How deep of water did the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in?

Shortly after 7:10 p.m. on Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters 530 feet (160 metres) deep after encountering a severe storm on Lake Superior.

How deep did the Edmund Fitzgerald sink?

The entire crew of 29 people died when the vessel sank. No bodies were ever recovered from the wreckage. Later when the wreck was found, it was discovered that the ship had broken in two. It still sits on the bottom of Lake Superior at 530 feet deep.

What caused the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald?

In 1977, the U.S Coast Guard pinned the sinking on massive flooding of the cargo hold caused by faulty or poorly fastened hatch covers. The slow flooding supposedly went unnoticed by the captain and crew until it caused an imperceptible but fatal buoyancy loss and eventually sent the Fitzgerald plunging to the bottom.

How big were the waves that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank at the eastern edge of the area of high wind where the long fetch (distance that the wind blows over water) produced significant wave heights (average of the highest 1/3 of waves) to over 7 meters (23 ft) by 0000 UTC and to over 7.5 meters (25 ft) at 0100 UTC with a maximum significant wave ...

Are there bodies in Lake Superior?

Lake Superior Bodies

There an 350 shipwrecks in Lake Superior and an estimated 10,000 people have died in the icy waters, but as legend says, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. Underwater bacteria feed on human remains and create gas which causes bodies to float back to the surface.

Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

What is the deepest part of Lake Superior?

The deepest point in Lake Superior (about 40 miles north of Munising, Michigan) is 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the surface.

Did a rogue wave sink the Edmund Fitzgerald?

If the Dive Detectives are right, the ship was in fact sunk by a rogue wave -- a massive wall of water that can reach up to 10 storeys high but was previously dismissed as a sailors' myth.

Which Great Lake has the most shipwrecks?

Lake Erie has an astonishing 2,000-plus shipwrecks which is among the highest concentration of shipwrecks in the world.

Why is Lake Superior called Gitche Gumee?

The Ojibwe name for the lake is gichi-gami (in syllabics: ᑭᒋᑲᒥ, pronounced gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami in different dialects), meaning "great sea". Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this name as "Gitche Gumee" in the poem The Song of Hiawatha, as did Gordon Lightfoot in his song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

Has anyone dived to the Edmund Fitzgerald?

On Sept. 1, 1995, Tysall and fellow diver Mike Zee, of Chicago, became the first and only people to ever scuba dive the Fitzgerald. The deep-water expedition landed the two men in the technical diving history books - and in hot water with some of the lost crew members' families, who consider the wreck a gravesite.

Why can't you dive on the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The Edmund Fitzgerald:

However, in 2006, the Canadian Government passed a Law the will not allow anyone to dive it and two other shipwrecks in Canadian waters of Lake Superior. There is a one Million Dollar fine for diving it!

How deep is Lake Michigan?

Approximately 118 miles wide and 307 miles long, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline. Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.

Can you dive to the bottom of Lake Superior?

The current venture marks the first time Superior has been probed to such depths. Most human divers have gone no deeper than 300 feet. At one point, the sub will descend 1,330 feet below the surface, the deepest point in the Great Lakes.

How many ships have sunk in Lake Superior?

There are over 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, having caused an estimate loss of 30,000 mariners' lives. It is estimated that there are about 550 wrecks in Lake Superior, most of which are undiscovered.

What was discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior?

This past week, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) announced the discovery of the Atlanta in 650 feet of water 35 miles off Deer Park, Michigan. According to a news release, the vessel was helping transport a load of coal in tow of the steamer Wilhelm when a northwest gale hit.

What is the biggest creature in the Great Lakes?

The largest ever recorded Lake Sturgeon weighted 310 pounds! Suddenly, I'm less inclined to laugh at those who've spotted some shocking 'monsters' in the Great Lakes. Don't swear off swimming in the Great Lakes, though. Lake Sturgeon are actually quite docile.

Are there sharks in the Great Lakes?

Sharks do not live in the Great Lakes, but many fishes are mostly drawn to this water body as their natural habitat.

Does Lake Superior have rogue waves?

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have confirmed the phenomenon of rogue waves on Lake Superior -- waves double the size of others at the same time and which have been named as a potential cause of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

What time of day did the Edmund Fitzgerald sank?

Since there were no survivors nor witnesses, their report is based on testimonies and an underwater survey of the wreck. This report suggests that the Fitzgerald was taking on water due to earlier damage from the storm and that around 7:15 p.m. it plunged headfirst into a large wave and sank abruptly.

Where is the Edmund Fitzgerald now?

The Edmund Fitzgerald's bell now is displayed at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point.

Is there an underground lake under Lake Superior?

As we determined this past week with several arduous dives, the caves lead to a vast underground lake. This is undoubtedly Sir Duluth's 'Lac d'Enfer,' and the same lake which swallowed poor William Bitter in 1870.

What lives at the bottom of Lake Superior?

The study focused on three key fish that inhabit the deepwater environment of Lake Superior: the siscowet lake trout, deepwater sculpin, and kiyi. The siscowet lake trout is a form of lake trout found in the deepest waters of Lake Superior and is sometimes regarded as a subspecies to the lean lake trout.

Can you drink water straight from Lake Superior?

Yes you can drink lake superior water. However, if drinking straight from the lake it always recommended to boil the water before consuming.