The fateful voyage

Lake

Superior

Hours before it sank we know that the Edmund Fitzgerald had taken some damage from a storm, but no one knows exactly what sent the 729-foot freighter to the bottom. Experts believe is was a large wave set, running aground on the Six Fathom Shoal or some combination of both.

NORTH

AmerICA

Great

Lakes

ONTARIO

Thunder Bay

Takes northern route

for more shelter

CANADA

Isle Royale

MINNESOTA

U.S.

Edmund Fitzgerald Route

Michipicoten I.

Six Fathom Shoal

Last seen on radar

Nov. 10, 7:15 PM

Duluth

Caribou I.

Wreck site

Sault Ste.

Marie

Superior

Departs

Nov. 9, 2:30 PM

Whitefish Bay

MICHIGAN

WISCONSIN

50 mi

50 km

Soren Walljasper, NG Staff.

Sources: Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum; Lake Survey Center; NOAA

The fateful voyage

Hours before it sank we know that the Edmund Fitzgerald had taken some damage from a storm, but no one knows exactly what sent the 729-foot freighter to the bottom. Experts believe is was a large wave set, running aground on the Six Fathom Shoal or some combination of both.

ONTARIO

ENLARGED BELOW

Edmund

Fitzgerald Route

MINN.

LAKE

SUPERIOR

Superior

MICHIGAN

Departs

Nov. 9, 2:30 PM

WISCONSIN

ONTARIO

Takes northern route

for more shelter

CANADA

U.S.

Michipicoten I.

Six Fathom Shoal

Last seen on radar

Nov. 10, 7:15 PM

Caribou I.

Wreck site

Sault Ste.

Marie

25 mi

MICHIGAN

Whitefish

Bay

25 km

Soren Walljasper, NG Staff.

Sources: Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum;

Lake Survey Center; NOAA