It started as a “routine patrol” on Friday. It turned into something special. A Coast Guard helicopter spotted a handful of shipwrecks along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Lake Michigan is finally free of ice. What’s left behind is incredibly clear, chilly blue water. It’s this cold water that helps preserve these shipwrecks according to NOAA. Check out the images snapped by the Coast Guard below.
This shipwreck is the James McBride, a 121 foot brig that ran aground during a storm on October 19, 1857. According to MichiganPreserves.org, the shipwreck sits in 5-15 feet of water.
The Rising Sun was a 133 foot long wooden streamer. It became stranded on October 29, 1917. What’s left of the boat sits in 6 to 12 feet of water.
Here’s a couple more images of the shipwrecks spotted on Friday
The photos were taken from an area around Sleeping Bear Point northeast to Leland, Michigan.
Take a look around MichiganPreserves.org. The amount of shipwrecks across the Great Lakes will blow your mind.
I hope you like cold water if you’re thinking about diving to any of these shipwrecks. The average water temperature is still a chilly 38 degrees.