Northwest
Conditions
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Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
The Northwest is a 223 ft (68 m) wooden schooner that lies in about 73 ft (22 m) of water six miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan, and is rated intermediate to advanced. She was built in 1873 at Bangor, Michigan as the Alexander Moore.
In April 1898 she was under tow by the propeller Aurora when she hit submerged ice and began to take on water. The Aurora tried to tow her to shallow water but was blocked by ice, and the Northwest slipped beneath the surface. The Aurora rescued her crew and no lives were lost.
She now sits upright but collapsed to one side and somewhat broken up, with lots to see. A donkey steam engine, bilge pumps and windlass are still present, and her rudder lies detached next to her transom. Schools of fish frequent the wreck, and its depth and size make it a fun, interesting and easy dive.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Round GobyNeogobius melanostomusReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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