(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 14, 2010 ) HOUGHTON, Mich. – Visitors can dive nine major wrecks of different types at Isle Royale. It’s not unusual to find portholes, bottles, wrenches, lights, and lanterns near the wrecks. The artifacts are to see, enjoy, photograph, and leave behind. The boats’ historic wooden wrecks have been surveyed by professional archeologists and divers can also explore the rooms and machinery spaces of the more intact steel wrecks. These sunken vessels are now protected by the National Park Service.
Diving depths vary from shallow (2 feet) to deep (270 feet). HereÂ’s a taste of what divers will find:
• The Algoma, a 264-foot steel passenger ship, ran aground at Isle Royale in a blinding snowstorm on November 7, 1885. The ship immediately broke in two with the stern section firmly aground on the beach. The bow section reportedly drifted off and sank in deeper water. Fourteen passengers and crew members survived an exhausting day on the wreck before being rescued. The wreck lies in 10-80 feet of water.
• The SS America is a unique shipwreck because parts of it are visible from the surface in barely two feet of water. The ship transported passengers, the fish catch, supplies, and mail on three voyages a week from Duluth to Isle Royale and Thunder Bay, with numerous stops along the way. On June 7, 1928, the America struck a submerged shoal which tore a fatal hole in her hull. Efforts to raise her in the 60s couple with a major preservation effort in the late 90s make the America one of the most famous shipwrecks near the island. Nearly 500 divers a year visit the wreck in 2-75 feet of water.
A trip to Isle Royale isnÂ’t complete without a stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge, the only lodging available on the isolated island. The lodge features rooms with private baths, housekeeping cottages, a dining room, snack bar, gift shop, dockside store, marina, rental motor boats.
On down days from diving, take one of the many sightseeing tours offered by the staff at Rock Harbor Lodge. Guides will take tours to the far ends of the island where some viewpoints extend all the way into Canada. Tours take guests to the rugged outer limits of Isle Royale where guests can have a short day hike and picnic in the isolation of the National Park. The waters of Lake Superior are great for fishing for trout and salmon. Visitors to Rock Harbor Lodge can go home with their own "he was this big" story after taking one of Isle Royale's fishing charters. The islandÂ’s guides know the best places on Lake Superior for the best fishing. All charter boats are fully equipped and fishing tackle is provided. Michigan fishing licenses are required and available to purchase.
Accommodations at Rock Harbor start at $216, but the value of adventurous days and comfortable nights in the National Park is priceless.
