Michigan’s history center has launched an interactive map showing the location and history of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
The map focuses on ships that were wrecked in Michigan waters - which means it doesn’t include wrecks like the Edmund Fitzgerald, which went down in Canadian waters.
Sandra Clark is with the Michigan History Center. She said the map includes roughly 300 shipwrecks with information for visitors about the history of wrecks and whether they can be viewed from a kayak.
“We do hope this help them plan a trip if they are divers or snorkelers or kayakers but we’re also doing it for what we call the armchair explorers.”
Clark said the history center hopes to add more shipwrecks over time. There are 800 known wrecks in Michigan waters and an estimated 1,500 whose location is not known.
According to Clark they may be opportunities to expand and include wrecks across the Great Lakes, but for now the project is focused on Michigan waters.
Clark said the map won’t include wrecks that are burial sites and may house human remains.
“The one thing we don’t show on this map are wrecks that we know are really actually burial sites. We don’t encourage diving on those wrecks.”
The map will also not include wrecks that would require technical diving.
You can view the map here.