When vessels have gone down in Lake Superior’s unfathomable waters, they have often never been seen again. The majority of these sunken ships were either sailing vessels or wooden steamships, and the lack of recovered wreckage has made their identification rather difficult. Divers have retrieved a few shipwrecks, but the estimated 6,000 are those that have been preserved in the depths and never recovered.
The largest and most famous ship to ever sink in Lake Superior was the Edmund Fitzgerald, nicknamed ‘Mighty Fitz,’ which was a freighter sailing from Superior, Wisconsin, to Detroit on November 10th, 1975. It had been a windy and hazardous evening, and the captain took refuge on northern side of the lake. Unfortunately, his bridge became ice-locked and the ship was overwhelmed by a huge wave, sinking and taking its entire crew with it. Witnesses, both near and far, stated they could see sparks shooting from the ship as it went down, while a blackout was announced the next morning when the U.S. Coast Guard finally acknowledged the vessel’s loss.
This tragedy was not the only one to occur in Lake Superior’s icy waters. Numerous ships have sunk due to storms and accidents, including ore carriers like the Vermillion, pulpwood tankers like the Bannockburn, and many others. An estimated 300 vessels are known to have gone down in the lake, but out of those, only about a third have been relocated. So why has it been so difficult for divers to locate the lost ships?
Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake and its total surface area is estimated to be anywhere between 11 and 20 miles deep. The strong currents and deep waters of the lake make wrecks hard to find, and the large number of wrecks that have been lost make it even more difficult to pinpoint the exact location of a particular vessel. In addition, the types of ships that have gone down vary greatly, making it even more challenging to identify the lost ships.
Experts in maritime history have noted that since many of the ships have been in Lake Superior for hundreds of years, their hulls have rotted and their remains may have been scattered. Therefore, many of the lost vessels may never be found again, hidden beneath the lake’s murky depths. Divers seeking to explore Lake Superior’s mysteries must be extremely experienced and well-prepared for the task, as it can take days, weeks, or even months to locate a lost ship.
Challenges Faced in Shipwreck Exploration
Exploring the depths of Lake Superior by shipwreck is an arduous endeavour and requires a tremendous amount of effort and planning. Explorers must first locate the shipwreck before they are able to conduct any type of exploration, and since many wrecks have been buried in sediment or gone unnoticed due to the lake’s great depths, this is a difficult process. The ships must also be properly identified to know if they are of interest, as the majority are not deemed to be historically significant enough to be explored in more detail.
Divers must also be prepared to endure extreme underwater conditions, as the water temperature in Lake Superior can range from 0 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the season. It is very easy to become disoriented when exploring underwater, so divers must ensure they are properly equipped with navigation and communication equipment.
Another major challenge that divers face is the presence of hazardous materials in the shipwrecks. Many vessels were carrying toxic materials when they sank, and the presence of these substances can be a major problem for explorers. Divers must be sure that they are not exposed to any pollutants when exploring the depths.
Preservation Efforts of Sunken Ships
The discovery of sunken ships always kicks off conversations around preservation, as they are often seen as important pieces of maritime and local history. Unfortunately, due to the difficulties of exploring the depths and the poor condition of many of the wrecks, shipwreck preservation is a difficult and costly process. In many cases, divers are not able to preserve the ships, or the material on them, over long periods and the wrecks are eventually lost to the lake.
In some situations, shipwrecks can be preserved by entombing them in protective material. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has attempted to entomb a number of vessels in Lake Superior, including the wreck of the Henry B. Smith, a steamship that was destroyed in 1913. The group entombed the wreck in a cage to protect it from the elements and prevent it from disintegrating further.
The discovery of a shipwreck can also be a great opportunity to learn more about a society’s maritime history. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has been working to bring the sunken vessels back to life through a process called ‘Live Dive’. The museum has created virtual 3D models of the vessels, and these have been used to provide an interactive experience to museum visitors. In addition, the museum has launched a project that uses the 3D models to reconstruct the vessels and bits of material, allowing visitors to have a better understanding of what these vessels looked like in their heyday.
The Impact of Sunken Ships on Shipping
The sunken ships of Lake Superior have had a significant impact on the shipping industry over the years. The loss of ships to the lake has had a major economic impact, as shipping companies have had to replace expensive vessels and suffer substantial losses in the process. It is estimated that the total economic impact of lost ships in Lake Superior has been over one billion dollars in the last 200 years.
In addition to economic losses, the sinking of ships has had a major impact on the safety of vessels in the lake, as new technology and regulations have been implemented in an effort to improve the safety of vessels sailing the waters. These regulations have included the construction of smaller vessels with higher stability and the implementation of automated navigation systems to help keep ships on course.
In recent years, technological advancements in maritime navigation and communication have led to a decrease in the number of vessel losses in Lake Superior, but safety is still a major priority.
