There have been many expeditions to the bottom of Lake Superior in the past in an attempt to survey the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and hopefully, once and for all, learn the cause of this awful tragedy.  In this page, many of the expeditions to the Edmund Fitzgerald will be outlined and explained.

May 1976 - U.S. Coast Guard Initial Expedition

    During the initial expedition made by the United States Coast Guard in May, 1976, many things were discovered.  One of these things was the ship itself!  The ship was discovered only a few days after the sinking, but this expedition was the OFFICIAL word on whether or not the ship was actually the Fitz; it was.  Tons of photos were taken, and the USCG released its OFFICIAL report on the sinking.  After its investigation, the Coast Guard announced its highly controversial theory; the Coast Guard stated that the ship sank due to faulty hatch covers.

September 1980 - Calypso Expedition

    September 24, 1980 marked the beginning of the second major expedition to the bottom of Lake Superior to observe the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  The expedition took place under the leadership of Jacques Cousteau's son, Jean Michel.  Cousteau owned the ship that the expedition was named after, the Calypso.

    The wreck was explored with the help of a two-man submarine operated by Albert Falco and Colin Mounier and the purpose of the trip was to make a film about the Saint Laurence River and its tributaries.  The final version contained a few glimpses of the Fitz, but not much was learned (about the Fitz) during the expedition.  During the expedition, the said they discovered that the ship broke in two on the surface and did not sink very quickly, though any theory ever claimed about the Fitz is only speculative. 

August 1989 - ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) Expedition

    Under the organization of Michigan Sea Grant, in late August, 1989, the Edmund Fitzgerald was once again explored with the highly technological Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV).  The exploration included many experts including: the NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), the National Geographical Society, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, US Army Corps, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.  The R.V. Grayling was the main ship used in the expedition.

     In this expedition, some of the discoveries made were very haunting.  Once again, determination could not be made on the cause of the sinking; there was still glass intact.  There was also a door on the pilothouse that was open.  This could lead people to believe that someone tried to escape...the door was not "dogged."  The team also said that some of the damage on the bow could not have been caused by the storm...it was far too extensive.

July 1994 - MacInnis Expedition

     This expedition, called "Great Lakes 94," was a six week expedition surveying the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River.  It was run by Dr. Joseph MacInnis.  On the expedition with the team was Executive Director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Mr. Tom Farnquist.  Mr. Farnquist made an observation during the expedition, and stated that it was almost impossible that the ship broke in two on the surface, the contrary of other divers' theories.

     Discoveries during this expedition included more severe damage than previously reported.  The were taconite pellets scattered all over the wreck site also.