Divers Explore Shipwreck Over 300 Feet Deep in Lake Ontario with Intact Masts Still Upright

A Canadian dive crew exploring Lake Ontario in search of a 1917 shipwreck instead discovered an astonishingly preserved two-masted schooner, potentially dating back nearly a century earlier. The vessel rests upright more than 300 feet beneath the lake's surface close to Toronto, with both of its masts still standing tall.

The divers descended to investigate an anomaly detected during a fiber-optic cable survey between Buffalo and Toronto. Initially, it was believed to be the Rapid City, an 1884 schooner that sank in 1917.

Upon reaching the lake floor, the divers realized the ship did not match their expectations. Its features suggested it might originate from an earlier era, possibly between 1800 and 1850—a period of Great Lakes shipbuilding that remains largely undocumented.

Add Cosmo Herald as a Preferred Source

A Near Perfectly Preserved Wreck

The schooner stands upright on the lakebed, maintaining much of its original structure with both masts still upright. The Ontario Underwater Council described the schooner's condition as “extraordinarily well preserved for a Great Lakes vessel.” The wreck retains its overall hull shape, and the two standing masts remain fixed above the deck rather than broken and lying on the bottom. Heison Chak, the council's president, shared that the divers were stunned by what they observed.

“It took us a few moments to calm ourselves down because it’s overwhelming finding a pristine wreck that is all in one piece,” he told the CBC. “It’s got its shape. It hasn’t broken down both masts. We saw two — both masts were standing, which is pretty rare.”

Chak noted that such preservation is uncommon. On many other shipwrecks, masts have collapsed or suffered damage from boat traffic, anchors, or divers. The schooner's depth likely shielded it from disturbance.

“This is deep enough that I don’t think anyone’s been on it,” he said. “I think we’re the first group and that joy was just overwhelming.”

Subtle Clues Suggest an Older Vessel

The true surprise lay in the schooner’s construction. James Conolly, an archaeologist and diver at Trent University, pointed out that certain features were uncommon after the mid-19th century. For example, while ships built later typically had metal rigging, this schooner appears to use rope rigging, indicating it likely dates to the first half of the 19th century.

The divers also observed the vessel lacked a wheel on its aft deck. Instead, it featured an early windlass type and was missing a centerboard winch—a standard component on Great Lakes ships by the 1850s. These factors led investigators to believe it was constructed between 1800 and 1850.

This era marked a period of increasing trade activity on the Great Lakes, with many ships transporting goods. Numerous vessels were lost to storms and accidents, but detailed documentation is sparse, making this remarkably intact wreck especially valuable to maritime historians.

The Exact Date Remains Uncertain

However, some experts urge caution in confirming the age. Charles Beeker, a Great Lakes shipwreck scholar and Indiana University professor, emphasized that more evidence is needed before definitively placing the schooner in the early 19th century.

“I don’t want to diminish the value of it,” Beeker remarked. “They may be able to identify the vessel, maybe identify the shipyard, and that would be useful to look at an actual intact vessel on the bottom to compare to what little we do have in terms of drawings, and tonnage and information from these vessels, and the older you go, the less information we have.”

The dive team plans further expeditions to capture detailed measurements, extensive photography, and wood samples. These efforts aim to pinpoint the schooner’s construction date and its historical role within Great Lakes maritime activity.

The site is already undergoing change. Dense layers of invasive quagga mussels coat much of the wooden wreckage, obscuring details. As Conolly explained, many wrecks once able to endure for centuries may now survive only a few decades due to biological and environmental impacts. For now, the schooner remains unidentified.

• Categories:
• Science