The Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival

David Trotter, ‘Our World—Underwater’ Award Winner, 2010

• Click on the following links for biographies of other presenters:
• Luke Clyburn
• Andy Donato
• Carrie Sowden
• Tony Gramer
• David Haas
• James Mott
• Pete Nawrocky
• Tom Rhoad
• Roger Roth
• Sue Smith
• Mirek Standowicz
• J & P Stayer
• Rich Synowiec
• David Trotter
• Valerie van Heest
• G & M Wachter
• Rudy Whitworth
• Ralph Wilbanks

David is a renowned shipwreck discoverer, deep diver, author, lecturer and photographer. In 35 years of searching, diving and exploring, he has been the first to locate 80+ great lakes shipwrecks.

Recently published, the book Shipwreck Hunter by Gerry Volgeneau chronicles David's unique forty years of involvement with great lakes discovery and exploration.

His discoveries have been featured on the Discovery Channel, PBS, NBC, Great Lakes in Depth, in the New York Times, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press (6 times), Canadian Diver magazine, US Wreck Diver and Immersed dive magazines, and Lakeland Boating magazine (3 times). He has written several articles on Great Lakes shipwrecks that have been published in historical journals and national scuba diving publications.

In a unique odyssey, David has surveyed over 2,000 square miles of Lake Huron in a one of a kind adventure. David's solving of “History's Mysteries” have been recognized as some of the most important historical and archealogical discoveries in Great Lakes maritime history.

• the 15 year quest to locate the largest schooner to be built in Canada, the four masted 250' Minnedosa, lost with all hands in 1905.
• the discovery of both sections of the 600' freighter Daniel J. Morrell on the same day, five miles apart!
• the great storm of 1913 shipwreck, the 435' John McGean, lost with all hands in november, 1913.
• the steamer Goliath, the oldest propellor vessel in the Great Lakes with rare engine and propellers by John Ericsson, the designer of the civil war ironclad, the Monitor.
• the schooner Hunter Savidge, one of the most recognized family tragedies in the Great Lakes, lost in 1899.
• the steamer Detroit, lost in 1854, she is one of the most intact sidewheel ships in existence... with a large safe aboard!
• the propellor-driven City of Detroit, lost with all hands in the worst tragedy of 1873.
• the 120' steamer Metropole, the most intact wooden steamer discovered with the delicate pilothouse in place.
• the 350' W. C. Franz lost in an horrific collsion in 1934 off Alpena, Michigan.
• the 435' Frank H. Goodyear. Her loss in 1910 changed Great Lakes history and she has a pullman railcar aboard.
• the rare intact 163' Barkentine H. P. Bridge with all masts standing, a beautiful figurehead, silk top hat from 1869 and unique deck cargo

David believes the Great Lakes are “our treasure” to be enjoyed by all that love our inland seas and our maritime history. Through Undersea Research Associates (URA), David is producing adventure and educational documentaries in the Solving History's Mysteries series. There are nine feature programs now available on DVD and twenty one in-person ‘live’ programs for presentations to schools, clubs and organizations.

Undersea Research Associates

David will be presenting the following program at this year's show:

• The Mighty Hercules