Whitefish Point Underwater Diving
Preserve
12 miles north of Paradise,
Michigan
The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve offers
deep-diving experiences in Lake Superior on a variety of
shipwrecks in its 376 square mile area.
"If there is truly a graveyard of Lake Superior, it is
the general area of Whitefish Point. More vessels have been
lost there than any other part of the lake. There are
essentially three reasons for
this terrible toll."
"First, the eastern end of the lake is a very
congested area. Whitefish Bay acts like a huge funnel,
gathering in the downbound vessel traffic from Duluth,
Marquette, Thunder Bay, Two Harbors and all of the other
ports, squeezing it together and directing it down to the
St. Mary's River and the Soo Canal. By itself this presents
no great problem, except that all of the upbound traffic
must pass through all the downbound traffic.... A case in
point is the tragic August 20, 1920 loss of the SUPERIOR
CITY."
"The truly terrible consequences of the Whitefish Bay
funnel happened when visibility decreased, which is reason
number two. In some cases smoke from forest fires was the
culprit, in others it was snow squalls. But by far the worst
problem was the legendary Lake Superior fogs."
"The third reason for the carnage of wrecks was the
great sweep of the seas. A Lake Superior storm usually
screams down from the northwest and can build a sea of
monstrous proportions. A roaring northwester can build waves
over a clear sweep of 160 miles of open water. When the
729-foot EDMUND FITZGERALD sank 17 miles northwest of
Whitefish Point on November 10, 1975, the seas offshore were
reported at a height of 30 feet plus! The nightmarish effect
of waves of this size on the vessels of a century ago can
only be imagined."
From "Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast," by Frederick
Stonehouse, Published by Avery Color Studios, AuTrain MI
49806, 1-800-722-9925.
It seems ironic that one of the most notorious
stretches of Lake Superior's navigable waters would today
provide some of the best recreational diving opportunities
in North America. The numerous shipwrecks which have
occurred within the boundaries of the Whitefish Point
Underwater Preserve offer many uniquely different dive sites
of both wood and steel constructed vessels.
These shipwrecks provide safe yet challenging choices
for divers of all levels and experience. Dive in
crystal-clear waters. The excellent underwater visibility of
Lake Superior during the diving season is 30 to 50 feet at a
depth of 100 ft. A surface temperature of 60° within
Whitefish Bay is normal from July through September. July
and August are the best months for diving because the
weather is most stable. There are few protected areas in
this region of Lake Superior and the nearest U.S. Coast
Guard Station is about an hour away so boaters must exercise
extreme caution.
Discovered Shipwrecks for Diving and
Depths
Alex. Nimick, 1907, 15' to 20' deep
M M Drake, 1901, wood steamer, 40' to 50'
Sagamore, 1901, whaleback, 45' to 65'
Myron, 1919, wood steamer, 45' to 55'
Miztec, 1921, wood steamer, 45' to 55'
Eureka, 1886, wood steamer, 50' to 55'
Panther, 1916, wood steamer, 90' to 110'
Sadie T., wood barge, 80' to 140'
Niagara, 1887, wood schooner, 90' to 100'
Indiana, 1858, wood steamer, 100' to 115'
Vienna, 1892, wood steamer, 120' to 148'
John Mitchell, 1911, steel steamer, 120' to 140'; John
M. Osborn, wood steamer, 145'to 165'; Samuel Mather, 1891,
wood steamer, 140' to 170'; John B. Cowle, 1909 - steel
steamer, 170' to 215'; Comet, 1897, wood steamer, 200' to
230'; Zillah, 1926 wood steamer, 230' to 250'; Superior
City, 1920, steel steamer, 190' to 270'; Aurania - 420';
Edmund Fitzgerald - 535'
Divers using their own boats will find launches at
Whitefish Point, Little Lake Harbor, Tahquamenon Bay,
Brimley State Park, and Bay Mills. Divers and nondivers
alike will enjoy a visit to this area because of the
wilderness scenery, expansive beaches, Tahquamenon
Falls State Park, the Whitefish
Point Lighthouse, Bird
Observatory and the Great
Lakes Shipwreck Historical Museum Complex located
at the tip of the point.
The museum offers divers an opportunity to learn about
the rich maritime heritage of the region. Travel in time
from the first shipwreck on Lake Superior, the INVINCIBLE,
to the latest and most famous, the EDMUND FITZGERALD. The
video theater will take you on a journey through
maritime rescues and disasters. Through the use of
underwater film and video you will see shipwrecks as they
lie today, beneath Lake Superior's rolling waves.
Paradise is
the closest town to the Whitefish Diving Preserve. Here you
will find lodging, food, and diver services such as air
stations, equipment and boat charters.
For More Information Contact:
Paradise
Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 82, Paradise,
MI 49768. Voice and Fax: (906) 492-3219
Portions of the text about the Whitefish Point
Preserve and the map from "Diving Michigan's Underwater
Preserves", 1997, by the Michigan Underwater Preserve
Council, Inc., 560 N. State Street, St. Ignace, MI 49781.
Published by Out of the Blue Productions, 4658 S. Lakeshore,
Lexington, MI 48450
Photograph of the John Mitchell from the Marine
Historical Collection, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. Photograph printed in "Lake Superior's Shipwreck
Coast," by Frederick Stonehouse, Published by Avery Color
Studios, AuTrain MI 49806, 1-800-722-9925. Frederick
Stonehouse's books are available through the Lake Superior
Magazine.
Exploring Paradise,
Michigan
Underwater Diving Preserves
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Whitefish Point Lighthouse
Whitefish Point Shipwreck Museum
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory
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