There are numerous museums dedicated to the past trials and tribulations of
shipping in the Great Lakes
to get the proper training and carry the proper equipment
with them at all times. Including a flashlight, knife and other
gear that is meant to keep you safe on a wreck.
Today the laws of Ontario prevent anyone from just taking
something from an underwater wreck. The Heritage Act levies
fines up to $1 million for illegally removing items from a
shipwreck. Also, under the act it is not legal to dive on the
Edmond Fitzgerald in Lake Superior or the Hamilton and
Scourge in Lake Ontario without permits because there are
human remains on board. You are only allowed to remove
items from a wreck if given proper permits from the
Government of Ontario. Most diving companies and
shipwreck preservation organizations promote a look but
don’t touch philosophy when it comes to diving wrecks.
Sean Ley, the Operation Coordinator at the Great Lakes
Shipwreck Museum in Paradise, Michigan confirmed the
same for wrecks found in Michigan waters.
“When you dive a wreck you are not allowed to pull
anything off it without a permit from the state of
Michigan,”said Ley.
If diving is not your thing there are numerous museums
dedicated to the past trials and tribulations of shipping in the
Great Lakes. They dot the coasts on both sides of the border,
giving historical context and showing many pictures of the
ships that litter the bottom of the lakes. The Dossin Great
Lakes Museum located on Belle Isle is host to many of the
different artifacts pulled from the bottom of the Detroit River,
including an 18th century cannon.
Many things can be seen in and around wrecks, from tea
cups and clothing to cargo and machinery on the decks. The
colder waters and deeper depths of Lake Superior, on the
shores of which the museum is located are ideal for keeping
shipwrecks in pristine condition. Ley notes that although
many people may not think of shipwrecks as a tourism
industry the numbers steadily increase a Ёѡ