TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan (9 Sep 2006) -- The co-hosts of History Channel's "Deep Sea Detectives" were in West Grand Traverse Bay on Friday, swimming around an old fishing boat that sits about 20 feet down. But their goal wasn't to showcase a ship-related mystery; instead, they came to point out some undiscovered potential at the state's first annual Underwater Tourism Summit. Some 18-20 shipwrecks have been discovered in Grand Traverse Bay, but organizers of a proposed new Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve believe there are hundreds more wrecks beneath the bay and millions of dollars in tourism money in their potential exploration. State Sen. Michelle McManus and an aide to Carl Levin were two of the divers who swam with the TV celebs, who later were to regale a $75-a-plate dinner crowd with shipwreck exploration tales as a way to help raise money the preserve. "We want to form the 12th underwater preserve in the state of Michigan with the ultimate goal of sinking a ship on purpose," said Richie Kohler, host of the popular History Channel dive show. Acquiring a ship and readying it for sinking could cost up to $100,000. Kohler and co-host John Chatterton are best known for their discovery of a German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey (the subject of an upcoming movie) and innovative new theories about the sinking of the Titanic. But they're equally passionate about recreational diving and preserving the thousands of historical, archeologically significant shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands, Kohler said. Because they're preserved in fresh water, the Great Lakes wrecks are some of the world's best, he said. And perhaps ironically, sinking ships intentionally or "reefing," helps preserve true historic wrecks. The new wrecks give beginning divers a place to explore and touch without risk to an archeological treasure, he said. Swimming the corridors of a sunken ship also is great fun, no matter what your experience level. "You're in this alien environment," he said. "Part of it involves seeing things you're used to--a doorway, a stairway, a bed, a chair. But you're in this three-dimensional water environment in which you can float and hover. When you factor in that it's dark and spooky, it's like a fun house for adults." Tickets for the dinner and dive should raise about $10,000 toward the proposed preserve, said Greg MacMaster, the president and executive director. That's a fraction of what it will take to acquire, clean up and sink two ships, he said. | | Tourism promoters in Pensacola Florida predict the USS Oriskany artificial reef will generate millions from weekend wreckies looking for cheap thrills between more expensive expeditions to world-renowned wreck diving destinations such as Truk Lagoon, Bikini Atoll and Scapa Flow. The first ship would be part of a pilot project and include sensors to monitor the impact on marine life and water quality; the second would be a larger dive attraction like a car ferry. But the weekend event also is designed to help generate excitement about dive tourism and gather officials from around the region to discuss the potential and hurdles of such a venture. Sinking a ship off the coast of San Diego brought 10,000 divers and $5 million in tourism revenue to that city annually, MacMaster said. Dive shop owner Ron Benson attended the summit from Minneapolis to explore the possibilities of launching an underwater preserve closer to home and to scout the potential of Traverse City as a dive tourism destination for his clients. He also was on hand Friday morning to help Sen. McManus (R-Lake Leelanau) suit up for her first outing as a certified diver. To the relief of organizers counting on support from her and other legislators, she emerged smiling broadly. "I think it's a fantastic idea and the tip of the iceberg," she said. "It would really help this area if we could become a destination place for divers from all over the world." SOURCE - mLiveCDNN Related NewsMICHIGAN - Newell A. Eddy wreck diving fatality puzzles local dive teamMICHIGAN - Wreck diver drowns after running out of airMICHIGAN - Reward offered for arrest and conviction of scuba lootersMICHIGAN - Man dies scuba diving in Lake Huron |
