Deep Trekker and the Wreck of the W. L. Wetmore

Kiara Vallier | July 22nd, 2016

Before Deep Trekker was even born, President Sam Macdonald had a love of diving and exploring the many sites in the Great Lakes. The same passion that fuelled the start of the company brought Sam to explore many shipwrecks sitting on the bottom of Lake Huron and the other Canadian Great Lakes.

Exploring wrecks sitting so close to home has also been a favourite activity for many others on the Deep Trekker team. Not only can we capture cool video footage, take photos, and test our equipment, but we have the opportunity to explore the histories of these sunken vessels.

One of our favourite wrecks to visit and explore is the W. L. Wetmore which can be found near Tobermory, Ontario. The ship sank on November 29, 1901 on its way from Parry Sound to Tonawanda while tugging behind it the Brunette and the King. All three were loaded with lumber. Fortunately no lives were lost in the sinking of the three vessels but the Brunette was the only ship to be recovered. Today, the Wetmore lays off the shores of Tobermory near its sister ship, the King.

This site is a major attraction for divers of all levels. Situated in the pristine, clear waters of Tobermory, divers can leisurely explore the ship. Its boiler, rudder and anchor are all listed as notable features of the wreck by several diving groups.

Deep Trekker has scoured the site many times with our underwater drones. From all of the noted features above, to the fish that live in the area, exploring wrecks around Tobermory, especially the Wetmore, is always a rewarding experience.

But, enough talk… take a look for yourselves.

Since acquiring our new Deep Trekker vessel, we have more plans to head out to these locations in the future to capture even more amazing footage. Stay tuned to see new videos over the summer.

Do you have a favourite dive and/or underwater drone exploration site? We would love to hear where it is located. Comment below and we can continue to add to our list of places to visit!

Follow these links for more resources on diving and the W. L. Wetmore wreck:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/amnc-nmca/on/fathomfive/activ/activ2.aspx

http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/59289/data