<P> In late December 2014 , treasure hunting divers Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe alerted media outlets that they found indisputable proof of Le Griffon 's location . They happened upon the wreckage while searching the floor of Lake Michigan for Confederate gold . Evidently , they spotted the wreck in 2011 , but waited until 2014 to reveal the discovery of what some call the `` holy grail '' of Great Lakes shipwrecks while they consulted experts . There are `` no cables , no cabin , and no smokestacks , '' no mechanical devices of any kind , and a carving on the front of the ship strongly resembles 17th - century French carvings of griffins , Dykstra says . On January 2 , 2015 , Frederick Monroe told an interviewer for public radio that he believed Le Griffon was built in Canada , below Niagara Falls , and brought to the upper Great Lakes . He went on to say that the wreck is `` the one that got in the way . '' Their claim was quickly debunked when Michigan authorities dove down on June 9 , 2015 after receiving the coordinates to verify its authenticity . Michigan state maritime archaeologist Wayne R. Lusardi presented evidence that the wreck was , in fact , a tugboat due to its 90 - foot ( 27 m ) length and presence of a steam boiler . </P>
<P> In late December 2014 , treasure hunting divers Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe alerted media outlets that they found indisputable proof of Le Griffon 's location . They happened upon the wreckage while searching the floor of Lake Michigan for Confederate gold . Evidently , they spotted the wreck in 2011 , but waited until 2014 to reveal the discovery of what some call the `` holy grail '' of Great Lakes shipwrecks while they consulted experts . There are `` no cables , no cabin , and no smokestacks , '' no mechanical devices of any kind , and a carving on the front of the ship strongly resembles 17th - century French carvings of griffins , Dykstra says . On January 2 , 2015 , Frederick Monroe told an interviewer for public radio that he believed Le Griffon was built in Canada , below Niagara Falls , and brought to the upper Great Lakes . He went on to say that the wreck is `` the one that got in the way . '' Their claim was quickly debunked when Michigan authorities dove down on June 9 , 2015 after receiving the coordinates to verify its authenticity . Michigan state maritime archaeologist Wayne R. Lusardi presented evidence that the wreck was , in fact , a tugboat due to its 90 - foot ( 27 m ) length and presence of a steam boiler . </P>
what is the holy grail of great lakes shipwrecks
what is the holy grail of great lakes shipwrecks
Le Griffon
Le Griffon