The Thousand Islands provide unique above and below-the-water adventures. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Rich and Famous could not just jump on a jet and seek their “own kind” in places like the French Rivera. Where did the elite from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia as well as the powerful government figures from Washington DC go for vacations and long weekends? They headed to Upstate New York and the area called the Thousand Islands. Here, many bought their own islands and built their getaway homes. Get together some highly competitive tycoons, and you can imagine what some of these “getaway homes” ended up being, there are even a couple of castles. Boldt Castle was never complete. George Boldt the owner of the Waldorf Astoria hotel, was having it built for his wife and he stopped construction when she died. Fredrick Bourne was the fifth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, and he built his home that they called the Tower on Dark Island. Over time, it became known as the Singer Castle.
Boldt Castle on Heart Island Photograph by Charles Davis
The Thousand Islands is an archipelago of 1,864 islands located in the Saint Lawrence River. The river carries the water from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The North shore of the river is Canada, while the south shore is the United States. The Thousand Island section of the St Lawrence starts at Kingston, Ontario/ Cape Vincent, NY and continues downstream 50 miles (80 KM).
You might discount the river for diving, thinking it will not offer much. That is, until you see some of the ocean freighters in the shipping lanes. This 50-mile (80 km) section of river has over 200 shipwrecks, many are known dive sites. Many are too deep for recreational divers, as the river does get as deep as 250 feet. You also can not dive in the shipping channels. Even so, there are dozens of dive sites that are available to recreational divers. Many of these are available for novice divers and even some shore dives.
Where to Find Thousand Island Scuba Dive Centers
While you can dive the Thousand Islands year-round, and many locals do, few visitors do. Parts of the river will freeze over in the winter. However, by June the water should be in the high 50s, and during the summer will range from 68-75 F (20-24c). For those who like looking for the silver lining, since the water is cold for a large part of the year, shipwrecks last longer. An outstanding dive near Kingston is the Comet. She collided with a schooner in bad weather on May 14th, 1861, and sank trying to return to port. The Comet is 174 feet(53 meters) in length and 24 foot (7.3 meters) beam, sitting upright in 80 feet (24 meters) of water. Her midship superstructure is intact and both 40-foot side paddle wheels are intact.
Visibility in the late spring will be about 50 feet (ca 15 meters) improving to over 100 feet (ca 30 meters) in early fall. It can be a surprise that while the Thousand Islands is just a 50-mile stretch of the river an hour's drive along the highway, there are several towns that support scuba diving.
There are no mega-resorts here. Accommodations are generally smaller facilities, that range from simple to ultra-luxurious. You may even be able to rent out a mansion. If your taste runs like mine, there are many outstanding camping grounds, many New York State parks.
Kingston, Ontario is often called the Freshwater Wreck Capital of the World. There are dozens of shipwrecks located around Kingston, many from the War of 1812 when the British built a military fort and shipyard to control the Saint Lawrence.
Rockport, Ontario has several dive centers with a number of great dive sites. You may find trips that will do the surface interval, exploring Bolt Castle. Rockport is on the opposite side of the river from Alexandra Bay. The dive centers there may dive the US side on some trips.
Brockville, Ontario has a very active dive community, with many dive sites. The Save Ontario Shipwrecks – Thousand Islands Chapter is headquartered here. SOS maintains dive buoys around Lake Ontario. The Thousand Island chapter working with Brockville Parks has created an underwater park used for training and fun dives. The park has the first underwater sculpture garden. While I am not a frequent diver, I am a member of SOS.
Cape Vincent, New York is located on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River. It is also included in the proposed NOAA Lake Ontario Marine Sanctuary. There are several dive sites in US water here. Also, some of the dive sites around the Canadian Wolfe Island are often reached from here. Wolfe Island is the largest island in the Thousand Island Archipelago. The Saint Louis shipwreck is a shore dive from the town’s park.
Clayton, New York is between Cape Vincent and Alexandria Bay, about 15 miles to each. This gives the dive centers a wide range of dive sites to explore. Several dive shops and dive charter operators are located here
Alexandria Bay, New York is generally considered the most popular destination within the Thousand Islands. This is for both general tourists and Scuba divers. While very popular, it is still a small town with a very relaxed vibe. Looking out over the river, Boldt Castle can be seen from here.
Dive Sites of the Thousand Islands - Saint Lawrence River
While most of the diving here is done during the summer, the area has a strong base of local technical divers who dive year-round. You will find that most of the centers support technical diving. If you browse the websites of the local dive centers/charters, you will find over 50 different boat assessable sites that they frequent and recommend. There are also many shore dive sites that you and your dive buddy can visit on your own. Some of the dive centers will give you additional tanks to explore on your own after taking one of their dive charters. To give you a tease of what is available, I will mention a few of the sites that await you.
·Lock 21 and the Lost Village. A short little history lesson first. In the late 1800s, several canals and locks were built to bypass rapids and other unnavigable portions of the Saint Lawrence River. Lock 21, constructed in 1885/86, was at the entrance of the 11-mile-long (ca 17km) Cornwall Canal, which was built to circumvent the great rapids of the Long Sault. In the 1950s, a new plan created the St. Lawrence Seaway and a hydroelectric dam. The seaway project included 15 locks and canals. By design 10 settlements, 9 villages, and a populated island, were flooded. The Cornwall Canal and Lock 21 were also in the area flooded. this is a shore dive now for experienced divers. The lock is under 40 (ca 12 meters)to 60 feet (ca 18 meters)of water, and there is generally a strong current and low visibility. Other structures are visible.
The Islander, Alexandria Bay. This is one of the most popular dive sites and for several reasons. The Islander is a side-wheel steamer built in Rochester, N.Y. in 1871. Used as a mail carrier, it also began island and river tours on July 31, 1893. The Islander burnt on Sept. 16, 1909, while at a dock at Alexandria Bay. She is angled slightly upstream with a very slight current, which makes this a very fun dive. The stern is in 15 feet (ca 4.5 meters) of water, with the bow in 60 feet (ca 18 meters). The Islander is 125 feet long (ca 38 meters) and has a beam of 20 feet (ca 6 meters). There is a small scuba park for this dive site with areas to suit up. A ramp leads down into the water, making entry and exit super easy. No entrance fees, just bring your gear and tanks.
Islander Dive Site and Scuba Park. Notice how close the dive flag is to the shore Photograph by Charles Davis
Another nearby site that divers sometimes pair with this is the scuba park at Bonnie Castle also in Alexandria Bay. They have underwater platforms for training and other features. There is a small fee to use the Bonnie Castle dive park.
St Louis. Cape Vincent. This is another outstanding novice dive that is also exciting for advanced divers. Located just off East End Park, it is just a short distance from the shore. This schooner barge was built in 1864 and sunk Feb. 18th 1914 while alongside a dock. The dock itself is also now submerged. The St Louis is 203 feet (ca 61 meters) long, with a beam of 31 feet (ca 9.5 meters). She sits in less than 40 feet (ca 12 meters) of water.
Wolfe Islander II. Kingston: One of the most popular dives, the Wolfe Islander II was a ferry taking passengers and cars from Kingston to Wolfe Island. Unlike the other ship dive sites, this one was scuttled. She sits in protected waters and was made diver friendly before sinking.
There are so many great dives here, it is difficult to select just a few. Here are some other suggestions of Thousand Island Dive Sites
Diving US and Canada
If you are diving from a US destination and diving at a dive site on the Canadian side of the river, you may be required to have a passport or another form of ID suitable for border crossings, such as an enhanced driver's license. When you drive over the border, you will need to process the border crossing both ways.
If you are a diver from the northeast, and diving the Atlantic is not your thing, then the Thousand Islands may be just what you are looking for. While it does not have coral reefs, it is often called the Caribbean of the North.
