Is There Such a Thing as Sponsoring A Great Lakes Ship Wreck?

You can actually sponsor a ship wreck in the Great Lakes. Say what? Sort of!

Have you ever heard of this before? I certainly haven't. When I read this I quickly had a vision of something like, "the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is brought to you by Bob's Hardware where you'll find all the shovels you need."

I guess that's not really the case, but it sort of is, because many Great Lakes ship wrecks are buoyed. Why you say?

The Great Lakes Preservation Society says it is to:

• Improve diver access to the shipwrecks by making the wrecks easier to find.
• Improve the safety of the dives by insuring that divers have a descent and ascent line that won't disappear like an anchor line can if the anchor breaks loose.
• Eliminate potential anchor damage to the shipwreck which can happen over time as many groups of divers have to grapple the wreck with their anchors.

So, it is actually the buoy you can sponsor to help with the costs.

The Saginaw River Marine Historical Society said on their Facebook page that just about all the shipwrecks in the Straits are buoyed, except for the M. Stalker. And they point out that Blackdog Charters LLC. and Brian Anderson supported their efforts by sponsoring the buoy on the Young.

Also, another buoy is sponsored by NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

However, the Great Lakes Preservation Society says that:

• Currently we do not have any sponsors for any of the buoys. We are seeking any group such as Scuba Clubs or Dive Shops to sponsor one or possibly more buoys. Please let us know if you would like to sponsor our shipwreck mooring buoy program by going to the "Contacts" section of their website.

So the answer is YES, you are able to sponsor a Great Lakes ship wreck buoy, and it seems to be open to anyone.

What do you think?