Photo (with thanks) and courtesy of Explore Pelee
Below the beautiful waters between Pelee Island and Point Pelee lie more than 200 shipwrecks. Known by sailors as one of the most treacherous sections of Lake Erie, the strip of water between Pelee Island and Point Pelee is known as “The Pelee Passage”. Since the early 1800’s, it has claimed the lives of many sailors and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of cargo and machinery.
An ancient reef structure still sticks its head above the water in an Island chain that stretches from Point Pelee to Catawba Ohio. The largest and only inhabited Canadian Island is Pelee Island. A few wrecks lie off the beaches of this large island. The three tiny islands of Middle Sister, East Sister and Middle Island also sport several wreck dives off their deserted shores.
The Erie Quest Marine Heritage Area was established in 1997 by the Municipality of Leamington. Diving tours are available through local charters and a mooring buoy system is in place to identify fifteen of the local shipwrecks. More are to be added in the future.
Both scuba divers and non-divers can learn about the local submerged marine heritage from the ErieQuest Marine Heritage web site.
Contact Explore Pelee to inquire about a custom scuba diving adventure.
Click on each marker to view details on each shipwreck.
View Lake Erie Ship Wrecks in a larger map
Visit the Erie Quest Marine Heritage Area web site to learn more details about these shipwrecks.