Alger Underwater Preserve & Munising · United States · Wreck · Freshwater
Herman H. Hettler
A boiler and a bath tub among scattered steamer machinery
The Herman H. Hettler is a 72 m (235 ft) wooden steamer, launched in 1890, that slammed into a rock reef in November 1926 while seeking refuge in Munising Harbor. Her boiler, sections of hull and a wide debris field lie between 8 and 12 m (25 and 40 ft).
Also known as Hettler.
Where it is and how deep
46.4838° N, 86.5997° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive begins on the inner edge of the shoal the steamer struck, where her boiler sits in about 8 m (25 ft) beside parts of the hull. From there a large debris field of mechanical parts, tanks and piping, and even a bath tub, spreads out across the bottom, with the broken wreck lying in 9 to 12 m (30 to 40 ft).
The wreck
- Vessel
- Herman H. Hettler
- Type
- Wooden steamer
- Length
- 72 m (236 ft)
- Built
- 1890
- Sunk
- 1926
- Cause
- Slammed into a rock reef on 23 November 1926 while seeking refuge in Munising Harbor from a severe storm
- Lies
- Broken up in 9 to 12 m (30 to 40 ft), boiler at about 8 m (25 ft)
Marine life and season
- Freshwater fish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Alger Underwater Preserve & Munising: The diving season runs from mid-May to early October, and charters need booking in advance.
Dive videos
Herman Hettler Dive Munising, MI 2026 · MahnkeMachine on YouTube
Sources
- Alger Underwater Preserve — Michigan Underwater Preserves Council
- Dive Shipwrecks at the Alger Underwater Preserve — Munising Visitors Bureau
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