Dive Access ·

Regular Admission Returns at Fathom Five as Dive Registration Remains Mandatory

Visitors to Tobermory’s national marine park again pay standard admission from September 8, while scuba divers must also register and purchase a separate daily or annual dive pass.

Original editorial illustration representing Regular Admission Returns at Fathom Five as Dive Registration Remains Mandatory
Original illustration created for Naturally Buoyant MediaOriginal NBM illustration. This artistic representation does not depict the actual event.

Divers planning a late-season trip to Fathom Five National Marine Park should update their budgets and pre-dive checklist. Parks Canada says regular admission fees resumed on September 8, 2026, after the Canada Strong Pass promotion ended on September 7.

Fathom Five, on Lake Huron at Tobermory, is one of the Great Lakes’ best-known wreck-diving destinations. Parks Canada describes the park as offering more than 20 historical shipwrecks, along with submerged cliffs, caves and overhangs for a range of experience levels.

The park’s published 2026 daily admission is C$10 for adults, C$8.75 for seniors and C$19.50 for a family or group. Youth admission is free. Those admission charges are listed separately from the park’s underwater-diving service fees.

Every scuba diver must register and purchase a dive pass before entering the water. Parks Canada currently lists diver registration at C$6.25 per day or C$24 annually. Registration is available at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre or a dive shop in downtown Tobermory. Snorkelers do not need the scuba registration or permit.

The September change concerns the return of regular general admission, not a new closure or a newly imposed scuba-permit system. The diver-registration requirement predates the fee transition and remains active. The official pages do not state that the temporary free-admission offer waived the separate dive-registration fee.

Divers booking through a charter or shop should ask which park charges, if any, are included in the quoted trip price. Independent visitors should also confirm where they will register, whether an annual Parks Canada pass covers their general admission, and which wrecks suit their training and current conditions.

Fee schedules and points of sale can change, so check Parks Canada’s live Fathom Five pages before travel. A paid pass does not replace site-specific judgment: some wrecks are exposed to weather or currents, and deeper sites require appropriate experience and planning.

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Dive sites and aquatic life in this story

Dive siteFathom Five National Marine Park

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Sources and further reading

Parks Canada — Fathom Five feesOfficial fee table; page states regular fees apply from September 8, 2026 and lists admission and diver-registration charges separately. The date supplied is the page’s displayed modification date, not necessarily the alert-posting date.Parks Canada — Fathom Five National Marine ParkOfficial park homepage; confirms September 7 as the last free-admission day, regular fees from September 8, 24 shipwrecks, and 2026 visitor-centre hours. The date supplied is the page’s displayed modification date.Parks Canada — Diving at Fathom FiveOfficial diving guidance; states that all scuba divers must register and purchase a pass before diving, while snorkeling requires no registration or permit. The date supplied is the page’s displayed modification date.