Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Michigan Alpena Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

This protected area in Lake Huron contains some of the world’s best-preserved shipwrecks.

Alpena, Michigan

Added By
Nehalennia
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Wheel of the FT Barney   Tane Casserley/NOAA, Thunder Bay NMS
Propeller of the Monohansett   NOAA's National Ocean Service on Flickr
Interior of Monrovia, one of the few ocean vessels in Thunder Bay   NOAA's National Ocean Service on Flickr
The Typo, which sank in 1899   NOAA's National Ocean Service on Flickr
Bow of the EB Allen, which sank in 1871   Tane Casserley/NOAA, Thunder Bay NMS
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Ever since the mid-19th century, the Thunder Bay region has been a heavily trafficked waterway, sitting as it does on shipping lanes that carry cargo between the upper and lower Great Lakes. And since well before that — as its name suggests — it has been home to capricious weather and treacherous shoals.

Various misfortunes have caused over 200 vessels to sink beneath the waves in and around Thunder Bay, nicknamed "Shipwreck Alley." Thanks to the resulting treasure trove of historic artifacts, the State of Michigan created a 290-square-mile underwater preserve in the area in 1981; this state preserve became a 448-square-mile national marine sanctuary in 2000. After being enlarged again to 4,300 square miles in 2014, it now encompasses essentially all of the waters from the shores of northeastern Michigan to the U.S./Canada border.

Almost 100 shipwrecks have been discovered and identified within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The known wrecks range in date from 1849 to 1966 and represent a physical timeline of the development of Great Lakes maritime vessels, from wooden schooners and early steamboats to modern steel-hulled freighters. The cold, fresh water has kept this impressive historical cross-section of watercraft extraordinarily well-preserved, with many wrecks exhibiting structural and mechanical components as well as sailors’ personal effects that have remained largely unchanged since coming to rest at the bottom of Lake Huron. Unfortunately, invasive species are causing deterioration heretofore unseen in the protected site, with zebra and quagga mussel colonization hindering ongoing archaeological documentation.

Visitors to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary are afforded unrestricted access to explore the shipwrecks, whether via diving or snorkeling, canoeing or kayaking through partially-submerged wrecks, or taking a glass-bottom boat tour. Artifacts collected during archaeological visits can be seen at the nearby Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, as well as the Jesse Besser Museum. If you don’t happen to find yourself in northeastern Michigan, 3-D models have been created for seven of the wrecks, which can be explored online in warm, dry comfort.

Related Tags

Shipwrecks Archaeology Underwater Water

Community Contributors

Added By

Nehalennia

Edited By

RHyzer

  • RHyzer

Published

July 22, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://thunderbay.noaa.gov/welcome.html
  • http://www.michiganpreserves.org/thunder.htm
  • http://www.thunderbaywrecks.com/index.php
  • http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/tbnms/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Bay_National_Marine_Sanctuary
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Bay_(Michigan)
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Alpena, Michigan, 49707
United States
45.0034, -83.253
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Dinosaur Gardens

Sanborn Township, Michigan

miles away

'Onaway Steers the World'

Onaway, Michigan

miles away

Turnip Rock

Port Austin, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Michigan

Michigan

United States

Places 271
Stories 28

Nearby Places

Dinosaur Gardens

Sanborn Township, Michigan

miles away

'Onaway Steers the World'

Onaway, Michigan

miles away

Turnip Rock

Port Austin, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Michigan

Michigan

United States

Places 271
Stories 28

Related Stories and Lists

Found: Two Shipwrecks Deep in a Shipwreck Graveyard

shipwrecks

By Sarah Laskow

The Fantastical Beauty of Sunken Ruins

ruins

By Dylan Thuras

Related Places

  • Kastellholmen wreck in 2013

    Stockholm, Sweden

    Shipwreck of Kastellholmen

    At low tide, you can see the remains of a 17th-century ship just off a Stockholm island.

  • Oriskany two years after sinking.

    Pensacola, Florida

    USS Oriskany

    The 44,000-ton aircraft carrier was purposely sunk to create an artificial reef teeming with life.

  • Shipwreck of the Silver Spray

    Chicago, Illinois

    Shipwreck of the Silver Spray

    This historic-shipwreck-cum-diving-spot can still be seen poking its boiler out of the Lake Michigan waters that claimed it.

  • A diver at the SS President Coolidge

    Luganville, Vanuatu

    SS President Coolidge

    This cruise ship-turned-warship sank during World War II, and is now a world-renowned dive site.

  • Chloraka, Cyprus

    Shipwreck MV Demetrios II

    This abandoned ship has remained in place since it ran aground in 1998.

  • Fonte Ciane

    Syracuse, Italy

    Fonte Ciane

    According to legend, after Hades pulled Persephone into the underworld, one of her attendant nymphs cried so much that her tears formed this spring.

  • Seesicht

    Zug, Switzerland

    'Seesicht' ('Lake View')

    Walk down these stairs to get an underwater view of Switzerland's Lake Zug.

  • The bathhouse

    Rennes-les-Bains, France

    Roman Baths

    These thermal springs were once popular with residents of a nearby Roman colony.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.