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Diver shares what it’s like to photograph Great Lakes shipwrecks

Standing on the shores of the Great Lakes on a sunny late-summer day, it’s virtually impossible to think of those sparkling waves as a death trap.

But divers have seen what those angry lakes can do to a ship.

Becky Kagan Schott, noted underwater photographer, joined Stateside to discuss what it’s like to document these untouched wrecks.

“To see something that’s basically been lost to time — maybe over a century or longer — and to be the first human eyes laid on that and to be able to share that with the world, it’s pretty incredible.”

In particular, Schott has been part of a team exploring the Daniel J. Morrell, a ship that sank in 1966 with only one survivor.

“Daniel J. Morell has quickly become one of my favorite shipwrecks anywhere in the Great Lakes, and that’s pretty much due to Dennis Hales’ story,” Schott said. “His story of survival — it really touched me and it’s really powerful to me to go down and see the two halves of this shipwreck ripped apart, and to see what Mother Nature can do. It’s just really haunting.”

Listen above for the full conversation.

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Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.
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