Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
| Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve | |
|---|---|
The Comet under sail. The only known treasure ship of Lake Superior, she sank in 1875 with 70 tons of silver ore.
|
|
 |
|
| Location | Lake Superior, Chippewa County, Luce County, Michigan USA |
| Nearest city | Emerson, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 46°46′38″N 84°57′04″W / 46.7772°N 84.951°WCoordinates: 46°46′38″N 84°57′04″W / 46.7772°N 84.951°W |
| Area | 376 square miles (970 km2) |
| Established | 1987 |
| Governing body | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on 376 square miles (970 km2) of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point, Michigan. The formation of the Michigan Underwater Preserves helped stop controversy over artifact removal from shipwrecks of this area. The preserve is now known for deep, well preserved shipwrecks in clear water accessible to scuba divers with technical skill and experience. The preserve is one of the last places in the Great Lakes to observe shipwrecks without zebra mussel encrustation.
Shipwrecks along the southern Lake Superior coast known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes” dramatically increased after the first lock on the St. Marys River opened this coastline to shipping in 1855. Every vessel entering or leaving Lake Superior must pass Whitefish Point. The Whitefish Point Light first established in 1849 is arguably the most important light on Lake Superior. More vessels have been lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. Between the loss of the Invincible in 1816 and the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, the Whitefish Point area has claimed at least 240 ships. Vessels are funneled through Whitefish Bay downbound and upbound from the Soo Locks. Poor visibility from forest fire smoke, snow squalls, and Lake Superior’s notorious fogs had deadly consequences with the traffic congestion. Lake Superior’s 160 miles (260 km) of open water and storms from the northwest can build immense seas with offshore waves of 30 feet (9.1 m) or more. Such a storm sank the SS Edmund Fitzgerald 17 miles (27 km) from Whitefish Point in 1975.
...
Wikipedia