David Trotter is a renowned shipwreck discoverer, deep diver, author, lecturer and photographer. In 35 years of searching, diving and exploring, he has been the first to locate 80+ Great Lakes Shipwrecks.
Recently published, the book Shipwreck Hunter by Gerry Volgeneau, chronicles David's unique forty years of involvement with Great Lakes discovery and exploration.
His discoveries have been featured on the Discovery Channel, PBS, NBC, Great Lakes in Depth, in the New York Times, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press (6 times), Canadian Diver magazine, U.S. dive magazines Wreck Dive and Immersed, and Lakeland Boating magazine (3 times). He has written several artibles on Great Lakes shipwrecks that have been published in historical journals and national scuba diving publications.
In a unique odyssey, David has surveyed over 2.000 square miles of Lake Huron in a one of a kind adventure. David's solving of "History's Mysteries" has been recognized as some of the most important historical and archelogical discoveries in Great Lakes Maritime History........
-The 15 year quest to locate the largest schooner to be built in Canada, the four masted 250' Minnedosa, lost with all hands in 1905 in 1905.
-The discovery of both sections of the 600' freighter Daniel J Morrell on the same day, five miles apart!
-The great storm of 1913 shipwreck, the 435' John McGean, lost with all hands in November, 1913.
-The steamer Goliath, the oldest propellor vessel in the Great Lakes with rare engine and propellers by John Ericsson, the designer of the Civil War ironclad, the Monitor.
-The schooner Hunter Savidge, one of the most recognized family tragedies in the Great Lakes, lost in 1899.
-The steamer Detroit, lost in 1854, she is one of the most intact sidewheel ships in existence...with a large safe aboard!
-The propellor City of Detroit, loss with hands in the worst tragedy of 1873.
-The 120' steamer Metropole, the most intact wooden steamer discovered with the delicate pilothouse in place.
-The 350' W. C. Franz lost in a horrific collision in 1934 off Alpena, Michigan.
-The 435' Frank H. Goodyear, her loss in 1910 changed Great Lakes history, and she has a Pullman railcar aboard.
-The rare intact 163' barkentine H. P. Bridge with all masts standing, a beautiful figurehead, silk top hat from 1869 and unique deck cargo.
David believes the Great Lakes are "our treasure' to be enjoyed by all that love our "inland seas" and our maritime history. Through Undersea Research Associates (URA), David is producing adventure and educational documentaries in the Solving History's Mysteries series. There are nine feature programs now available on DVD and twenty- one in person "live" programs for presentations to schools, clubs and organizations.
The Mighty Hercules
The Great Lakes has many shipwrecks in remarkable condition, but Great Lakes divers and historians have never seen one of the most unique shipwreck disasters on the Great Lakes. It is the giant working dredge, Hercules, the one of the largest work dredges to have been lost. These vessels normally live out their lives working in harbors and close to shore. However, fate does intervene and provides shipwreck divers and historians the opportunity to explore a working vessel, upright, on the floor of Lake Huron.
The views are magnificent of the vessel whose upper works begin relatively shallow, but extend 200’ to the floor of Lake Huron. Swimming in and around giant I beams, cables and pulleys attached to the giant upright dredge is an unprecedented dive and exploration experience. Share the adventure with us!
The Steamship Metropole
On August 8, 1903, the 118’ Metropole met her third and final disaster as she slid beneath the waters of Lake Huron, to become a part of Lake Huron's "Shipwreck Alley".
It was to be 96 years later when a team of dedicated explorers was to discover a most unique time capsule.....the intact steamship Metropole with her masts, wooden pilot house, giant steering wheel, compass, anchors, and cargo still in place. She appears ready to continue her voyage to deliver her cargo of barrell staves for a Cooperage (barrel manufacturer) in Cleveland. With the crew's initials still visibly carved in the planking, fire hoses ready for deployment, barrel staves stacked in place, shovels hanging from hooks, and the compass still functioning, we are transported back in time to a working steamer of the 19th century.
Share the adventure with us......It doesn't get any better than this!
Fury of the Great Lakes
The song that has the most significant impact (awareness) on the Great Lakes and our maritime heritage is The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. To this world famous soundtrack, I have assembled unique, one of a kind images, that depict our Great Lakes maritime heritage.
As the music and soundtrack tells the story, the images unfold, providing the visual impact of the risks taken, ships lost and human toll of working ON OUR “INLAND SEAS”. It is the SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION. Special evening presentation.
Additional Info
Through his organization, Undersea Research Associates, David creates visual underwater time capsules of marine history. The adventures of David Trotter and his team are the subject of the book, Shipwreck Hunter, written by Gerry Volgenau.
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