The Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve was created by the State of Michigan to protect and preserve shipwrecks in the Straits area. We have nearly 90 recorded shipwrecks in the area, with a number of them still remaining for divers, snorkelers, and kayakers to visit. There are shallow, inshore sites for beginners as well as deep-water sites for advanced and technical divers.
Please use the provided moorings (in season) to avoid damaging the shipwrecks, and remember to "take photographs, not souvenirs".
After your dives, be sure to check out the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City, where you will find models of three of the most popular Preserve shipwrecks, all to the same scale: the Sandusky, Eber Ward, and Cedarville. These models show how the vessels looked afloat, and how they look on the bottom today. You can also visit the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw Museum, and tour the vessel that brought the Cedarville survivors to shore.
Straits of Mackinac Bottomland Preserve map
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