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Iron Chief, Tug Fred Lee, Schooner Arcturus

Our 2019 show continues with the team of Cindy & Mike Lynch and Chris Roth teaming up to explore some the Thumb Area previously discovered but mostly forgotten shipwrecks.

The modern-day visibility has revealed how our shipwrecks are in a constant state of change (sometimes drastically.) We also found that sometimes, shipwrecks are actually constructed different, then originally thought. The fabulous visibility has also allowed broken up shipwrecks to be documented, in ways that it was never thought possible, before. Join us, while we explore the Tug Fred Lee and see the dramatic changes that have taken place, over time. We are able to correct the documentation, on the Schooner Arcturus and then take a close look at the Steamer Iron Chief.

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Collision Course

Whitefish Bay, Michigan in Lake Superior is notorious for ships colliding especially around the point where the lake narrows towards the Soo St. Marie locks.  The weather has its own unpredictable microclimate and the fog comes out of nowhere.  Whitefish Point sand dune sticks far out and ships need to navigate around it and into the narrow channel.  The things that go bump in the night and sometimes during the day end up sinking – there are beautiful eerie old wooden steamers preserved on the bottom of Whitefish Bay.  Explore these shipwrecks with Capt. Jitka Hanakova and her team.

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“Decoding the Dive Tables” James Mott

James Mott is a scuba instructor committed to building thinking divers. Certified in 1990, he is a veteran of the Great Lakes area diving community, a PADI instructor since 1998 and one of the original founding instructors for Unified Team Diving in 2008. James started working at Don’s Dive Shop in 1991 and has been with Sea The World Scuba Center since its beginning in 1996 and is also a co-host of The Great Dive Podcast. Passionate about educating the diving community and sharing an underwater philosophical base, James’ instruction provides infinite possibilities and extends attainable excellence to all divers willing to reexamine their underwater behavior.

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“Discovery of the Argo – The Great Lakes’ Top Environmental Hazard” Kevin Magee

Discovered by CLUE member Tom Kowalczk on August 28, 2015, the fuel barge Argo quickly made national news when it was announced by the U.S. Coast Guard to be leaking oil and was considered by NOAA to be the Great Lakes’ top environmental threat.  This is the story of how an east coast barge sank in Lake Erie in 1937 while carrying a hazardous cargo, how it was discovered by accident, and how it was eventually made safe by the efforts of the USCG. 

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“Last Voyage of the Skeele: An Internet Adventure” Ric Mixter

Normally shipwreck searches involve the open water or library. Ric Mixter knew an approximate location of a shipwreck through a series of unique photographs that showed the final voyage of the Edward Skeele. He turned to the internet to help him locate the debris field of where the ship lies today and he uncovered more than he bargained for. Ric will share the connection of the Skeele to the Christmas Tree Ship, the collision and loss of the Viator and a newly located German U-Boat.

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Jim and Pat Stayer

The Amazing Sunken WWII Planes North PNG’s The north side of Papau New Guinea was the location of some of the fiercest battles of the South Pacific. Join Jim and Pat Stayer as they dive 6 different WWII plane wrecks. The program highlights a couple of American B-25s with their incredible stories; one in the jungle and one in crocodile infested waters. They dove on Japanese Petes, a Zero, and a Kate. The program also includes an Australia’s Catalina 

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The next presenter in our line up for 2019 is Robert McGreevy.
The Steamboat, the story of the Walk in the Water, the first steam powered vessel on the upper Great lakes.
This year is the 200th anniversary of the Walk in the Waters arrival at Detroit. The Walk in the Water was also the first steamboat to sink in a November storm. What were the forces behind the development and building of this amazing ship and how did this single voyage change everything on the Great lakes?
All these questions, and more, will be answered in the presentation about this pioneer steamboat.
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Come see Becky Kagan Schott at the 2019 Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival. She is giving two different presentations.
Becky Kagan Schott 
Becky Schott started diving at 12 years old and instantly fell in love with it. She’s an underwater filmmaker, photographer and technical diving instructor. Her goal is to travel the world and capture inspiring images of extreme underwater environments including caves, ice, to deep shipwrecks always pushing the boundaries of creativity and discovering new ways of capturing these places artistically.  Becky’s background is in photojournalism, she likes to create compelling images that spark the imagination. Becky’s dived in Antarctica to the Arctic and many places in between but her favorite location is the Great Lakes. The stories are so powerful and she aspires to create images that is just as powerful. 
 
Becky has 5 Emmy-Awards and her work can be seen on major networks including National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and Red Bull. She is co- owner of Liquid Productions, specializing in bringing back video from challenging aquatic environments. Her experience working in remote locations around the world and filming in extreme environments has earned her a reputation of producing quality underwater imagery. She writes for several dive magazines in the USA and Internationally. With over 24 years of active diving experience she’s a SDI/TDI Technical diving instructor. She’s participated in dozens of exploration projects which earned her a place as a Fellow in the Explorers Club and in 2013 she was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.  www.LiquidProductions.com  & www.MegDiver.com
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The Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival is a annual program held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The show opens at 830am and runs till 5pm. With an exhibition hall and 2 presentation halls giving hour long talks about various topics. Held at the Washtenaw Community College 4800 East Huron Dr. Ann Arbor, MI

Dive the Great Lakes

Learn what it takes to dive the Great Lakes! See some of the thousands of wrecks that lay on the bottom of these  lakes. Hear their history and what it takes to find and identify the wrecks from the shipwreck hunters themselves. See the latest in discoveries from the Great Lakes.

Dive the World

We offer a varied selection of dive destinations so you can experience exotic locations from the comfort of the auditorium. Travel the world through the eyes of our presenters. Maybe you will find your next must see destination.

Technical & Educational Seminars

Hear about the latest advances in dive equipment. Learn new techniques to improve your diving skills. Ever wonder what it takes to make that award winning photo?