Whitefish Point is located north of Paradise, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. It is still known as the most dangerous shipping lane of the Great Lakes.
Why Is Whitefish Point So Dangerous?
In a nutshell, it’s due to dangerous storms that can occur quickly and hidden shoals near the shoreline creating risks for passing ships. .
On Lake Superior, there are a 160 miles of open water that lead to the Whitefish Bay area. Storms and waves can build up slowly and by the time they reach the cape, they can be violent and deadly.
Occasionally, these waves can grow into “rogue” waves. When rogue waves develop, a ship can be hit with a series of three waves. Each wave can overcome the ships more quickly than the previous and this keeps the crews from having a chance to recover fast enough, at times sending them careening into the hidden shoals.
The Gales Of November
We hear the term “Gales of November” a lot – especially if you live near the Great Lakes. What are they really?
Also called the “November Witch”, “November Gale”, the “Three Sisters” or the “Witch of November”. These “witches” bring strong winds across the Great Lakes. Drawing arctic wind from Canada and mixing it with warmer temperatures from the Gulf area in the South, the resulting collision can produce hurricane strength winds.
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald
Memorialized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, we hear about the Gales of November. Perhaps for some, like myself, that may have been your first introduction to the term. For me, I was around ten years old and it was a haunting phrase that struck a deep chord. I’m sure the melody of the song itself had a lot to do with that.
On the night the Fitzgerald sank, the gales had reached the equivalent of 1/2 hurricane force. To give you a better idea, that is around 37-47.5 mph (32-41 kt).
If you have not had a chance to read the latest post from contributor, Shelby Johnson, click this link: https://thecoddiwomplist.com/michigantragediesanddisasters/
This month Ms. Johnson’s post goes into more detail about the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and it is a great read so I’ll let you go there to learn more.
Shipwrecks At Whitefish Point
It has been estimated that the five Great Lakes combined have experienced over 6,000 shipwrecks and a loss of lives numbering in the range of 30,000. The majority of those lie at the bottom of Lake Erie. I know, I didn’t expect that either. The guesses on how many are in Lake Erie run the gamut from 500 to 2,000 ships lying at their final resting place in it’s waters. The reason? Lake Erie is the most shallow of all the Great Lakes and storms rise up very quickly.
However, since this post is about Whitefish Point and Whitefish Bay, let’s take a look at their figures.
Of the major 550 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, 200 of those happened in the area of Whitefish Point. This number includes the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on November 10, 1975, just 15-17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point and, technically, it lies in Canadian waters.
Some of the others you may recognize include: the Niagra; the Samual Mathers; the Comet; and the MM Drake
Deep Diving In Whitefish Point Preserve
Do you like to deep dive? Did you know that there is a 376 mile underwater preserve around Whitefish Point that is for you?
Because of the clear, cold waters of Lake Superior, many shipwrecks have been very well preserved and offer divers a chance to see them up close. At 30 to 50 feet below surface, divers can expect up to 100 feet of visibility.
To learn more about this great adventure, contact the Paradise Area Tourism Council at 906-492-3927. You can also visit their website at http://www.paradisemichigan.org/
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum while at Whitefish Point, I highly recommend it!
I’ll be honest, when I went there a couple of years ago, I didn’t expect much from the experience. It seemed quite small at first sight…but I was very wrong! My daughter and I went through it together and were very happy with how much much we learned and how much was on the grounds to walk through.
If you haven’t had a chance to read the blog post about my stop at the museum, here is the link: https://thecoddiwomplist.com/lost-in-the-depths-of-the-great-lakes-shipwreck-museum/
To plan your own visit, you can find out more HERE. Please keep in mind that the museum is only open May 1 -October 31 every year.
Where Is Whitefish Point?
Special Note
All of us at The Coddiwomplist would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of those lost on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald