Alpena’s Underwater Museum: Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Of all the landmarks and attractions, the combination of history and geography is most strike in what lies equitable under the water. Enveloping the coast of Alpena and the surrounding areas of Thunder Bay and Lake Huron, the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary has been accumulating a large total and assortment of shipwrecks since the 1800s .
Aerial view of US-23, Alpena and Thunder Bay, facing south. Photo by Joel Heckaman There are several reasons — both geographic and historic — for the dense collection of bury vessels .

small than lone Saginaw Bay on Michigan ’ s east slide, Thunder Bay is a convenient safe port for ships that need protection from Northern Michigan storms – and Alpena is surely northerly, as the 45th parallel crosses good confederacy of the city limits. Safety is not guaranteed, however, as sailors calm have to navigate around respective modest islands in or around the bay .
Alpena has constantly been much more than a rest blockage, though, as other features of its geography have brought batch of traffic of their own. originally, Northeast Michigan was ideal for fishing and log, for which Alpena was one of many northerly ports .
Alpena Breakwater Light, also known as Lil’ Red, sits at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River. Photo by Joel Heckaman Before long, it was discovered that the area is fabulously advanced with limestone, a keystone ingredient in cementum. dwelling to one of the world ’ sulfur largest limestone quarries and one of the earth ’ mho largest cementum plants, Alpena has had a near-constant menstruate of bottom traffic—and wrecks—for good over a hundred .
The Great Lakes ’ fresh water system and cold temperatures have kept these history lessons – many of them wooden – surprisingly intact, and Alpena offers several different ways to explore and learn more about these ships and their remains .
If you ’ rhenium hop to stay warm and dry throughout the entire have, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center features exhibits, photograph, roentgenogram, scale-model replica, and enough of matter to information about many of the shipwrecks within the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary .
Shipwreck exhibit at Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. Photo by Joel Heckaman The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association-run facility besides includes unique displays of recover items, educational panorama, and most perceptibly, a life-size replica of a wrecked ( or mid-wreck ) 138-foot schooner.

Visitors are able to walk the deck, inspect the hull, explore the crew ’ second quarters, sit at the captain ’ south desk, and “ experience ” the ship ’ s stopping point moments above water system. The expose tied has a lifeboat, in which kids are encouraged to have their pictures taken .
Those of you who wish to see a real shipwreck will prefer the future option : a enlistment of Thunder Bay in the glass-bottom boat Lady Michigan. Starting behind the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, on Thunder Bay River, the tour begins with a short-change cruise through downtown Alpena .
Glass-bottom boat Lady Michigan passes over the wreckage of the Haltiner Barge that sank in 1929. Photo by Joel Heckaman The tour continues out into Thunder Bay, where the captain has easily a twelve nearby shipwrecks to choose from, depending on weather, traffic, or just personal preference .
Each one will allow for several minutes of lightly gliding over the submerge remains, which will seem mere inches from the big downward-facing windows in the bottom of the boat .
With some luck, you ’ ll besides get to see an above-water, fully-operational ship as you pass the Lafarge cement plant and dock .
Tugboat Jacklyn M. pushes barge Integrity out of the dock at Lafarge cement plant in Alpena. Photo by Joel Heckaman If you ’ rhenium interested in getting even closer to the shipwrecks, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is prime for SCUBA dive. Great Lakes Divers, located just outside the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, provides full-service equipment rentals or sales, vitamin a well as introductory courses and certifications .
A NOAA archaeologist swims by the gigantic diesel engine of the steel freighter Nordmeer that lies in 40 feet of water within the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Tane Casserley, NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary once you ’ re certified ( or if you already are ), Great Lakes Divers provides charters to many locations around Alpena and Presque Isle, arsenic well as options for some of the inland lakes. Thunder Bay Dive Charters, operated by Captain Mike of the Middle Island Keeper ’ south Lodge ( which I highly recommended in an earlier MittenTrip article ) provides charters in the area vitamin a well .
If you ’ re looking to explore a longer stretch of slide, Great Lakes Dive Charters has dive locations from Alpena to Mackinac .
NOAA archaeologists document the damaged stern of the wooden freighter SS Florida. Photo by Tane Casserley/NOAA, Thunder Bay NMS If all of this seems a act excessively involve, there is constantly the opportunity to rent a kayak or canoe. Some of the shipwrecks are even shallow adequate to snorkel or swim through. Or, on calm days when the water is extra clear, you may be able to see a broad complement of shipwrecks in one trip during an aerial tour with Aviation North.

however you decide to take it all in during a travel to to Alpena, your adventure is probable to connect you with its history and geography unlike anywhere else .
What is your favorite hands-on (or flippers-on) museum in Michigan? Let us know in the comments!