Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, located in North America on the border of Canada–US, form an important internal navigable channel in the Central North American region. Connecting the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River, the Great Lake consists of five water bodies including Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. Being the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by total area, the Great Lakes have a history of marine transportation since the 17th century. However, traversing through these water areas isn’t easy and many ships in the past have succumbed and irrevocably lost in their swirling depths.Having the sea-like features such as rolling waves, strong currents and great depths, these water bodies, also known as inland seas, offers a difficult time for sailors when traversing through the region.
Innumerable shipwrecks of such hapless vessels have been discovered in the Great Lakes, which has given rise to the connotation – Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes, with even notable museums established as an educational memorial to these Great Lakes shipwrecks. According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, the lakes have caused the sinking of around 6,000 ships and the death of 30,000 people. However, historian Mark Thompson, the author of Graveyard of the Lakes has estimated that there are over 25000 shipwrecks on the bottom of the Great Lakes.
