Welcome to Thunder Bay
National Marine Sanctuary

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established to protect a nationally significant collection of over 100 shipwrecks, spanning over a century of Great Lakes shipping history. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary represents many "firsts" for the National Marine Sanctuary Program:

• First Great Lakes sanctuary.
• First sanctuary to focus solely on a large collection of underwater cultural resources.
• First sanctuary located entirely in state waters

Learn about the documentation of the oldest known shipwreck in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the establishment of the largest marine conservation area in the world and almost 100 other resource protection, science and education accomplishments in the just released - 2006 State of the Sanctuaries Report, or click here for a downloadable pdf file of the - 2006 State of The Thunder Bay National Sanctuary Report (pdf)

Check Thunder Bay weather and waves here.

Sanctuary News and Events:

Saturday April 26th, 1:00 - 2:45pm. Join sanctuary historian C. Patrick Labadie and members of Alpena’s Coast Guard Auxilary for an historic perspective of Lakes navigation, and a basic understanding of how to navigate a small craft on the Lake this summer. (click here for pdf flyer)

Public exhibit area of Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center - CLOSED UNTIL SPRING 2008 FOR REMODELING AND NEW EXHIBITS! Stay tuned for exciting information.

Click on the picture below to see daily progress!

 

 

3rd Annual Great Lakes Regional MATE Underwater Robot (ROV) Building Competition!

Click here the 2008 competition results

(click here for the 2008 photo gallery)

Click here for more information about ROVs

 

 

New "Saturday Morning Physics" series from the University of Michigan to be broadcast to our distance learning facility. - note: during reconstruction of our exhibit area, this program will be hosted at Alpena Community College - Room 109 (Computer Center Commons) of the Besser Technical Center, located at 665 Johnson Street (north side of the street).

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan Review