Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Gazelle (identity uncertain)
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built:
- Builder: Unknown
- Dimensions: Unknown
- Registered Tonnage: Not documented
- Depth at Wreck Site: 6 m / 20 ft
- Location: Off Eagle Harbor, near Sawtooth Reef, Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
- Coordinates: N 47° 27.430′, W 088° 19.270′
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Original Owners: Not documented
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Gazelle is classified as a wooden schooner, a type of sailing vessel commonly used for cargo transport in the Great Lakes during the mid-19th century.
Description
The Gazelle recorded at Eagle Harbor, Keweenaw Peninsula, is listed in diver site indexes and GPS databases as a shallow schooner wreck. With coordinates at 47° 27.430′N / 88° 19.270′W, the wreck lies in approximately 20 feet (6 meters) of water off Sawtooth Reef. Its construction — a wooden hull and schooner rig — places it among the many small-to-medium cargo carriers operating across Lake Superior in the mid-19th century.
History
The Gazelle presents an archival challenge. A well-documented schooner of the same name grounded at Little Point Sauble, Lake Michigan, in 1867. The Keweenaw coordinates, however, clearly point to Lake Superior, suggesting one of two possibilities:
- A separate schooner named Gazelle was lost in Lake Superior, now largely forgotten in registry records.
- A clerical or diver log error led to the Lake Michigan Gazelle being misattributed to Lake Superior.
At present, no contemporary newspaper accounts or casualty lists confirm the Superior wreck, leaving its identity unresolved.
Significant Incidents
No recorded casualties. No known memorials or personnel lists associated with this wreck.
Final Disposition
Reportedly a shallow wreck off Eagle Harbor’s Sawtooth Reef, Lake Superior. Condition and site details remain largely undocumented; photographs or archaeological surveys are not yet available in public archives.
Current Condition & Accessibility
As of 2025, no official archaeological survey, photogrammetry, or ROV imagery has been published for this wreck. Status: undocumented site.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”gazelle” title=”References & Links”]
Divers should exercise caution near reef structures and shallow wreckage. The Gazelle remains an intriguing site for exploration, with its identity and history still shrouded in mystery.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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