Posted on 04/18/2020 1:13:37 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
Each spring on Lake Michigan, if youre lucky, youll 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 waters 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 areas 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 whats 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 ...
Went diving in Lake Ontario, Canadian-side, several years ago. Rolled off the boat and the water viz was terrible. I’m thinking, “Man, this is going to su-” when all the sudden the viz opened up to 80+ ft. Yep! Zebra mussels. They carpeted everything. Once yo dropped below about 30ft their ability to filter the water took over.
I’ve seen that pic before.
There may be a slight delay while my, um, co-author is on tour with his coffee table book. :-)
Wow! Amazing story.
Wow!
great story/account.
(I could also add hypocrite).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.