June 12 Whitefish Point - Graveyard of the Great Lakes
Jun 12, 2020
I’ve been to Whitefish Point a few times now. One of the things I find intriguing is the amount of driftwood on the beach. Beautifully bleached, the white color is striking. I love all the different formations.
The major attraction for most folks visiting Whitefish Point is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, located at Michigan’s Whitefish Point Light-Station. With more than 200 shipwrecks lying in the immediate vicinity, the area is known as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast or the Graveyard of the Great Lakes. More vessels have been lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. For ships coming from the west, it is considered that if you can make it around Whitefish Point, you can safely get to “The Soo” (Sault Ste. Marie). If you are coming from the east, you’ll want to be sure the “coast is clear” before venturing past Whitefish Point into the open lake.
Of those many shipwrecks one is most often talked about – The Edmund Fitzgerald. It was affectionately known as “Big Fitz” as it was the biggest ship on the lakes when it was built in the late 1950s. At just 17 miles away, Whitefish Point is the nearest navigation mark to the wreckage of the ore freighter, which sank in November, 1975.
It’s story is rather interesting. Leaving the harbor at Duluth-Superior, it met up with another ore carrier, The Anderson, just leaving Two Harbors, MN. They played follow the leader across the lake. As the seas became rough and a powerful storm became imminent, the two captains decided to take a northern route across the lake to potentially get some shelter from the Canadian shoreline. Eventually they had to turn southeast in order to get to the locks at Sault Ste. Marie. With the storm raging and getting stronger, the two freighters battled hurricane force winds and high seas. Big Fitz lost its radar mast to the winds. The captain had to use his radio phone to stay in contact with the Anderson, using their radar to navigate. As they took the northern route, they were on a less traveled route east of Caribou Island. What happened to Big Fitz may not ever be known for sure. The captain of the Anderson thought they were too close to Caribou Island and its shallow sand bars, he said in a later interview.
At this point the Edmund Fitzgerald captain radioed that he was taking on water, but that he had is pumps on and seemed to be holding his own. The seas continued to rage, windier and heavier than either captain had ever seen. They had over 70 years of experience between them. That was the last communication from the Edmund Fitzgerald. Despite search parties from the Coast Guard and the Anderson, no one was found. 29 men died that night. This painting is by Martin Potashner
Thankfully, the Edmund Fitzgerald was the last shipwreck on Lake Superior. The story has been immortalized by singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. It is a good story/song. You can hear it: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
You can get the full story of the Edmund FitzGerald at the shipwreck museum at Whitefish Point.