There are nineteen major shipwrecks in the 276 square miles of the Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve in lower Lake Huron. Although there were never any major communities in this region, ships traveling between Buffalo and western ports such as Duluth, Milwaukee and Chicago made this area a busy place where storms, accidents and fires claimed their share of vessels.
Divers can expect to find shipwrecks in a variety of conditions, from intact to very broken up. Visibility in this region is often excellent, with up to 50 feet not uncommon. This Preserve contains many shipwrecks that have yet to be located. When diving in this area, look for debris trails that could lead to important and exciting discoveries.
Known ships include the Philadelphia and Albany, which collided in a 1893 accident.
The Philadelphia rests upright on the bottom in 130 feet of water. This 236 foot steamer is mostly intact and divers may be surprised to find a cook stove still resting on the deck. The Albany, a 267 foot steel steamer southeast of the Philadelphia, was under tow after the collision when it sank in about 150 feet of water. Both vessels offer excellent diving, but because of the depth, divers should have adequate experience before visiting these sites. Visibility ranges from 5 to 15 feet.
Also found here are the Arctic, a steamer which sprang a leak and foundered with no lives lost. The engine is very distinctive. The Dunderburg, a schooner with a very unusual figurehead, was lost after a collision about four miles off of Harbor Beach.
Glenorchy was a 365’ steel steamer which collided with the Leonard B. Miller. The wreck is located about ten miles east southeast of Harbor Beach.
Goliath was a package and bulk freight steamer which exploded on Lake Huron, taking 18 souls to the bottom. The ship caught fire and sparks reached the cargo of general freight and 200 kegs of blasting powder. The main features are a tall, upright engine, boiler, stove, and unusual early propellers.
John McGean was a large steel freighter which went missing with all hands in the Great Storm of November 9-11, 1913, and lies upside down. “Mystery Schooner” is also called the “Challenge,” referring to the daunting task of identifying it. Waverly was a wooden steamer which sank with its coal cargo in a collision with the steamer Turret Court, on July 22, 1903 with no loss of life.
A popular site for divers of lesser experience is the Chickamauga, which foundered in 1919. A double-deck schooner, 322’ long, it is found about 1/2 mile east of the Harbor Beach harbor, a relatively protected area, so heavy seas rarely interfere with dive plans.
The Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve has been the focus of remote sensing projects, which have led to new discoveries. Other dive sites include the Hunter Savidge, Glenorchy, Iron Chief, Daniel J. Morrell, Governor Smith, and Enterprise.
Besides shipwrecks, divers visiting this area will enjoy caves created by eroded limestone, located near the edge of the reef near Port Austin Lighthouse.
Grindstones, which were used in manufacturing, can be found off Grindstone City, where they were once manufactured.
This area has many boat launches and marinas capable of serving sport divers who bring their own boats.
A note about the charts included in each Preserve reference:
The coordinates are presumed to be accurate but we place no guarantee. Water depths may be off due to water level changes. Always evaluate weather conditions and divers abilities before diving any wreck. We are not recommending any of these dive destinations. We are only publishing information. Caution: Some wrecks may be out of the sport diving depth limit. Diving is a potentially dangerous activity. Use common sense and dive within your training and skill level.
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