Tobermory, Ontario is a popular tourist destination, which is home to Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park. We chose to explore the Flower Pot Island on Georgian Bay by taking the cruise and spending a few hours there. We really enjoyed the views of the beautiful crystal clear waters that is surrounded by pockets of greenery.
We had planned to explore Tobermory a few years ago when we visited Manitoulin Island, as it is close by, however we decided to do a separate tour and it was worth it.
Glass Bottom Cruise
We walked around the Little Tub Harbour before boarding the glass bottom boat cruise. There are a few small shops and restaurants to explore by the harbour.
We chose the Blue Heron drop off to Flowerpot Island cruise that gave us about four hours to explore the Flowerpot Island. The cruise needs to be booked ahead of time. We booked it online a few days before going.
When we purchase cruise tickets, we also get a parking pass at designated parking lots. There are clean washrooms at the cruise ticket office.
The cruise to the island was longer and exciting, but coming back to the harbour was quick, which was good as it got tiring after all the exploring and hiking we did.
If you don't want to explore the island, they also have stay aboard scenic tours. This option cruises through Georgian Bay where you can see the shipwreck and the island.
The sunset cruise goes along the rugged northern coastline of Bruce Peninsula National Park past the Grotto to Cave Point.
Shipwreck
The shipwreck that is highlighted in this cruise is Sweepstakes, a schooner that sunk in 1885 by the Cove Island Lighthouse. The crew at the time was rescued by the light keeper. This schooner was towed to its current location.
Big Tub Harbour
Taking the cruise is a good way to see the shipwrecks, unless you are into scuba diving. The cruise pointed out to one out of the two dozen shipwrecks beneath the surface of Big Tub Harbour.
Since we saw the Big Tub harbour from the cruise, we didn't want to go again. If you want to go close to this harbour, you will have to pay for parking and walk over.
Flowerpot rocks
From the water we could see the beautiful rock formations. Once we are in the island, we can take a short hike from Beachy Cove to get close to these rare rocks.
We learned flowerpots are "sea stacks characterized by a wide top and a narrow base. These happen in coastal areas where wave energy attacks a bedrock cliff leaving a pillar of more resistant rock standing separate from the cliff behind." This reminded us of the Flower Pot rocks we saw in Fundy Bay, where the top part of the rocks were wider than the bottom which was affected by erosion.
We learned the Ojibwa story about two lovers from opposing tribes, Shining Rainbow, a prince from the Ottawa tribe and Bounding Deer, a prince from the Chippewa tribe who were trying to run away to the island and Little Spirit cast them to be a rock and stone pillar on the shoreline. The top of the limestone rock formation looks like a face looking into the water, which was thought to be the face of Bounding Deer, the price of Chippewa.
Hiking to the Cave
Take an easy picnic lunch and water with you as there are picnic areas you can stop by during the hike. You will need hiking shoes to do the rocky, rugged trail. This trail was worth going through. There weren't many people in the hiking path, which led us to see the inside areas of the backcountry camping.
Once we pass the flowerpot rocks, we can take the stairs to see the caves. These sea caves are from 10,000 years ago when the water levels were higher than today.
Lighthouse
When you continue the hike, it leads to the lighthouse. We can tour the inside of this historic lighthouse and see the light keeper's lifestyle. The space is beautifully maintained with a lot of places to sit and enjoy the scenery, vegetable garden, and flowers.
We like the picturesque view of the lighthouse with the red and white paint. This beautifully contrasts the blue waters. There is a small space to buy snacks and drinks inside the entrance of the lighthouse, which is a like a museum.
Swimming
We stood by the water, instead of getting in the water. The shoreline was rocky, there are deep drop-offs, and the cold waters of Lake Huron has a lot of waves from the boats.
Parks Canada Visitors Centre
When you get the cruise tickets, they give access to the Parks Canada visitors centre. But it was strange that we have to pay again for parking because the access was only for admission into the visitors centre. If you have energy and want explore more, there are hiking trails and a lookout that is led by a flight of stairs where you can see a view of the area from the top.
Disclosure: Please note that all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2010 - 2024. Please Ask First
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting :)