Shipwrecks Spotted In Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is so clear this time of year that its shipwrecks are visible from the air!
The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City spotted the wrecks while on a routine patrol in the shallow waters near Sleeping Bear Point last week. The waters are only this clear after the lake's ice melts and before algae takes over.
I had to do some research on algae and find out how it affects visibility. According to The United States Environmental Protection Agency, algae thrive during the summer because “warmer water is easier for small organisms to move through and allows algae to float to the surface faster and become thicker.” Algae is the reason for murky water. (There’s your science lesson for the day).
The Coast Guard took the pictures near Sleeping Bear Point, known as the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve, which is "one of the richest areas in Michigan for shipwreck diving," according to the preserve’s website. The lumber industry used the Manitou Passage as a shipping route because it provided a safe haven for ships hiding from storms.
According to NPR seeing underwater shipwrecks is more common than we think, but Lieutenant Commander Charlie Wilson, who was on patrol that day said, "but not in the numbers we saw on that flight."
I never knew that Lake Michigan was a hotspot for shipwrecks! The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality writes, "An estimated 6,000 vessels were lost on the Great Lakes with approximately 1,500 of these ships located in Michigan waters."
When summer hits and algae takes over, you will no longer be able to see the wreckage. Here are the photos taken by the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City: