The proposed West Michigan Underwater Preserve would promote scuba diving and conservation of the wrecks located here in West Michigan. The West Michigan Underwater Preserve (proposed) in Lake Michigan covers from north of Big Sable Point, Ludington in the north to the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve in the south. This area contains ten known shipwrecks, and almost certainly more waiting to be discovered.
Read below to learn more about some of the known shipwrecks in the proposed West Michigan Underwater Preserve area.
Built in Cleveland in 1868, the Brightie foundered in Lake Michigan north of Whitehall on August 13, 1928.
In 50' of water about 1/2 mile NW of the Whitehall Channel is a naturally occurring clay wall.
Approximately five miles north of Pentwater, the Comanche is a 75 - 100' tugboat in 75' of water.
A 320' whaleback steamer, the Henry Cort was stranded along the Muskegon Breakwall of Lake Michigan on Nov. 30, 1934. The crew survived, but one rescuer was lost in the storm.
A shallow wreck, the Daisy Day is a 103' wooden steam-powered bulk freighter that sank in Lake Michigan in 1891.
1.9 miles off the Little Sable Light lies the William B. Davock, a 420' steel bulk freight steamer. She sank in over 200' of water in the Armistice Day storm of 1940.
The Hamilton Reef (also known as "The Rock Pile") is an artificial reef of cement rubble in a snake formation that lies just south of the Muskegon Channel in Lake Michigan. It provided habitat for fish, making it an interesting dive.
The Helen, a 90' merchant schooner, sank in the gale of November 18, 1886. She lies in 10' of water about one mile north of the Muskegon Channel. She is an elusive wreck, appearing and disappearing in the shifting sands of Lake Michigan.
The Interlaken went down in a storm in 1936. She is in Lake Michigan about 7 miles north of Whitehall in 15' of water.
In 120' of water four miles west of the Grand Haven Channel lies the Ironsides, a 218' wooden twin prop steamer. She foundered in heavy seas on September 15, 1873.
The Anna C. Minch went down in the Armistice Day storm on November 11, 1940. She is a 380' steel bulk freighter steamer, and was broken in two during the storm.
The Novadoc shipwreck is 252' steel bulk freighter off Juniper Beach near Pentwater Built in 1928 at Wallsend, England, the Novadoc sank during the Armistice Day storm in 1940.
The Salvor is a 253' wooden pseduo-whaleback steamer that was converted to a steel bulk freight barge. She foundered in a storm in 1930 while being towed.
A 165' wooden passenger freight steamer, the State of Michigan was built in 1875 in Manitowac, WI. She sank in Lake Michigan about two miles north of Whtehall on October 18, 1901. The boiler and outer hull are intact.