Living on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan all my life, the mysteries of Great Lakes shipwrecks have always been of great interest. Add that my father was a merchant marine on the Great Lakes until the day he died as a crew member of the Edmund Fitzgerald before it sank.
It is noted that the Great Lakes Triangle is larger in area than the Bermuda Triangle as we know it. Great lakes are the largest repositories of shipwrecks anywhere in the world. It is said that more than 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks have occurred in its waters.
The Great Lakes are one of the top places in the world for diversity. The frozen waters of the living ships preserve far better than the ocean salt water and its corrosive effects. These underwater tombs act as a frequent museum for their explorers.
When I was much younger, salvaging these sunken vessels was very profitable. Now it is wrong to take anything from these ships. The only treasures allowed are photos that you can take with your underwater camera.
Another Great Lake wreck was recently discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior. Reminding the world of the huge finds still intact in the underwater waters of the Great Lakes. This watery mound that took 22 lives and was the only one of the 100 unvisited survivors over the years. The sinking of the Cyprus was a mystery because the ship was on its second voyage. It was found in 440 feet of water, a ship located 10 miles from the original surviving ship.
Now it is not uncommon to find new wrecks. With modern technology and increasing interest in taxes, new sunken ships are said to be found in about 10 a year. for a year Divers can also go on the internet and find out where these wrecks are located on the Great Lakes. These sites ask for the boat’s location, a description of the wreck, and the difficulty.
There is also a museum of underwater wrecks for tourists to explore. Many of these underwater museums still hold the cargo there intact, which was not hit by the salvagers.
The next time you want to take your trip to the shores of the Great Lakes, stop by and tour some of the Great Lakes wrecks the museum, and the prospect of the treachery of these immense fresh waters.
