Surprisingly, the state of Michigan has plenty of diving - and plenty of "underwater preserves" or parks. These areas are protected - nothing can be removed or damaged. The result of these regulations are pristine areas and great diving. I'm used to diving Lake Michigan off Chicago, where no such regulations are in place. Here it's a shock to find anything on the bottom - except large pieces of a wreck (and even some of these are removed to make tables!) Not so in Michigan's Preserves.

The Straits of Mackinac is best known for it's bridge and for Mackinac Island (home of the Grand Hotel.) But the 148 square miles of the Straits offer a large variety of diving, from excellent shore dives to fantastic wreck dives. St. Ignace Harbor was the port of the third oldest city in the U.S.A., so artifacts from America's earliest days can sometimes be found in the area. Divers can even make shore dives here! Dive flags are required as this is a busy area with a lot of boats!

The Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve has a detailed web site 

The best known shipwreck is that of the Cedarville, a 558 foot freighter. She sank in 1965 with a full load of limestone. She sunk after colliding with another ship while in a fog bank. The Cedarville now rests in 110 feet of water - the hull is within 35 feet of the surface, while the cabins and superstructure lie at 75 feet. The ship offers great exploration dives for the experienced diver.

Large schools of fish are interesting photo opportunities await divers in the "Rock Maze", a natural rock formation reassembling a maze. A natural reef, it is marked by a buoy, but boaters need to beware of local rock formations. You don't want to add your boat to the list of wreck dives!

Visibility in the straits is pretty poor, averaging 5 to 20 feet. 10 feet and above can be expected if the currents are not too strong. An interesting addition to the preserve are the mooring buoys that mark the sites - each one has information about the shipwreck that lies there!

This area can be a fantastic family adventure - the non-divers can enjoy Mackinac Island while the divers take advantage of the diving. For information contact St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce, 560 N. State St., St. Ignace, MI 49781 - (906) 643-8717 or (800) 338-6660.

Richard C. Drew started diving in 1973 and has been an avid Great Lakes diver since 1975.

Back to Article Page