This will be Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s (TBNMS) fifth year welcoming Viking Expedition ships into the port of Alpena. The 665-foot cruise ships carry 378 guests and 256 crew members. The sister-ships Polaris and Octantis each anchor in Thunder Bay and use tender boats to bring guests to shore. They come ashore at The [...]
This is your chance to win a gorgeous 17-foot long wooden kayak with seat and two hatch covers, handcrafted by Heritage Coast Sailing and Rowing, Inc., Community Boat Builders in Tawas, Michigan. Tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. Proceeds support Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Heritage Coast’s Community Boat [...]
Underwater Robots Take On a Mission-Based Competition! 🤖⚓ Join us for the 2026 Great Lakes Regional MATE ROV Competition, where the next generation of engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs put their skills to the test in a high-tech underwater showdown. Student teams have spent months designing and building remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to tackle complex missions [...]
What does it take to build a robot that can work underwater? Alpena High Schools’ UR² Team (Underwater Robotics & Research) will answer that by showcasing the newest technology they engineered for the 2026 MATE ROV Competition and professional exploration in an upcoming community lecture. This rare behind-the-scenes look features student-built technology inspired by the [...]
On Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31, you can catch “Banding Birds and Breaking Ice,” the latest episode of Great Lakes Now from Detroit PBS. On the next episode of Great Lakes Now, you will visit Kelleys Island, where Tom and Paula Bartlett are on a mission to band 100,000 birds. Plus, when winter [...]
Join us at the Sanctuary Cider Release PartyWhen: Thursday, June 4 at 6:00 PMWhere: Presque Isle Farms Cidery (Downtown Alpena) The newest English cider, celebrating the rich maritime history of Northeast Michigan, will finally be available! The latest Sanctuary Cider highlights a piece of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary: the historic schooner William H. Rounds, [...]
WHEN: June 6, 2026 | 1 P.M. BACKUP DATES: June 7, 8 and 9 WHERE: Lake Superior, approx. 35 miles north of Munising, MI LANDING PAGE: https://greatlakesnow.org/hiddenbelow *the live stream will also play in the theater of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center DESCRIPTION: Join a livestreamed expedition to the deepest point in the Great [...]
Inside the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is an incredible and powerful tool that is too often missed. This is your chance to receive an interactive presentation of Science on a Sphere! There are less than 200 of these in the United States and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) is home to one of [...]
Join us for June's "The Sanctuary Presents," featuring Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum Director Mike Horn as he recaps the beginnings, new location, and continued growth of this Rogers City museum. As a retired Captain on the Great Lakes and ocean, he can also speak to the unique hazards which often manifest on the Lakes [...]
Date: Friday, July 10 Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center Cost: Free and open to the public Take a deep dive into our underwater worlds during an evening of freshwater and ocean storytelling. Join acclaimed filmmakers Jennifer Idol and Alex Rose for a special screening of four short films from their Protected [...]