Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve
Map showing the location of Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve
Map showing the location of Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve
Location within the state of Michigan
LocationLake Michigan, Leelanau County, Michigan USA
Nearest cityEmpire, Michigan
Coordinates45°00′18″N 85°58′05″W / 45.005°N 85.968°W / 45.005; -85.968
Governing bodyMichigan Department of Natural Resources

The Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve is a preservation area in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in Lake Michigan, it completely surrounds North Manitou Island and South Manitou Island. It includes much of that portion of Lake Michigan that borders the federally protected Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.[1]

History

The Manitou Passage carries a significant percentage of the commercial water traffic that is upbound or downbound in Lake Michigan. For this reason, the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve is rich in Lake freighter wrecks of all kinds.

There are 33 recreational diving sites in the Manitou Preserve, almost all of which are also within the boundary of the National Lakeshore. The sites include shipwrecks and maritime-related facilities such as old docks. Popular dive sites include:

References

  1. ^ "Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve". Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  2. ^ "nps.gov/submerged : Submerged Resources Center, National Park Service, Denver, Colorado".
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