The Glenlyon Site

The Glenlyon Site

Depth Range: 20 feet to 80 feet

The Glenlyon lies at the northeast end of Siskiwit Bay on Glenlyon shoal off Menagerie Island and Isle Royale Light. The Glenlyon ran aground as it tried to enter Siskiwit bay for shelter from a storm. It ran aground heading west and broke in half on the shoal, that runs the direction of the island which is southwest to northeast. This left the bow section on the Siskiwit Bay side of the shoal and the stern section on the lake side of the shoal. The sections are quite a distance apart, and it is a lot of swimming to dive both sections on one dive. There is often a current running along the shoal which makes the swim difficult.

The mooring buoy is usually at the drop-off on the inside or Siskiwit Bay side of the shoal in 40' to 50' of water. Although there is wreckage deeper than 50', it is just sections of the cargo holds and not worth seeing. In fact, as you navigate the shoal if you go deeper than 30 feet, you may well miss the main wreckage entirely. As you descend the mooring line if you stay on the inside (Siskiwit Bay side) of the shoal and head to the southwest along the 20' depth contour, you will encounter the boiler and the bow wreckage. For many years the boiler sat on top of the shoal until winter ice or waves pushed it over the edge. There is one room that can be penetrated in the bow section. The anchors are still in the pockets and the windlass and bollards make an interesting site.

To navigate the shoal to the stern section, it is probably best to return to the area of the mooring line then head up and over the shoal so you are on the lake side of the shoal. Then follow the 30 foot depth contour to the northeast until you start seeing wreckage again. This will be roughly 100 yards away. Beware, it is easy to miss the wreckage and swim too far especially if you are too deep. The stern wreckage includes the engine, which is lying exposed on its side, the propeller, and rudder, along with a lot of pipes, valves, and various wreckage from the machinery spaces. The rudder and propeller are at the far end of the stern site in 40 to 50 feet of water. There is an excellent site map for this site, as well as, all of the Isle Royale shipwreck sites in the book "Shipwrecks of Isle Royale National Park" which can be ordered from the following website. http://www.lakesuperior.com/catalog/ir.html