NBM Dive Site Resource
Isaac M. Scott
Offshore Lake Huron, Michigan, United States
TECHNICAL DIVE ONLY — Isaac M. Scott is a Lake Huron shipwreck documented by NOAA at 175 ft / 53 m. This depth exceeds recreational limits and requires appropriate technical and decompression training.
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Aquatic life at this dive site
What divers may encounter
Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Site media
Photographs
Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Contributor media
Dive videos
Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.Published reference location
Location map
The marker shows the public coordinates associated with this profile. Confirm current access, moorings, and departure details before the dive.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Recent field observations
Diver-reported temperatures
Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.
Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.
Why divers know this place
Highlights
NOAA-documented Great Lakes wreck: Motor: bulk freighter; 524 feet.
Shipwreck-only module
The wreck
This section appears only on shipwreck records and brings the vessel, its loss, present condition, access, and responsible wreck-diving considerations into one place.
- Vessel type
- Motor: bulk freighter
- Vessel length
- 524 feet
History and significance
"No lake master can recall in all his experience a storm of such unprecedented violence with such rapid changes in the direction of the wind and its gusts of such fearful speed.” - Lake Carriers Association, 1913. The year 1913 was one of extremes for Great Lakes mariners. It saw more coal, ore, and grain shipped than ever before. But prosperity came with a price. For three days in November, fierce weather swept across the Great Lakes as two major storms converged to produce blinding snow squalls, 35-foot-high waves, and 90-mile-per-hour wind gusts. Twelve ships sank; 31 more were driven ashore by wind and waves; and 248 sailors lost their lives in the “white hurricane.” On the morning of November 9, the 504-foot Isaac M. Scott entered Lake Huron headed to Milwaukee with a load of coal. The ship left the safety of Port Huron and sailed north into the full fury of one of the biggest storms in Great Lakes history . Struggling in incredible seas, just east of Thunder Bay, Isaac M.Scott lost the battle. The huge ship rolled over and sank. Lake Huron claimed all 28 crew members. Today, the giant ship rests upside down in 180 feet of water.
Before you arrive
Access notes
Technical dive only. Confirm current conditions, mooring status, gas plan, decompression plan and operator requirements before departure. NOAA coordinates are reference points, not navigation instructions.
Plan within your training
Conditions and hazards
Depth beyond recreational limits, decompression obligations, cold water, limited light, changing visibility, entanglement and possible wreck overheads. Penetration requires separate wreck-penetration training and planning.
Independent resource notice
This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.