Shipwreck
Tours
Scuba
Dive the
Lake Superior
Shipwrecks
Grand Island Charters
1204 Commercial St.
Munising, MI 49862
Office and Gift Shop:
Phone: (906)387-4477
Scuba Dive the Shipwrecks in the
Alger Underwater Preserve
Captain Peter Lindquist is the owner-operator of
Shipwreck Tours, which offers Glass
Bottom Boat Narrated Tours of Lake Superior
Shipwrecks and Lake Superior Shipwreck Scuba
Diving Tours. He was responsible, in large part, for adding
the Steven M. Selvik
to the Alger Underwater Diving Preserve.
Open Water Certification Required.
You must have your own gear.
Tanks and weights are available for rent
Shipwreck Tours offers Lake Superior shipwreck diving
for beginning, intermediate and expert divers. There is a
dive shop air
service. Morning and afternoon dives. Shipwreck Tours offers
individual and group rates.
The Alger Underwater Preserve is located in Lake
Superior near the diver-friendly city of Munising in the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This area of Lake Superior's
shoreline includes the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore,
the site of many shipwrecks.
Preserved by the cold fresh water of Lake Superior,
these shipwrecks provide some of the finest sport diving in
the Midwest. Each year, wrecks appear and disappear as the
currents of Lake Superior cover and uncover them. The total
number of shipwrecks in the Alger Preserve is unknown. There
are 7 major dive sites.
Scuba Dive from the Fireball or the Fun Time, our 25'
six passenger dive boat. Both are Coast Guard inspected and
licensed, carrying full navigation and safety equipment.
Easy off and on at dive site with full width stern ladders.
Enter and exit in full gear. The Fireball is used for dive
charters accommodating up to 24 divers per trip with room
for family and friends to join the divers for a great day on
the water. Limited Scuba rental equipment is available at
the dive shop and air station.
A diver on the Bermuda.
Primary Dive
Sites
The Bermuda, a
135 foot wooden schooner sank in the spring of 1870 in
Murray Bay on Grand Island. Her top deck is just 12 feet
below the water's surface where she has remained for 140
years. The Bermuda went down in 1870 and is an intact
schooner sitting upright and waiting for visitors. The
Bermuda had three hatches giving access to the cargo hold,
as well as two companionways and the large cabin trunk near
the stern.
The Smith Moore,
a wooden steam barge in 90' of water. This is the most
famous shipwreck in the area. The Smith Moore was lost in
the Munising East Channel on July 13, 1889 as the result of
damages suffered in a collision. The wreck lies nearly
intact on the sand bottom.
The Kiowa, a
steel bulk freight steamer 251 feet in length, hit by a gale
in Nov. 1929. The Kiowa is in 20-40 foot depths. On a clear
day the huge sections of hull are easily visible from the
surface. The stern of the wreck, lies on its port side. Here
the diver can see the steamer's steering quadrant and
emergency steering gear. A short distance forward, an
enclosed ladderway leads down toward the propeller shaft
tunnel. At the forward end of the tunnel, the propeller
shaft and its massive thrust bearing can be seen.
The Herman H.
Hettler was seeking shelter in
Munising Harbor, in November of 1926, when she slammed into
a reef. She is now at 20'- 40' of water. On the inner edge
of the reef where the Hettler struck, her boiler can be
found in about 25 feet of water, along with part of her hull
and a field of debris such as mechanical parts, tanks,
piping, and even a bathtub.
A mysterious tree stump was found in the wreckage of
the Herman H. Hettler. Suspecting that the tree was
extremely old, Captain Pete Lindquist sent samples of the
wood for carbon dating. The laboratory results showed an age
of 7,910 years plus or minus l00 years, but provided no clue
as to why a nearly 8,000 year old tree would be found amid
the remains of a 1926 shipwreck.
The Manhatten, a
wooden freighter in 30'- 40', hit a reef in October of 1903.
Divers can visit a large portion of the steamer's hull
framing. The vessel's enormous rudder, with its depth
markings still visible, lies nearby.
The Steven M. Selvick,
a 70' tug intentionally sunk in 1996 in
40'-60' of water. The pilot house starts in 40 ft. of water,
making this a great dive for beginners to experts. Divers
have access to all areas of the tug. The pilothouse, galley,
mess room, engine room, and crew quarters can all be
penetrated.
Scuba Dive
Sites
Shipwreck Tours Offers
55' Fiberglass boat, the Fireball, with a capacity of
24 divers
25' Lund, the Fun Time, with a capacity of 6 divers
Coast Guard Inspected and Licensed
Experienced and Licensed Dive & Charter Captains
Full Navigation & Safety Equipment
Air Service at the Dock
Limited rental Scuba equipment available.
Morning and afternoon dives. Individual and group rates.
Walk-Ins Welcome
Dive and Gift Shop at the Dock
For more information on diving these
shipwrecks, visit the
Scuba Diving section on Shipwreck Tours main web site
Descriptions of the wrecks, pictures, and reports on the
individual wrecks.
E-mail
Shipwreck Tours for more information.
Several members of Shipwreck Tours
are members of the Alger Underwater Preserve
Committee.
The Sinking of
the Steven M. Selvik in the Alger Underwater
Preserve
Shipwreck Tours
Glass Bottom Boat Tours &
Lake Superior Shipwreck Diving
1204 Commercial Street - Munising, Michigan 49862
For more information call (906) 387-4477
Alger
Underwater Preserve
Munising, MI
Attractions & Recreation
Upper Peninsula
Recreation Page
Exploring Munising MI
Upper Peninsula
Adventures Page
Home Page Upper Peninsula
Traveler
Information on the
shipwrecks is from the book Dangerous Coast: Pictured Rocks
Shipwrecks by Fred Stonehouse and Daniel Fountain, Avery
Color Studios, Marquette Michigan, 1997. This book, and
other shipwreck books by Fred Stonehouse, are for sale at
the Shipwreck Tours Bookstore and Ticket Office.
Photo of the Steven Selvick by Mike Kennedy
Other underwater photos from the Fred Stonehouse
Collection
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