Mooring Buoys

The sanctuary encourages paddlers, divers, and snorkelers to visit Thunder Bay's shipwrecks. Seasonal mooring buoys can be found on many popular shipwrecks. Moorings not only make shipwrecks easier to locate and safer to visit, they also help prevent anchor damage to these irreplaceable historical sites.

A bright yellow tag line is attached to the buoy which enables visitors to secure their boats to the buoy and safely visit the shipwreck site.

Please join the sanctuary in preserving our maritime heritage for future generations. Removing artifacts or damaging shipwrecks is illegal. Please report looting at 1-800-292-7800.

The buoys are installed and removed seasonally, around May 15 and October 1 each year, so be sure to check with the sanctuary before planning your trip. Use the interactive map below to monitor buoy installation and removal status during the boating season.

List of Seasonal Mooring Buoys

• Albany
• American Union
• Barge No. 1
• Bay City
• Chester B. Jones
• City of Alpena
• D.M. Wilson
• Duncan City
• E.B. Allen
• Grecian (bow & stern buoys)
• Haltiner Barge (aka Scanlon’s Barge) (bilge & boom buoys)
• Harvey Bissell
• Heart Failure
• Ishpeming
• James Davidson
• John F. Warner
• Joseph S. Fay
• L.M. Mason
• Loretta
• Lucinda Van Valkenburg
• Monohansett
• Montana (bow & stern buoys)
• New Orleans (sank 1849)
• New Orleans (sank 1906)
• Ogarita
• Oscar T. Flint
• Portland
• Shamrock
• Steel Barge
• W.G. Mason
• W.P. Rend
• W.P. Thew
• William H. Stevens
• Buoy maintained at the Middle Island Sinkhole geological feature, the anchor of the mooring buoy rests at 72 feet deep, buoy coordinates are: N45° 11.924’ W83° 19.677’