SPRING2017
MLBLUE
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B
elow thewaves ofGeorgianBay lie innumerable shipwrecks whose
culturewe’vemostly forgotten. But when you spend timewith these
artifacts you begin to realize the stories theBay can tell you. And for
me the question always surfaces:Howdowe safeguard thewrecks?
Whenunderwater shooter JerzyKowalczukdrops his newphotography, you
pay attention.
MountainLife
firstworkedwithKowalczuk lastwinter, and in
roundonewediscussedhisprocess, andhow integrating sport andart can lead to
photogenic sorcery.
JerzyKowalczuk dives throughout the year.He’s seenwater levels change,
temperatures drop, floe ice threaten the condition of shallowwrecks. Andhe’s
seen the effects of increased tourism inFathomFiveNationalMarine Park.
Does he think thewrecks are indanger?Not exactly. “The dive operators
inTobermory are very responsible people,” he says. “They’re always telling
every diver on their boats that the shipwrecks have to be preserved for future
generations…They’re not to remove any items, not to break anything…And
as divers we’rewatching the newdivers;many times we’re acting like guides
for newcomers to thewater.”
Ice is a concern forKowalczuk.He’switnessed the effects of ice shiftingwrecks
in shallowwaters likeBigTubHarbour. In recent yearsGeorgianBay has
experiencedhuge freeze-overs; in 2015, forecasterswith theMeteorological
ServiceofCanada estimated thatGeorgianBay ice coverage reached97-98
percent, at a timewhen the average cover of theGreat Lakes is usually
around 34 percent.
“A couple of years ago ice thickness was about four feet, so you can imagine
these large pieces being pushedup against each other near shore, andpushed
deeper anddeeper,”Kowalczuk explains. “Eventually they start touching
parts of thewreck.”
Luckily, freshwater is a great preserver of wrecks, and the perpetual chill
of the deepBay assists in the pristine condition ofmany FathomFive
wreck sites. “Coldwater will preservewoodenwrecks for amuch longer
period of time. InTobermorywe also don’t havemany creatures building
up or growing on thewood,” says Kowalczuk. Sowhile theGreat Lakes
environment supports the natural preservation of thewrecks’ structure,
shouldhumans worry about intervening?
