
The North and South Manitou Islands sit just off the coast of the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. They’re located in the blue, salt-free waters of Lake Michigan and a part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The islands are surrounded by at least 50 known shipwrecks and it’s a popular area for diving.
I hopped the Manitou Island ferry intending to spend a week or so backpacking South Manitou. Although it was very late in the season the ferry was relatively packed with both backpackers and those on a day trip. First stop was North Manitou. Once docked I couldn’t help but notice that all the other backpackers disembarked. Not all that surprising since North Manitou is better known for its backpacking. The rest of the passengers, save myself, were all day-trippers heading for South Manitou.
My time on South Manitou was very productive from a photography standpoint. Once the day-trippers departed, I was left alone on the island except for the Park Ranger. I had three primary objectives, photograph the South Manitou Island Lighthouse, the endangered Piping Plover, and the Francisco Morazan shipwreck. I was able to accomplish everything I wanted to. Not without difficulty though.
My hike to the Francisco Morazan was brutal. The trail to the wreck that cut through the middle of the island was impassable. So, I had to improvise. I decided to take the shoreline. I spent about four hours negotiating a maze of fallen trees, rocky shoreline, and the necessity at times to wade chest deep in Lake Michigan. I’ve rarely been tempted to “Forget it” and bail on a hike, but I got close on this one.
In the end I stuck with it and produced what I’m pretty sure is the first and only Ultra High-Resolution Image of the Francisco Morazan shipwreck. And as a bonus, during the hike for about a half an hour I was attacked by a pair of bald eagles. I must have been a bit too close to where they were nesting. But, as I was mercilessly dive-bombed, I got some pretty good photos!
Title Origin: The Francisco Morazan shipwreck is a haven for the local Cormorants. It is indeed their “Shipwreck Sanctuary.”
Thanks ... and thanks again,
David David
Life Is An Adventure!
Date & Time | 2021: |
Location | Wreck Of The Francisco Morazan, South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, Michigan |
Coordinates | 44.998584, -86.140296 |
Focal Length | 200mm |
Aperture | f/11 |
Shutter | 1/320, 1/1600 |
ISO | 250 |
Num of Exposures | 66 |
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Total Pixels | 276,210,000 px |
Width | 27,900 px |
Height | 9,900 px |
Aspect Ratio | 2.82 : 1 |
Date & Time | 2021: |
Location | Wreck Of The Francisco Morazan, South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, Michigan |
Coordinates | 44.998584, -86.140296 |
Focal Length | 200mm |
Aperture | f/11 |
Shutter | 1/320, 1/1600 |
ISO | 250 |
Num of Exposures | 66 |
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