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Which lake has most shipwrecks?

Lake Michigan contains more shipwrecks than any of the other Great Lakes, as well as the oldest recorded one: the French ship Griffon, the first European vessel to sail the Lakes. It vanished with all six hands in 1679. Nobody knows what happened to it, or where its wreck may be found.



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Michigan. The Great Lakes have been dubbed the 'Shipwreck Capital of the World' by many. But that's because under the area's 95,000 square miles of water lie nearly 5,000 shipwrecks.

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The primary reason for shipwrecks on the Great Lakes is stormy weather, specifically in the upper portions of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. In the late fall and early winter, weather can be particularly treacherous. Most Great Lakes shipwrecks occurred in the late fall.

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“In fact, we think Lake Erie has a greater density of shipwrecks than virtually anywhere else in the world—even the Bermuda triangle.” Because of incomplete record keeping, nobody knows the exact number of shipwrecks that have occurred in Lake Erie, but estimates range from 500 to 2000.

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Arguably the most famous ship in history, the RMS Titanic was known for its glamour and lavishness and was believed to be “unsinkable.” On April 10, 1912, Titanic departed the English city of Southampton on its maiden voyage heading to New York City.

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The Abandoned Shipwreck Act, passed in 1987 to protect historical shipwrecks from treasure hunters, gives U.S. states ownership title of all shipwrecks found within U.S. territorial waters up to three miles from the coastline.

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The primary reason for shipwrecks on the Great Lakes is stormy weather, specifically in the upper portions of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. In the late fall and early winter, weather can be particularly treacherous. Most Great Lakes shipwrecks occurred in the late fall.

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Thankfully, very few cruise ships have actually sunk in modern history. Even so, the Titanic's sinking impacted maritime law so much that there are more than enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew onboard any given sailing. Within the last 111 years, over 20 cruise ships and ocean liners have sunk.

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A ship that hasn't been seen for almost a century and a half has been confirmed as found. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise, Michigan announced an expedition on Lake Superior last year that led to the discovery of the Satellite, a tugboat that sank June 21, 1879.

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Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior make up the “Great Lakes” of North America. But thousands of years ago, there was a 6th lake larger than all of them combined–Lake Agassiz.

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