How Many Shipwrecks In Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes, covering a surface area of 82,100 km2. For centuries, ships have navigated the waters of Lake Superior, traveling from Duluth, Minnesota, to Thunder Bay, Ontario, and beyond. Spanning across three U.S. states and one Canadian province, the lake has been used for trade, travel, and other activities. Unfotunately, due to the Great Lakes’ unpredictable and often violent storms, hundreds of ships have run into trouble and crashed, leaving behind thousands of shipwrecks.
The approximate number of shipwrecks in Lake Superior is believed to be over 500, though some estimates go as high as 700. A majority of shipwrecks located in Lake Superior are from the 1800s and early 1900s, with many being classified as “mystery ships” as their fate remains unknown. One of the most renowned shipwrecks, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, sank in 1975, taking the lives of 29 passengers.
Regulars to Lake Superior report still seeing vessels sinking, even if they don’t always receive the immediate attention of officials. According to Mark Anderson, a marine archaeologist specializing in the Great Lakes, many of these sinkings remain undocumented. Anderson explains, “Shipwrecks are still occurring today, but they often don’t make the news. Many old lake vessels are still going out to sea, and simply slip beneath the waves, never to be seen again.”
Various experts believe that there might be hundreds of ships that have sunk to the bottom of Lake Superior yet to be discovered. More are added to the list of known shipwrecks every year. Most of the wrecks are clustered in the water along the Canadian shore of the lake. It is believed that the majority of the remaining shipwrecks, yet to be discovered, are scattered across the lake.
Receiving news of recently discovered ships often excites people, which is entirely normal in the eyes of many. But, there is also the opposite emotion. All wrecks in Lake Superior, no matter their date, tell grim tales of lives lost, vessels destroyed, and dreams that never came true. Anderson states, “Many of these shipwrecks are memorials to people who lost their lives at sea. To understand why and how the ship sank is to understand the lives of people who died, and it’s important to remember them and their stories”.
General Shipwreck Characteristics
General shipwreck characteristics of those located in Lake Superior vary by location and date. Most of the ships sunk during the early 19th and 20th century before the widespread use of steel vessels. These ships were made from wood, iron, and steel. As their wreck bodies remain at the bottom of the lake, they have become settlements for many aquatic organisms, with shapes and textures transformed by the waters.
Mystery ships, in particular, can be a challenge to study due to their unknown history or fate. Crews of these ships usually vanished as soon as they sailed away, making it hard to locate their final resting places. But due to improved technology, inconceivable mysteries are routinely solved.
Damaged machinery and other material from the vessels slowly become ruins, making them difficult to dig up from the depths of the lake’s rocky and clay-based bottom. Dive teams can document the wreckage, but the material found is often buried in mud, making retrieving the items almost impossible.
If a dive team can accurately trace a wreck back to a certain vessel and location, then additional research can be conducted. Connecting stories and facts to a ship and its passengers is extremely rewarding. With more information, the disaster can be shared with the public, making room for better understanding of the knowledge and appreciation of history.
Research Methodology & Risk
The research and survey of ship wrecks in Lake Superior is conducted mostly by the Remote Environmental Monitoring Unit (REMUS). REMUS typically operates two autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV’s) capable of operating independently in depths to 2,000 feet. Each robot is designed to search, detect, identify and photograph targets on the lake bottom.
The research can take hundreds of hours, involves many trips out onto the lake, and has its own set of risks. In 2011, for instance, one of the REMUS 100 vehicles became entangled in the wreckage of a ship and had to be powered down in order to be freed. But despite such issues, the team is dedicated and continuously works towards surveying and managing Lake Superior.
Scanning the lake’s depths with sonar each spring, the team has seen remote objects that never previously been recorded in the history of ships that have sunk. This indicates that with time, there may still be more shipwrecks to be discovered, and more stories to be told. As Anderson puts it, “We might never uncover these shipwrecks or know the story behind them, but it’s important that we remember their contribution to our past.”
Preservation of Shipwrecks
Efforts are being taken to preserve the shipwrecks located in Lake Superior. Due to the success of the REMUS 100 operation, The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve’s mission is to protect the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. They have systems set up to make underwater mapping, navigation and remote detection more precise, as well as a program to add research vessels to inventory.
Furthermore, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary program also offers public access to educational programs and guided tours. This allows people to learn more about the tragedies that lie beneath the surface of Lake Superior as well as the joys they bring once they are discovered.
The Remembrance Project is a program designed to recognize the individual stories of Great Lakes vessels and those lost in them. It honors the tragedy of those left behind and protects cultural underwater sites. Vessels the size of the Edmund Fitzgerald are placed in the National Register of Historic Places, plus the mariners’ stories are added to the story of the Great Lakes.
Saving Shipwrecked Passengers
Many tragedies could be avoided if more people were aware of the dangers that accompany ships in the Great Lakes. In particular, smaller vessels are the most vulnerable. Research teams, and “Shipwrecked Passengers” such as Lou Johnson, have met with success in recent years in urging more safety regulations, improved rescue programs, and overall greater awareness.
As Johnson puts it, “It’s incredible to me how so many lives were saved by other vessels and aircraft who responded to the many SOS calls broadcasted by ships and people in trouble. We owe them a debt of gratitude not only for the noble acts they performed, but for sharing their stories, allowing us to learn from their experiences.”
Johnson has dedicated his life to saving those at risk of being shipwrecked by means of education and prevention. He has launched numerous programs, both to educate boaters on safety precautions and to encourage search and rescue crew members to interact with each other in the event of a disaster.
Moreover, Johnson also organizes charitable events and programs to raise donations for survivors of Lake Superior shipwrecks and their families. He invites members of the community to come together and support these efforts with “Shipwrecked Passengers” provided resources and connections to assist in finding comfort and support.
Current Shipwreck Statistics
The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary operates a database with official records of more than 1,500 shipwrecks across the Great Lakes, with Lake Superior having the most shipwrecks documented. Officials predict that a majority of the shipwrecks still lie dormant and hidden in the lake.
Yet researchers continue to become even more skilled in spotting potential shipwrecks scattered over the lake and, as a result, are able to catalog them accurately and provide an exact location. Sometimes, these shipwrecks still contain artifacts, providing valuable information to the research teams.
As of 2018, inventory records show that out of the 1,500+ shipwrecks registered in Great Lakes’ databases, over 590 lie beneath Lake Superior. The number is slowly rising from year to year, slowly becoming a more accurate representation of the wrecks which remain hidden in the depths of Lake Superior.
The History of Shipwrecks in Lake Superior
Given its many natural disasters, Lake Superior has always been a perilous place for ships to navigate. From the 1800s onward, numerous vessels have sunk in the icy waters, some voluntarily and some through different disasters.
From lakers to tugs to schooners and even pleasure boats, hundreds of ships have met their demise in the waters of Lake Superior. Shipping companies were particularly vulnerable due to storms, rogue waves, and accidents, with the result being numerous collisions, sinkings, and groundings.
Notable shipwrecks include: the large steamer Bermuda, sunk in 1861 in Devils Island; the barge John Maynard, sunk around 1900; the Howard C. Boyd, a wooden steamer destroyed by fire in 1915; and the Antonio located in 1916.
The tragedy behind shipwrecks is perhaps profounder the further back we go. Many of the wrecks that occurred during the late 1800s occurred before radio communication had become popular, leaving many ships out of contact with civilization and making rescue attempts impossible.
The Pollution Impact
For centuries, ships have been using Lake Superior as a “ship graveyard,” but with that convenience comes a tragedy of its own. Uncharted wrecks, some containing remains of fuel or other hazardous materials, can cause major harm to environmental ecosystems, which is why prompt action to deal with shipwrecks is so important.
Under the supervision of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, funds have been allocated for the clean-up of the Great Lakes wrecks. It is imperative to clean any hazardous material found in the wreckage so it does not cause further pollution to the lake.
The clean-up effort pay particular attention to the vessels discovered before the regulation on hazardous materials began, as these ships may still contain pollutants that threaten the surrounding environment. Whatever becomes uncovered from such excavations must be dealt with properly to avoid further harming Lake Superior.
Shipwrecks in Lake Superior have a profound past, both good and bad. There is still so much to be explored and learned, both from recent and ancient accidents. With the help of research teams, sophisticated technology and organizations a like, stories can still be brought to life beneath the waves.
