WUAA Fall Symposium - The Discovery of the Pere Marquette 18 - Ken Merryman

Join legendary Great Lakes shipwreck explorer Ken Merryman as he walks through the methodology he and Jerry Eliason used to discover the Pere Marquette 18. Ken shows full overview footage of this iconic leviathan shipwreck discovered in 500 feet of water this summer.

[@machstem2536]

Awesome work thank you, I'm from Ludington and worked on the 41 Midland one summer. Again thank you great story

[@phillipgarrow2297]

Amazing video thanks for sharing 👍

[@lewispavlovich9399]

Absolutely amazing!!! You guys are impressive!!!

[@LouieNJ]

What do I have to do to join you on these adventures!? Man, that would be so cool.

[@JustJeff78]

You were talking about the buckles on either side off the bow, I watched a short documentary about this boat, and that video claimed that witnesses reported a substantial explosion as the bow webby under that sent a huge column of water into the upwards of 100 feet or more. They theorize that it could've been the large amount of air from the rail decks being forced forward as the ship sank stern down in almost a vertical position. As far as the deck, the small ferry that was commissioned to recover debris and search for the vessel, or lifeboats reported that there splinters and pieces of deck wood everywhere. If that is the case that could explain your buckled bow and missing deck. I paused the video so I wouldnt forget to comment, so if these points are made later in the video I apologize.

[@bs431980]

Really cool video. These guys go through a lot for this research / discovery

[@beekeeper7535]

Damn this ship is DESTROYED. Most great lakes shipwrecks look like they were gently set on the lake floor but this one looks like it was dropped from the moon.

[@beekeeper7535]

Wasn't there a similar ship that sunk in lake Erie. That ship has never been found either I believe.

[@doorsfan48]

marquette and bessemer no. 2

[@srenchin]

41:08 You can see the "B" end of a boxcar. The coupler, hand brake platform, side ladder, and stem winder handbrake is clearly visible.

[@arthurtelf]

Thankfully, at 400+ depth, wreck should be safe from the common recreational divers. Really hope a full sonar and picture survey can be done to fully document the condition of the Pere Marquette 18 wreck.

[@alan6832]

Why would they head South? downwind? to dump cars from an open stern? It seems far more reasonable to me to head upwind to do that, North.

[@jacoroets5737]

Very poor imaging and that makes it not interesting at all.

[@greatlakesshipwreckresearc6394]

Guy finds the biggest ship still missing on the Great Lakes in 500 ft. 20 miles from shore and that's what you focus on? We spent weeks and thousands of dollars doing some of the deepest drop camera work ever and almost lost the whole rig. The next month an rov was almost lost on it.