Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects a nationally significant collection of nearly 100 historic shipwrecks within 4,300 square miles of Lake Huron off the Michigan coast. Through research, education, and community involvement, the sanctuary works to protect the Great Lakes and their rich history for this and future generations.
Whats Happening at Thunder Bay
Get Your Paddle On….in the Sanctuary!
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is known for the shipwrecks it protects—nearly 200, with about 100 yet to be found! So often, deep-water shipwrecks are the images we see because the preservation and detail are [...]
World Championship held at TBNMS – highlights and more!
The 2025 MATE ROV Competition World Championship brought together different languages, continents, values, time zones, resources, climates, and customs - but with a shared mission; ocean, and planet. It is easy to stand back and [...]
COLLEGE STUDENTS GET HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN SANCTUARY
Say hello to some hydrographers in training! In May, students from Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City got hands-on experience with NOAA hydrographers as they kicked off a major effort to map the 4,300-square-mile sanctuary. [...]
HOLLINGS SCHOLAR BLOG from Luis Acevedo-Soto
JUNE 10th BLOG ENTRY: Hola, my name is Luis Miguel Acevedo Soto. I am a rising senior at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, studying biology. I’m also part of the 2024–2026 class of [...]
Thunder Bay’s Signature Events
Festival of Sail
ROV Competition
Film Festival
