Shipwreck visible from the air over Lake Michigan.
Posted on 04/18/2020 1:13:37 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
Each spring on Lake Michigan, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see shipwrecks due to the incredibly clear springtime waters. Every winter, ice forms on the Great Lakes. That ice is often thick enough that the people who live on their shores can not only go ice fishing, but even ride snow mobiles across their surfaces. At the coming of spring, the ice melts, leaving the waters of some of the lakes especially clear for a while until warmer weather creates algae blooms and other events that reduce the water’s clarity.
In the early spring, the waters of Lake Michigan are currently so clear that aircraft flying over its surface are able to easily see shipwrecks deep below the surface of the water, according to an article in Smithsonian magazine.
Traverse City, Michigan, is home to a US Coast Guard air station, and the crew of one of its helicopter patrols took pictures of five of the area’s most notable wrecks during a routine patrol, then posted the images on its Facebook page. The pictures were taken over the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve near Sleeping Bear Point in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, an area which is known for its shipwreck diving. The area became part of a shipping route to facilitate the lumber industry, since the Manitou Islands offered a sheltered place for ships to find some shelter during storms.
Only two of the five wrecks the patrol team shot have been identified. One is known to be what’s left of the James McBride, a 121-foot brig that ran aground on October 19, 1857, during a storm after picking up a shipment of wood. Now the wreckage lies beneath five to fifteen feet of water, depending on the water level in the lake.
(Excerpt) Read more at thevintagenews.com ...
Shipwreck visible from the air over Lake Michigan.
The 121-ft brig James McBride. (U.S Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City)
This will all be in my book, Astonishing Tales of the Sea.
bump
Nice, let us know when it’s out.
Already in my book: ‘Things you shouldn’t do in the water’
That’s Lake Michigan?? I never thought the surrounding area would look that void of vegetation!
Zebra mussels have taken over the whole lake. Main cause of “crystal clear” water which is not a good thing.
That is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There are several large dunes on the Lake Michigan coast.
I am surprised they left out The Francisco Morrison, which is a freighter that ran aground 40 years ago off the south coast of South Manitou Island, and still sticks out of the water, although it is less and less as it deteriorates over the years.
Thanks for posting pictures
There are some massive sand dunes surrounding Lake Michigan. Check out pictures of Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Sand Dunes! Beautiful area.
Outstanding photos!
Bookmark
Thanks for posting. Lots of interesting articles on the website.
Raise the Titanic!
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