212 of the 1, 000 shipwrecks are there in the great lakes.
how many shipwrecks are there in the great lakes?
212 of the 1, 000
the great lakes, a collection of five freshwater lakes located in north america, have been sailed upon since at least the 17th century, and thousands of ships have been sunk while traversing them. many of these ships were never found, so the exact number of shipwrecks in the lakes is unknown; the great lakes shipwreck museum approximates 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives lost, while historian and mariner mark thompson has estimated that the total number of wrecks is likely more than 25,000. in the period between 1816, when the "invincible" was lost, to the sinking of the "edmund fitzgerald" in 1975, the whitefish point area alone has claimed at least 240 ships.
list of shipwrecks in the great lakes
lake erie is a favorite for divers since there are many shipwrecks, perhaps 1,400 to 8,000 according to one estimate, of which about 270 are "confirmed shipwreck locations." most wrecks are undiscovered but believed to be well preserved and in good condition and at most only below the water surface. one report suggests there are more "wrecks per square mile" than any other freshwater location, including wrecks from native american watercraft. there are efforts to identify shipwreck sites and survey the lake floor to map the location of underwater sites, possibly for further study or exploration. while the lake is relatively warmer than the other great lakes, there is a thermocline, meaning that as a diver descends, the water temperature drops about , requiring a wetsuit. one estimate is that lake erie has a quarter of all 8,000 estimated shipwrecks in the great lakes. they are preserved because the water is cold and salt-free creating "intact time capsules down there". divers have a policy of not removing or touching anything at the wreck else the "next person won't be able to see it"; when artifacts were removed on occasion, it was met by "outrage" by the diving community. the cold conditions make diving difficult and "strenuous" requiring divers with skill and experience. one charter firm from western new york state takes about 1,500 divers to lake erie shipwrecks in a typical season from april through october.
lake erie