What was the last ship to sink on the Great Lakes?

The largest and last major freighter wrecked on the lakes was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on November 10, 1975. "The legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains the most mysterious and controversial of all shipwreck tales heard around the Great Lakes.

Are there still bodies on the Edmund Fitzgerald?

No bodies were ever recovered from the wreckage. Later when the wreck was found, it was discovered that the ship had broken in two. It still sits on the bottom of Lake Superior at 530 feet deep. Conditions on the Great Lakes can be extremely treacherous and can produce high waves.

What was the largest ship ever lost on the Great Lakes?

Edmund Fitzgerald

Launched in 1958, Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes, for thirteen years to come, until 1971. The American Great Lakes freighter was fatally wrecked on Lake Superior during the winter of 1975, with all her crew losing their lives.

How many ships have been lost in the Great Lakes?

There are over 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, having caused an estimate loss of 30,000 mariners' lives. It is estimated that there are about 550 wrecks in Lake Superior, most of which are undiscovered.

What is the oldest shipwreck in the Great Lakes?

HMS Ontario is the oldest shipwreck to be discovered in the Great Lakes. Found in May 2008 it is completely intact and lies in very deep water in Lake Ontario.

Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes

What is the most famous shipwreck in the Great Lakes?

One of the most famous shipwrecks in Great Lake history is the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729-foot freighter that capsized in Lake Superior during a severe storm on November 10, 1975. Sunk en route to a steel mill in Detroit, the vessel is the largest ship to have ever sunk in the lakes.

What famous ship sank in Lake Erie?

The Edmund Fitzgerald is one of history's most famous shipwrecks, but thousands of other lost ships have been lost off the shores of the Great Lakes.

What is the biggest shipwreck in Lake Michigan?

1. Lady Elgin. Lady Elgin sank on September 8th, 1860, and the tragic event represents the greatest loss of life on open water on the Great Lakes. 300 people died when the 252-foot sidewheel steamship was rammed in a gale by the scooner Augusta.

What is at the bottom of Lake Superior?

From satellite photos it has the shape of a giant ear. Speculations include a meteor crash site, ore deposit, mountain range, bomb site, alien space landing, underwater government base, an old mining dig, something military, or even a volcano.....500 feet under the surface of Lake Superior.

Are there sharks in the Great Lakes?

Sharks do not live in the Great Lakes, but many fishes are mostly drawn to this water body as their natural habitat.

Which Great Lake is the deepest?

About the Lakes

It contains almost 3,000 cubic miles of water, an amount that could fill all the other Great Lakes plus three additional Lake Eries. With an average depth approaching 500 feet, Superior also is the coldest and deepest (1,332 feet) of the Great Lakes.

What is the sister ship to the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The Edmund Fitzgerald was the first of two similar sister ships constructed by Great Lakes Engineering Works, the other being her sister Arthur B. Homer of 1960, constructed for Bethlehem Steel. The Homer was of a slightly different design, being 730′ long, and she lacked the guest quarters of the Fitzgerald.

Why do bodies not decompose in Lake Superior?

Lake Superior Bodies

Underwater bacteria feed on human remains and create gas which causes bodies to float back to the surface. The average temperature of Lake Superior is about 36°F, cold enough to inhibit bacterial growth and prevent bodies from rising.

Why does Lake Superior never give up her dead?

Lightfoot sings that "Superior, they said, never gives up her dead". This is because of the unusually cold water, under 36 °F (2 °C) on average around 1970. Normally, bacteria decaying a sunken body will bloat it with gas, causing it to float to the surface after a few days.

How big were the waves that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald?

Around the time the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, the wind was blowing around 50 mph, with gusts reported by the Anderson of 70 to 75 mph, and waves of 18 to 25 feet.

What is the oldest shipwreck in Lake Michigan?

It's the oldest mystery on the Great Lakes: Whatever happened to the Griffon? It was the first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. Loaded with furs in what's now Wisconsin, the Griffon was said to have sunk somewhere in northern Lake Michigan in 1679. A couple in Charlevoix think they've found it.

What is the deepest shipwreck in Lake Michigan?

Unfortunately, the wreck is under 365 feet of lake water -- as deep as the deepest wreck ever dived in Lake Michigan, the Carl D. Bradley, which rests about 380 feet down 12 miles southwest of Gull Island.

How many ships are at the bottom of Lake Michigan?

There are nearly 1,500 shipwrecks sprawled across Lake Michigan's sandy floor, many dating back to the early 1800s! Swallowed by the water from ferocious storms, high waves, or fire, what remains of them now are wooden ribs, frames, and memories.

What is the biggest shipwreck in Lake Erie?

Lawrence River which connects Lakes Erie and Huron is considered the largest shipwreck Great Lakes history. On September 23, 1961, the Canadian freighter collided with another vessel in dense fog at around 5:00pm. Four hours later, the large vessel disappeared into the water 65 miles away from Quebec.

What is at the bottom of Lake Erie?

The Lake Serpent was lost forever at the bottom of the lake. On Friday, however, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, located in nearby Toledo, announced that the Serpent may have been found, and it is believed to be the oldest-known shipwreck in Lake Erie.

How much does a Great Lakes ship captain make?

Deckhands average about $55,000 to $65,000 a season, which usually equates to six or seven months of work. Officers start around $90,000. Captains make $160,000 to $200,000, according to Glenn Kolke, marine personnel manager for Interlake.

Which Great Lake has the highest concentration of shipwrecks?

The Great Lakes hold the secrets of about 8,000 shipwrecks. Lake Erie covers 2,000 of them, among the highest concentration of wrecks in the world.