Shipwreck Discoveries

Shipwreck Explorers team is dedicated to discovering lost shipwrecks.  Finding lost shipwrecks is not a simple task.  It takes time, effort, and resources such as equipment and finances.  We enjoy researching lost shipwrecks in a library and newspaper articles, establishing search patterns, and searching for the shipwrecks.  Sometimes we are fortunate enough to have people share snags or approximate shipwreck locations.

Shipwreck Explorers also works with other organizations on documenting newly found shipwrecks through photography and videography.

Shipwreck Discoveries

1. June, 2009 – Rabit Steamer M.H. Stuart
   • We came across this shipwreck while diving another site that day and we decided to dive down to examine it.  We took pictures and videos and called a maritime historian Brendon Baillod to inquire about it.  He was immediately able to identify the shipwreck based on our description.  The steamer was scuttled on purpose and is burnt to the waterline but the main structure is still sitting on the bottom at 200ft of water.
2. April, 2010 – Steamship L.R. Doty
   • The discovery of this shipwreck came about when a local Milwaukee Capt. Jerry Guyer shared Loran coordinates (location numbers) with Brendon Baillod for his book “Fathoms Deep but Not Forgotten: Wisconsin’s Lost Shipwreck Sites”.  On April 28, 2010 we decided to venture out to the location on board of Molly V in order to relocate the target using GPS technology, because Loran technology was discontinued the year before.  We were successful in relocating the target using just a regular depth-sounder.  On June 16, 2010 Shipwreck Explorers team of divers made discovery dives down to 320ft in order to identify and document the shipwreck.  The discovery was so significant the news instantly traveled all around the world and National Geographic Explorer Channel made a TV show about the L.R. Doty and the schooner Olive Janette the following year.
   • In March, 2011 Capt. Jitka Hanakova was the key note speaker at the Ghost Ships Scuba Show in Milwaukee, WI presenting about the discovery of L.R. Doty.
3. April, 2015 – Steamship Alice E. Wilds
   • The discovery of this shipwreck started four year before that in 2011 when we discussed a last known missing steamer near Milwaukee with Brendon Baillod; after the discovery of the L.R. Doty.  Brendon had told us that the ship sunk in a collision with another steamer and that the location would be more or less specific, within 10 miles.  This is a large area to search and we needed better equipment.  The team decided to purchase a Klein 3000 sidescan sonar for this task.  In the spring of 2015 the team poured through newspaper articles to identify an approximate location in order to plot a search grid.  The grid was 10 miles by 7 miles, 70 m².  On April 28, 2015 the team headed out to sidescan the plotted area near Milwaukee.  We only found rocks the first day but the second day was like a dream come true – we located an object only 30 sec. after putting the sidescan in the water.  We nearly missed it and it would have been on the edge of our grid, where we may not have returned back to on the next pass.  Luck was with us!  Shipwreck Explorers team of divers dove the shipwreck on June 16, 2015 in order to identify and document the shipwreck.
     • Video by Becky Kagan Schott and Shipwreck Explorers – Liquid Productions Inc.
     • Fox 6 Now news segment
     • Photo Gallery

Shipwreck Documentaries

1. Shipwreck Explorers team took part in helping to document the steamship A.A. Parker in the summer of 2013 and subsequent years.  This is a very unique shipwreck as it split into four pieces on the bottom and spilled all cargo around.  It makes it a bit harder for navigating around the shipwreck but easier for taking pictures and videos of the artifacts.
   • MI 9&10 News – Visiting The A.A. Parker At The Bottom Of Lake Superior
   • A.A. Parker article by Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (Whitefish Point, MI) underwater research
   • Photo Gallery