Thunder Bay
A visit to the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center will open up a whole new world of discovery. This is the only National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, NOAA, location at a fresh water facility in the world. The facility offers a number of entertaining and educational programs, that highlight the value of our irreplaceable natural resources. The conservation and preservation of the Great Lakes, containing 20% of the fresh water on earth, is what the work here is all about.
The
Heritage Center is the starting point for exploring the
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary that protects the
shipwrecks and the diving areas. The welcome center offers
10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits showcasing the
history, shipwrecks and archaeology of Thunder Bay
specifically, and the Great Lakes, in general. There are
several excellent maps showing the location of shipwrecks
with details about some of the more famous. One unusual
exhibit is a full size replica of a wooden Great Lakes
schooner. Visitors can climb aboard and experience what a
Great Lakes storm would feel like on the tossing deck. Those
storms have caused the demise of many a ship.
A popular way to explore some of the 100+ shipwrecks, in and near the bay, is by boat. In the warm months, glass bottom boat tours around the bay are available. Which of the wrecks the tour covers, depends on wind conditions. Some of the wrecks are more than 80 feet below the surface. Still they are perfectly visible due to the clarity of these waters. A few miles away is the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse. The Joseph S. Fay became stranded there in 1905. The wreck is still there, in shallow water, making it a favorite to visit.
Among the valuable educational programs supported by the Sanctuary is an underwater robotics competition. The competition allows students to engage in underwater missions using underwater remote operated vehicles. The missions are based on real world scenarios like exploring sunken ships.
Thunder Bay is a great day trip on the back roads of Michigan.
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