Wreck Dive Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

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Isle Royale National Park in Michigan offers exciting scuba diving opportunities. The cold waters of Lake Superior maintains a variety of shipwrecks in outstanding condition for exploration and photography. These sunken vessels are protected by the National Park Service as cultural treasures to be enjoyed by you, the experienced scuba diver. In order to preserve fragile natural and cultural resources, areas such as the inland lakes, all land-associated underwater cultural sites, and the Passage Island small boat cove are closed to diving. Lake Superior’s rough weather is well known. Follow forecasts given regularly over marine radio and keep a least one person aboard your boat whenever divers are in the water. Water is cold at all times. At the surface, water temperature rarely reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Below 50 feet, divers can expect 34-37 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. Protect yourself; a full wet suit is necessary and a dry suit is recommended. There are no facilities for filling dive cylinders at Isle Royale. Personal compressor use is limited to designated locations and times. Once at Isle Royale, your dive permit lists regulations on compressor use. The following companies are licensed by the National Park Service to guide SCUBA trips at Isle Royal National Park. Please contact them directly for information on rates, reservations, accommodations and schedules. Isle Royale Charters, Minnesota, (269) 270-8334 MN- Blackdog Diving LLC, Minnesota, 507-236-2280 Superior Trips, Minnesota, (651) 635-6438 Some of the major wrecks are: Algoma (Passenger Steamer): 262 feet in length; built in 1813; sunk in 1885. Location: Southeast shore of Mott Island. Depth of Stern: Minimum 10 feet; maximum 100+ feet. Features: the ship broke in half, and parts of the stern are all that remain. Wreckage is widely scattered with no major sections intact. Bow section not yet located. Buoy on a sinker in 50 feet. Cumberland (Passenger Steamer): 204 feet in length; built in 1871; sunk in 1877. Location: Near Rock of Ages Light. Depth: Minimum 20 feet; maximum 80 feet. Features: Large sections of wooden hull, side-wheel and boiler remain. Wreckage is intermingled with wooden remains of Chisholm hull. Buoy on a sinker in 35 feet. Glenlyon (Bulk Freighter): 328 feet in length; built in 1893; sunk in 1924. Location: Glenlyon Shoals off Menagerie Island in Siskiwit Bay. Depth: Minimum 15 feet; maximum 60 feet. Features: The wreck is scattered over the reef with a few large sections still intact. The drive shaft, propeller, engine, boilers, and some cabin wreckage offer easy exploring. Buoy attached to a piece of wreckage at 40 feet. America (Package Freighter): 183 feet in length; built in 1898; sunk in 1928. Location: North Gap of Washington Harbor. Depth: Minimum 2 feet; maximum 80 feet. Features: The forward part of the superstructure has been removed by ice, wave action, and a past salvage operation. The midship and stern are intact, including engine room, galley, and numerous cabins. Watch out for silt entanglement, and visibility problems inside the America. Two point mooring with a buoy on a sinker in 20 feet and a marker buoy on the bow in 2 feet. The shipwreck America is closed for diving between 12 noon and 2:00pm EDT, to allow ferry passengers to view the wreck. Chester Congdon (Bulk Freighter): 532 feet in length; built in 1907; sunk in 1918. Location: Congdon Shoals on northeast end of Isle Royale. Depth: 60-200 feet on stern, 50-120- feet on bow, minimum 10 feet on reef. Features: Wreckage consists of intact pilot house and bow section on south side of reef and an intact stern on north side. Much scattered wreckage is found on the reef between these major sections. Buoy on bow, attached at stern in 65 feet. Emperor (Bulk Freighter): 525 feet in length; built in 1910; sunk in 1947. Location: North side of Canoe Rocks, on the northeast end of Isle Royale. Depth: Minimum 25 feet; maximum 175 feet. Features: The wreck is basically intact, with the bow area showing most damage. Stern area features an intact mast rudder/prop, engine room, and numerous cabins. Buoy on bow attached at stern in 25 feet; buoy on stern attached on deck at 100 feet. Henry Chisholm (Bulk Freighter): 265 feet in length; built in 1880; sunk in 1898. Location: Near Rock of Ages Lighthouse. Depth: Minimum 125 feet; maximum 150+ feet. Features: A large intact steam engine with drive shaft and prop dominate the scene. Buoy attached to engine at 125 feet. Large sections of wooden hull are scattered amongst the remains of Cumberland.

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