By Peggy S. Kurpinski
Guest Writer, Dive News Network

The area around Alpena, like most northern Michigan cities on the Great Lakes, is rich with trees. The Thunder Bay River made harvesting trees highly profitable and the port city, originally called “Amimickee” in Chippewa (meaning thunder) was founded. Today, Alpena is a town with many cultural and recreational opportunities, least of which is the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve and the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

The people who visit Alpena enjoy miles of sandy beaches and exciting water sports, as well as the Thunder Bay’s historic shipwrecks. For hundreds of years the Great Lakes provided a natural transportation system as our nation expanded west and because of this they hold many shipwrecks. The waters around the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve are commonly known as “Shipwreck Alley” due to sudden storms, thick fog, rocky shoals and steamship companies that demanded captains stay on schedule no matter the weather. These conditions led to the sinking of many ships, many of which have been well preserved, the deeper wrecks look as if they could be floated off the bottom, and continue their voyage.

Shipwrecks in and around Alpena can range in depth from at or above the surface to many hundreds of feet deep. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve afford divers of all abilities a place to explore history at his or her skill level. Called the “Sunrise Side” of Michigan, because it is located on the east shoreline, the area is well known for commercial fishing and scuba diving.  Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is one of the country’s largest national marine sanctuaries in the nation and due to its status as a marine sanctuary, the waters around Alpena are teeming with a huge variety of shipwrecks and untouched artefacts; the Thunder Bay area is a diver’s dream.   

One shallow water shipwreck worth a look is the steel ocean-going freighter, Nordmeer. Classified as a novice site with much to explore, it can be entertaining and challenging enough to keep the advanced diver alert. Carrying steel wire as cargo, on November 19, 1966 the ship ran aground on a reef.  The crew decided to stay aboard until a storm came a few days later, making salvaging the Nordmeer too expensive. No lives were lost; the crew and her cargo were rescued.

For many years the Nordmeer has been a frequent stop for boaters, snorkelers, scuba divers and cormorant.  Many compartments and the engine room were underwater, but much of the superstructure was above the water, making it an adventure for shallower dives and birds alike. Years of weather finally took its toll, and the superstructure recently collapsed. The site is huge, over 400 feet long, and the depth can currently range from four feet to forty. Beware of entanglement and penetration, as the site has many twists and turns, that can be dangerous and deceiving.

Another shallow wreck site is called the B.W. Blanchard, found in only 9 feet of water, was a lumber carrier, built by Quayle and Martine in 1870 in Cleveland, Ohio. The B.W. Blanchard, along with schooner barges John T. Johnson and John Kilderhouse ran aground together on North Point Reef during a blinding snowstorm. The Kilderhouse was later pulled off the rocks but Blanchard and Johnson stuck fast and soon went to pieces. Their remains are now intermixed in very shallow water easily accessible to kayakers, snorkelers and scuba divers.  The site itself is more like puzzle pieces then shipwreck, which makes for an interesting dive. A novice or experienced diver can identify parts and construction of historical ships, while enjoying this shallow, easy dive.

An interesting geological site is called the Misery Sinkholes, on the southeast side of Thunder Bay Island and the north side of South Point. This interesting shallow site includes deep fissures and cracks in limestone. Many thousands of years ago, the limestone was exposed due to low lake levels.  The sinkholes were created when chemical reactions between limestone and acidic water dissolved passages and holes in the rock. These sinkholes were covered with water, and are currently seeping groundwater to the bottom of the lake.  These sinkholes provide for a unique fish habitat and an interesting dive site.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is well known for some of its many deeper dive sites.  One site, recently discovered by high school students doing computer research with the NOAA facility M.F. MERRICK look like it is an awesome dive, in 300 feet of water. The Merrick, sank quickly after a collison in dense fog in 1889. This site was discovered just this past summer when the NOAA and five high school students Sagnaw Michigan used sidescan technology as a learning tool and as a search tool, to find new sites.  This was an amazing expierence for the studnets but also discovered a new, very intack, and very deep site.
Even if it is too deep for the average diver, all you have to do is look on You Tube, and you can find the video from the ROV, the students and the divers, and see how amazing this shipwreck is. The site has an anchor on the bow deck, and the wheel is intack, as well as many other artifiacts on the deck.  It looks like an amazing dive.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary conducts, supports, promotes, and coordinates scientific research and monitoring of its maritime heritage resources to ensure their long-term protection. Archaeological and historical research conducted by the sanctuary and its partners is fundamental to better understanding the region’s historic shipwrecks.  With over 65 wreck sites already located and many more potential sites that need to be investigated.  It currently encompasses 448 square miles of Lake Huron surrounding Alpena, Michigan. With wrecks in depths from 6 feet to over 200, numerous sinkhole and geological formations, makes Alpena a divers paradise. For the non-diving community Alpena hosts glass bottom boat tours, the annual NOAA ROV competition, Maritime Heritage Festival and the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. ■

For more information on things to do and see in the area of the Sanctuary and Preserve: 
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary: www.thunderbay.noaa.gov
The Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve: www.divealpena.com,
The Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.alpenacvb.com,
The Alpena Chamber of Commerce: www.alpenachamber.com
The Michigan Underwater Preserve Council: www.mupc.net