 1961–1962. The lighthouse is currently abandoned, but it is occasionally accessible to the public for tours.

To provide navigational assistance along Toronto’s waterfront and Toronto Harbour since the lighthouse was decommissioned, smaller automated lighthouses (two of which are located at Humber Bay Park in the west and Bluffer’s Park in the east), the Toronto Harbour Light, as well as floating bell or light buoys, navigational masts, have been used.

The Local Legend, John Paul Radelmüller

According to local lore, the lighthouse is haunted by John Paul Radelmüller, who was killed there in 1815. Soldiers from Fort York, so the legend goes, went in search of J.P. Radelmüller’s illicit beer on the evening of January 2, 1815. But because they had consumed too much alcohol, a fight broke out, which led to the keeper’s murder. According to the story, the drunken soldiers attempted to cover up their crime by dismembering the victim and burying the pieces. During his search for the body in 1893, then-keeper George Durnan discovered coffin fragments and a piece of a jawbone close to the lighthouse, though it was impossible to prove with certainty that they belonged to Radelmüller. The murder legend’s veracity has long been called into question. If the keeper’s death story is true, as noted Toronto historian Mike Filey put it, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

More information about the life and death of Radelmüller has recently come to light. Radelmüller, who was born in Anspach, Germany, around 1763, served as a royal servant for twenty years in the homes of the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, travelling to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the latter in 1799. Radelmüller, who arrived in York in 1804, was chosen on July 24, 1809, to serve as the lighthouse keeper at Gibraltar Point.

According to the most recent and conclusive investigation into Radelmüller’s murder, who was about fifty-two years old at the time, he did indeed die violently on January 2, 1815, confirming the basic veracity of many elements of the well-known myth. Eamonn O’Keeffe also named John Henry and John Blueman, two Irishmen who served in the Glengarry Light Infantry, a regiment that saw a lot of action in the War of 1812, as the two soldiers accused of (but cleared of) killing Radelmüller.

Many aspects of the folktale have been confirmed by research, but O’Keeffe questioned some of the more dramatic parts. Contrary to assertions that the keeper’s body was dismembered and concealed, current research suggests that Radelmüller’s body was not dismembered and was instead discovered after his passing by the 4th lighthouse keeper George Durnan and his uncle Joe when he was a young man and his father was the keeper. He told John Robertson that he and his uncle had found bone fragments 500 feet west of the lighthouse, including, most notably, a jawbone and pieces of a coffin, which they believed belonged to the late Radelmüller.

The small town of Tobermory, which bears that name and is situated at the very tip of the Bruce Peninsula, is also referred to as the “capital of freshwater scuba diving in the world.” The Chi-Cheemaun ferry, which connects Manitoulin Island to the mainland, is also located there. The magnificent Niagara Escarpment, Flowerpot Island, and two national parks are all visible to tourists. Visitors can enjoy an experience like no other thanks to the Tobermory landscape. Some of nature’s most stunning vistas are set against the imposing cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment.

Tobermory is home to over 20 shipwrecks

The Fathom Five National Marine Park offers a wide range of underwater activities, including some of Canada’s best freshwater diving opportunities.

A variety of underwater diving experiences are available thanks to the clear, clean water, underwater geological formations (cliffs, caves, and overhangs), and more than 20 historic shipwrecks. You can see shipwrecks while diving, snorkelling, boating, or even right from the harbour!

Everyone can find something to explore and enjoy in the park, from inexperienced snorkelers to the most experienced divers. The City of Grand Rapids and the Sweepstakes, two shipwrecks in Big Tub Harbour, are accessible to snorkelers and open water divers.

Sweepstakes

The Canadian schooner Sweepstakes, also known as Sweeps, was constructed in Burlington, Ontario, in 1867. It was damaged off Cove Island and towed to Big Tub Harbour in Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, where it sank in September 1885 after being damaged there. Ontario’s Fathom Five National Marine Park, Big Tub Harbour is home to Sweepstakes’ wreckage. The schooner is reportedly one of the most well-liked wrecks in the park, and tourists, divers, and snorkelers frequently stop by to explore it. The hull of Sweepstakes is said to be in perfect condition, and the 20 foot depth makes it camera perfect.

City of Grand Rapids

Another well-traveled shipwreck close to the sweepstakes is the City of Grand Rapids. It lies in 15 feet of water, perfect for snorkelers to see. A double-decked steamer named the City of Grand Rapids operated the coastal trade route between Owen Sound and the communities on Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula. The Grand Rapids caught fire that evening, October 29, 1907, as it was berthed in Little Tub Harbour. The tug Clucas took the burning ship in tow, towed it out of the harbour, and released it under Captain Alex Craigie’s direction. After that, the City of Grand Rapids slid into Big Tub Harbour. As it burned on, it eventually came to rest at the head of the harbour, where it rolled to starboard, burned to the water’s edge, and sank.

Tobermory offers a variety of activities for divers and snorkelers. There are options for boat tours, sightseeing, camping, cottages, and taking in the view of the crystal clear waters. Tobermory has a population of about 1,000 people, but it has been reported that over 700,000 tourists, particularly divers from all over the world, are drawn there during the summer.

Thunder Bay is close to one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the Great Lakes system and is situated in northwest Lake Huron. “Shipwreck Alley” is the name given to the region because of its unpredictable weather, dense fog banks, jarring gales, and rocky shoals. Shipwreck Alley’s, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve safeguards approximately 200 historically significant shipwrecks, ranging from wooden sidewheelers from the nineteenth century to steel-hulled steamers from the twentieth century. The sanctuary is home to a large number of wrecks, and national policymakers are concerned about preserving and protecting them. The sanctuary’s landward boundary stretches from Alcona County’s southern border to Presque Isle County’s western border. The largest city in the region is Alpena.

In March 2019, researchers from NOAA, Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust discovered a brand-new, intact shipwreck beneath Lake Huron that will also be protected by The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Great Lakes’ frigid waters, where the sailing ship Ironton sank, did a stellar job of preserving her. The 191-foot Ironton has been lying upright for more than a century with all three of its masts and the anchor still in place. It was also noted that a lifeboat was still attached.

Due to NOAA’s desire for more time to investigate the shipwreck, the discovery of the Ironton was only announced in March 2023.

In September, 1894, the Ironton and another ship, the Moonlight, were heading toward the port city of Marquette, Michigan. Both boats were being towed by a steamer. Strong winds nearly forced the two barges into their guide after the steamer broke down. The crew of the Moonlight cut the tow line, leaving the Ironton drifting a few miles north of Shipwreck Alley. The Ohio, a freighter carrying 1,000 tons of flour, reportedly veered off course and struck the Ironton. The Ironton quickly started to take on water after suffering a hole in its bow and made an attempt to launch its lifeboat.

The Ironton and another ship, the Moonlight, were sailing in the direction of Marquette, Michigan, a port city, in September of that year. A steamer was towing both vessels. The steamer broke down, and the two barges were almost pushed into their guide by strong winds. The Ironton was left drifting a few miles north of Shipwreck Alley after the crew of the Moonlight severed the tow line. According to reports, the Ohio, a freighter carrying 1,000 tons of flour, veered off course and collided with the Ironton. After suffering a hole in its bow, the Ironton quickly began to take on water and made an attempt to launch its lifeboat. The rope that connected the lifeboat to the ship, known as the painter, could not be cut, though. Two crew members managed to survive by staying afloat and clinging to floating debris until a passing boat could rescue them. The other five crew members perished. The Ohio sank even though all 16 of its crew members survived the collision. But the painter, the rope that bound the lifeboat to the ship, could not be severed. By remaining afloat and clinging to floating debris until a passing boat could rescue them, two crew members were able to survive. The five additional crew members died. All 16 members of the crew of the Ohio survived the collision, but the ship sank.

According to NOAA, the sanctuary will put up a buoy to mark the shipwreck’s location and help divers visit the wreck site safely. The precise location of the Ironton is not known at this time.

Andrea Zuccari, an Italian-Swiss freediver, vanished while scuba diving at a well-known resort in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Andrea was 48 years old. For the purpose of maintaining the connection cables on a dive platform, Zuccari was engaged in a routine dive. Though some of his gear has been located, Andrea has not.

About Andrea Zuccari

In recent years, Andrea Zuccari has devoted his entire life to freediving.

Zuccari broke a record for freediving in 2014 by descending 175 meters (574 feet) without a mask. In just 3 minutes and 13 seconds, he accomplished this feat, breaking the previous record for Italy and rising to the position of second-deepest male freediver in the world.

His athletic accomplishments and interactions with numerous athletes from around the globe have given him the opportunity to accumulate a significant amount of baggage and valuable experience in the field of deep freediving.

Athletes from all over the world travel to its facility, the Freediving World Apnea Centre, to benefit from the special deep freediving resources and receive training advice.

However, in addition to this physical oddity, Andrea’s study of a dry and sea training protocol to develop the ability to equalize in depth led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on this subject, which is so challenging for most people, freediving equalization. Andrea was undoubtedly born with an anatomical conformation of the organs involved in the equalization that facilitates him in his amazing performances.

At specific times of the year, Andrea Zuccari was employed in Sharm el Sheik where he instructs freedivers of all skill levels, from novices to elite athletes, in the sport of freediving. But during some months of the year, he travels to locations where his workshops are needed.

Andrea Zuccari was a highly skilled freediver and scuba diver who was well-versed in the area’s waters; his disappearance has shocked the diving community.

The steamboat Put-in-Bay travelled from Detroit to Sandusky from 1911 until 1949, with stops at Put-in-Bay and Cedar Point.

Thousands flocked to the yards of the Detroit Shipbuilding Co. in Wyandotte, Mich., on March 25, 1911, to witness the launch of Hull No. 186. William McFall Heyser, eight years old at the time, christened the steamboat the Put-In-Bay by breaking a bottle of Sandusky champagne over it. With four decks and a length of 240 feet, she could accommodate more than 3,000 people. When adjusted for inflation, a round-trip fee in 1918 was 70 cents on weekdays and $1.10 on Sundays, equating to about $11 and $17.50 in today’s currencies, respectively.

She was propelled by four coal-fired Scotch boilers and a 2,950 ihp four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine. The Put-in-Bay was the largest excursion boat designed for cruising the Detroit River when she was launched.

The Put-in-Bay was part of the Ashley and Dustin steamer line and was built by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company. The skipper hailed locals with three long and two short whistles as she cruised along the Detroit River. There were four decks at the Put-in-Bay. Passengers danced in the ballroom of the boat to the music of an orchestra conductor.

According to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, the steamship began charting its course a little further north in 1949, when she was sold and put on the Detroit-to-Port Huron run, with stops along the route. In 1951, she came to a halt.

U.S. Marshall sold her for scrap in May 1953 to settle a debt. She was dragged out into Lake St. Clair on October 3, 1953, and set ablaze to make it simpler for wreckers to get at her steel skeleton. The hull of the ship was dismantled at River Rouge, Michigan.

Facing the fury and danger of Lake Michigan.

Written by Michael Passwater.

Lake Michigan has been the site of thousands of shipwreck rescues and tragedies since French explorers first laid eyes on it. As mishaps and disasters became more common, a dedicated service of lifesavers emerged. These brave servicemen saved those on board the merchant schooner Havanna from certain death. The daring St. Joseph Lifesavers rescued the City of Duluth’s crew and passengers. Unfortunately, not all rescues result in heroism, as was the case with the doomed Arab, which went down with two other ships.

“The book is well-researched and gives in-depth accounts of twelve of Lake Michigan’s most dramatic shipwreck rescues. The author has selected some exciting and tragic lesser known stories that deserved to be revisited. All twelve wrecks involved US Life Saving Service crews and the accounts tell their stories as well as those of the shipwrecks.

Each chapter has its own detailed bibliography and the author has done a great deal of original research in the archival news accounts as well as USLSS annual reports.“

Brendon Baillod From Facebook

Historic Shipwrecks and Rescues on Lake Michigan is available on Amazon.

The Northerner was a two-masted schooner measuring 81 feet in length (24.7 meters). On November 29, 1868, she went down in Lake Michigan, five miles southeast of Port Washington, Wisconsin, United States. The ship’s hull is submerged in 130 feet (40 meters) of water.

The depth of Northerner is somewhat debatable. According to some sources, the Northerner is under 130 feet (40 meters) of water, while others claim it is 135 feet (41 meters). The foremast has fallen but is still attached to the wreck. The mast in the middle of the ship is no longer on or near the wreck. The ship is mostly intact, though the pilothouse was ripped off when it sank.

John Oades built the Northerner in Clayton, New York, in 1850. Henry T. Bacon, a New York merchant, was her original owner, and Russell Disbrow was her co-owner and operator. Northerner primarily operated on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River at the time. She was damaged in a storm on Lake Ontario in 1859 and rebuilt at Wells Island, New York. The ship was sold to Chicago, Illinois, interests in 1863. Northerner was then involved in lumber shipping on Lake Michigan.

Prior to the development of road and rail networks, the Northerner was a rare example of a vessel type that was critical to the Great Lakes’ economic and transportation infrastructure. Lakeshoring schooners like the Northerner served as an important economic and cultural link for hinterland communities.

The Northerner suffered hull damage while loading at a pier in Amsterdam, Wisconsin, in 1868, and was subsequently lost while being towed by the Cayauga to Milwaukee for repairs. There were no fatalities.

This shipwreck is protected by both state (Michigan) and federal laws (USA). Divers visiting this shipwreck must not remove any artifacts or structures. Anyone apprehended and convicted of removing “artifacts/structures” faces confiscation of their boats, cars, and equipment, as well as up to two years in prison and stiff fines. Anyone with information about illegal artifact removal should contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at 800-292-7800.

Jett Britnell’s planned diving trip to Newfoundland with Ocean Quest has been cancelled, The Scuba News Canada has been informed. The trip will not take place in October 2023 as planned due to uncontrollable factors.

Let’s Go Scuba Diving in Newfoundland with Jett Britnell and Ocean Quest

Two filmmakers join Indigenous leaders, scientists, and an orca mother in a final effort to save the last 73 Southern Resident orcas from extinction after the mother carries her dead calf for 17 days.

Coextinction goes beyond the typical wildlife documentary by transporting viewers deep into the Pacific Northwest’s oceans and forests to observe the intricate webs of interconnectedness that connect ecosystem collapse, centuries of injustice against Indigenous peoples, and the front lines of the most serious environmental threats. No species dies out on its own.

The orca, also known as the killer whale, is the largest member of the family of oceanic dolphins and is a toothed whale. It is the only extant species of the genus Orcinus and can be identified by its body pattern in black and white. Orcas are a globally distributed species that can be found in all of the oceans of the world, from the Arctic and Antarctic to tropical seas.

Due to the likelihood that two or more orca types are distinct species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates the orca’s conservation status as data deficient. Due to factors like diminishing prey, habitat loss, pollution (from PCBs), capture for marine mammal parks, and conflicts with human fisheries, some local populations are regarded as threatened or endangered. The southern resident orcas, which swim in the waters of British Columbia and Washington, were added to the U.S. Endangered Species list in late 2005.

Learn more at: Coextinction