During a routine patrol, the aircrew of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, captured a rare discovery: Crystal-clear aerial images of Lake Michigan shipwrecks.
As the ice finally melted near Northern Michigan, these shipwrecks, which are usually obscured by the water’s murky surface, wind and waves, were clearly revealed. The photos were taken near Sleeping Bear Point, northeast along the shoreline of Leland, Michigan.
These vessels date back to the mid-19th and early 20th centuries and are part of the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve.
Among the shipwrecks photographed were the 121-foot James McBride, a cargo ship that ran aground during a storm on October 19, 1857; and Rising Sun, a 133-foot wooden steamer that became stranded near Pyramid Point in 1917.
For more information, visit michiganpreserves.org.
Photo Courtesy of USCG Air Station Traverse City, Michigan
