SS Monarch Wreck

SS Monarch is the wreck of a 240-foot wooden freighter off Blake Point, scattered across the lake bottom rather than preserved as an intact ship. The wreckage lies from 10 feet to 80 feet and deeper. This is a remote cold-water dive for experienced divers, not a casual stop: Lake Superior's surface rarely tops 55°F, and water deeper than 50 feet is 34–37°F. Each diver must register before diving and return the permit afterward; there are no air fills on the island. Moorings can be off station, so check current park conditions before relying on the dive table.

Large sections of wooden wreckage are spread across the bottom, and the ship was known for its heavy construction. The site is protected: federal law prohibits disturbing or removing wreck material and artifacts.

Built in 1890, Monarch carried grain and general merchandise from Port Arthur toward Sarnia on its final trip of the season. On December 6, 1906, snow, fog and strong northwest winds pushed the freighter into the Palisades, about 900 yards west of Blake Point. Visibility had fallen below 50 feet. Passengers and crew reached shore along a line, but one watchman died.