Ontario’s Lake Superior has thousands of shipwrecks among the waters

Over the centuries, Lake Superior has done some damage when it comes to the ships that have taken to its waters. Thousands of shipwrecks have occurred, and today, the remnants of some of those ships remain.

The Edmund Fitzgerald is the most famous and one of the most recent shipwrecks in Lake Superior, according to Discovery Program Specialist Dave Sproule.

The 222-metre iron ore carrier sank 18 km off Coppermine Point, 60 km north of Sault Ste. Marie.

Ontario Parks states that the last radio communication from the Fitzgerald was at 7:10 p.m. on Nov. 10, 1975.

The boat’s captain, Captain McSorley, was asked just before the wreckage how the crew was doing. McSorley replied, “We are holding our own.” A few minutes later, “the Fitzgerald disappeared from the radar screen for the last time.”

Want to see some yourself? There are a handful of Ontario Parks where you can check out shipwrecks of Lake Superior, and we can’t lie, it’s pretty cool.

Pancake Bay Provincial Park

This is where you can catch a glimpse of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout in Pancake Bay provides expansive views of Whitefish Bay to the south, and Batchawana Bay to the east and the Algoma Highlands.

The Edmund Fitzgerald ship is situated about 18 km west of Coppermine Point, which is the best place to see where the ship went down.

Where: 12729 Hwy. 17N, Batchawana Bay, Ont.

Lake Superior Provincial Park

Lake Superior Provincial Park’s visitor centre is where you’ll find a ton of information on shipwrecks nearby, a section titled “The Power of the Lake.”

If you want to see one up close and personal, the remote Gargantua Harbour has a shipwreck beneath its waters, still visible to those who approach.

Where: 96 Broadway Ave. Wawa, Ont.

Neys Provincial Park

This is another park with a visitor centre that has plenty of information and exhibits on some of the shipwrecks of Lake Superior.

The park displays an artifact from the Edmund Fitzgerald itself: the ship’s life ring.

The life ring was found on the park’s shore, far from the actual site of the wreckage.

Where: 1004 ON-17, Neys, Ont.

Will you be visiting a shipwreck among the waters of Lake Superior?

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