The Great Lakes hold one of North America's most enduring maritime mysteries - the disappearance of The Griffon, the first full-sized sailing ship to navigate these inland seas. Built by French explorer La Salle in 1679, this historic vessel vanished on its maiden voyage and remains one of the most sought-after shipwrecks in the world. The region offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into early European exploration and the treacherous waters that claimed countless vessels over the centuries.
The Great Lakes are a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—spanning the Canada-United States border and containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume. With a total surface area of 94,250 square miles, these inland seas feature rolling waves, sustained winds, strong currents, and great depths that have made them treacherous for shipping since European exploration began. The lakes formed approximately 14,000 years ago as retreating glacial ice sheets exposed basins that filled with meltwater, creating what would become a major corridor for transportation, trade, and exploration. Gates investigated these waters in search of Le Griffon, the first full-sized sailing ship lost on the upper Great Lakes in 1679, using advanced submersible technology to explore potential wreck sites in one of North America's most historically significant maritime mysteries.
Great Lakes basins begin forming as Last Glacial Period ice sheets retreat
Le Griffon, built by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, disappears on its maiden voyage—the first major shipwreck on the upper Great Lakes
Gates investigates the Great Lakes for Expedition Unknown, diving in a two-man submersible to search for the legendary Griffon wreck
Le Griffon represents one of North America's most enduring maritime mysteries, and maritime historians have debated its final resting place for over three centuries. Built by French explorer La Salle in 1679 as the first full-sized European sailing vessel on the upper Great Lakes, the ship disappeared during its maiden commercial voyage, likely somewhere on Lake Michigan or Lake Huron, though no wreck has been definitively identified despite numerous expeditions. The vessel's loss occurred during a critical period of French exploration and fur trade expansion, making its discovery significant not just for maritime archaeology but for understanding early European-Indigenous trade networks in the Great Lakes region.
Mainstream maritime archaeologists emphasize the extraordinary difficulty of locating a wooden ship that has been submerged for over 340 years in a freshwater system as vast and dynamic as the Great Lakes. The lakes' cold, fresh water can preserve wooden wrecks better than saltwater, but strong currents, shifting sediments, and the sheer size of the search area—the lakes contain 5,439 cubic miles of water—make systematic searches exceptionally challenging. Several claimed Griffon discoveries have been proposed over the years, but none have been confirmed by credible archaeological analysis, as the ship carried no distinctive cargo and much of its wooden structure would have deteriorated or been scattered.
Gates' investigation brought modern submersible technology and underwater scanning equipment to the search, illustrating both the sophisticated tools now available to maritime archaeologists and the continued elusiveness of this particular wreck. The episode highlighted how the Great Lakes' sea-like characteristics—including depths exceeding 1,000 feet in Lake Superior and powerful storm-driven currents—create conditions as challenging as any ocean search. While the investigation did not result in a confirmed Griffon discovery, it demonstrated the ongoing scientific interest in resolving one of the Great Lakes' foundational maritime mysteries.
The broader context of Great Lakes shipwrecks provides perspective on the Griffon search: an estimated 6,000 vessels have been lost in these inland seas over the centuries, and many remain undiscovered. The lakes' role as a major transportation corridor since pre-Columbian times, combined with their treacherous weather patterns and sudden storms, has created what maritime historians consider one of the richest underwater archaeological landscapes in North America, where each potential discovery must be carefully evaluated against extensive archival research and physical evidence.
The Great Lakes contain 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume, totaling 5,439 cubic miles of water.
Lake Michigan is the largest lake by surface area that is entirely within one country—the United States.
The five lakes have a combined surface area of 94,250 square miles, making them the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area.
The Great Lakes formed approximately 14,000 years ago as retreating ice sheets from the Last Glacial Period exposed basins that filled with glacial meltwater.
The Great Lakes region is highly accessible to visitors, with major cities including Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, and Milwaukee providing numerous access points to shorelines, beaches, and maritime museums. Many museums along the lakes feature Great Lakes maritime history exhibits, including artifacts from recovered shipwrecks and information about vessels like Le Griffon. The lakes themselves offer recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, and beaches, though diving wreck sites typically requires specialized permits and cold-water diving certification.
Multiple major cities border the Great Lakes, including Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Toronto, Ontario; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, among others.
Late spring through early fall (May through September) offers the most pleasant weather for exploring Great Lakes shorelines and maritime sites, with summer providing warm temperatures for beach visits. Winter brings harsh conditions with lake-effect snow and ice coverage, though this season offers dramatic frozen shoreline landscapes.
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes and a primary search area for the Griffon investigation, representing the specific body of water most frequently associated with the ship's disappearance.
Bahamas - Maravillas Wreck Site
The Maravillas wreck site represents another Gates underwater shipwreck investigation using advanced submersible and sonar technology to locate historically significant lost vessels.
Florida Waters
Florida Waters represents another maritime investigation region where Gates has searched for shipwrecks and underwater mysteries using similar diving and scanning techniques.
Best time to visit: Late spring through early fall (May-October) offers the best weather for lakefront exploration and museum visits, with calmer waters ideal for understanding maritime conditions.
Travel tip: Visit multiple Great Lakes maritime museums across both US and Canadian shores to get the complete story of The Griffon mystery and see different artifacts from the search efforts.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia