great lakes cruise from detroit

Great Lakes cruise guide: Best itineraries, planning tips and things to do

The Great Lakes probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of cruising. But in recent years, the region has grown enormously as a cruise destination — and for good reason. Touring the Great Lakes by ship is by far the easiest way to see a wide range of the area's attractions — from vibrant cities to natural wonders — in a single trip.

When planning Great Lakes cruises, you have many things to consider: when to go for the best Great Lakes cruise experience, which cruise line is best suited to your travel style, the best Great Lakes cruise ports to visit and which shoreside activities you want to prioritize. It's not the kind of trip you want to throw together at the last minute, especially since the best fare deals typically go to organized travelers who book early.

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Here, The Points Guy offers up a guide to everything you need to know about planning a sailing in the Great Lakes.

Why cruise the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes region may not be a bucket list destination on the scale of Alaska or Antarctica. But it has a lot to offer — more than many people may realize.

Along the banks of the five lakes that are at the core of the region — Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior — you'll find some of Middle America's greatest cities, charming small towns, historic sites and wonders both natural and human-made. Plus, there are the lakes themselves, which together are roughly the size of the U.K. and make up the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet. Accounting for 21% of all the world's fresh water, they truly are a marvel.

All this can be seen via an overland trip, of course, and many people explore the Great Lakes region by car or on motorcoach tours. But the region is so sprawling — the Great Lakes touch eight U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario — that logistically it's almost impossible to experience the area in a broad way on a single trip without going by ship.

On a single Great Lakes cruise, you can see the world-class architecture and museums of Chicago, take a carriage ride through the carless streets of Mackinac Island, Michigan, and gaze upon the splendor that is Niagara Falls along the New York border — all without having to get behind the wheel of a car or unpacking and re-packing your suitcase more than once.

When do cruises go to the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes cruise season is a short one, due mostly to the weather. With winters being cold and snowy in the region, cruise lines stick to the warmer months of May to September for Great Lakes sailings.

The weather isn't the only limiting factor. The cruise season in the Great Lakes is also limited in its length by the opening and closing of the St. Lawrence Seaway — the system of locks, canals and channels that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Cruise vessels that operate in the Great Lakes can't access the region until the locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway open for the summer, something that typically happens the last week of March. They need to be out of the Great Lakes before the St. Lawrence Seaway closes for the winter (typically in December).

Great Lakes cruise weather can be chilly at the start of the season, with low temperatures in the 40s in May in some areas and highs in the 60s. It warms up considerably by July and August, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

When you want to go will depend on which activities you want to do, how you feel about cool weather and the price. Cruises at the beginning of the Great Lakes cruise season in May are generally a bit less expensive than those in June, July, August and September.

Best Great Lakes itineraries

A relatively small number of ships sail in the Great Lakes during any given year. But, even so, they offer a wide range of Great Lakes itineraries. Some of the ships that operate in the region will alternate between three or even four different routes during the short summer season, giving you lots of choices.

Lengthwise, you'll find Great Lakes voyages ranging from seven to 15 nights. Some of the sailings travel across all five of the Great Lakes. Others focus on just three or four of the interconnected bodies of water. Some of the ships also offer sailings that combine travel on one or more of the Great Lakes with a passage through the St. Lawrence Seaway. In some cases, these latter trips include travel all the way to Montreal.

The diversity in Great Lakes itineraries extends to their start and end points. A large percentage of all Great Lakes cruises begin or end in Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto. But there also are Great Lakes sailings that begin or end in Thunder Bay, Ontario; Duluth, Minnesota; Montreal and Detroit.

In most cases, Great Lakes sailings are one-way trips. You'll start in, say, Toronto, and work your way west to Chicago — or vice versa.

Some Great Lakes itineraries only include stops at relatively small towns such as Midland, Parry Sound and Little Current in Ontario; and Muskegon, Marquette and Houghton in Michigan. Others mix in calls at some of the bigger cities of the Great Lakes region, notably Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland and Toronto. On longer sailings, vessels often will overnight in such places as Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Thunder Bay.

Car-free Mackinac Island at the top of Michigan is a common stop on Great Lakes voyages, as is Niagara Falls, which sits between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Pro tip: If your Great Lakes cruise begins or ends in Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto, add a pre- or post-cruise stay of a night or two in the cities to see them in more depth.

Best Great Lakes cruise lines

Most of the world's biggest cruise lines — including Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line — can't operate in the Great Lakes because their ships are too big to enter the region through the St. Lawrence Seaway. This has turned the Great Lakes into an exclusive zone for a handful of smaller cruise operators that focus on very small vessels.

The two main players in Great Lakes cruising are Viking (a newcomer in 2022) and Pearl Seas Cruises. Each has one vessel devoted to the region (Viking Octantis and Pearl Mist, respectively).

Both cater to a generally older crowd, which is the main market for Great Lakes cruises. Viking's itineraries have the most outdoorsy options, while Pearl Seas Cruises offers trips with a lot of small-town stops.

Two more lines that occasionally operate sailings in the region are German line Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and France-based Ponant. Tour organizer Smithsonian Journeys also occasionally offers Great Lakes sailings using chartered Ponant vessels.

All of the above lines operate ships in the Great Lakes that carry fewer than 400 passengers. Some carry as few as 202 passengers. In general, the vessels are intimate and relatively high-end, with pricing to match.

As a rule, Great Lakes sailings don't come cheap. For example, seven-night Viking sailings in the region start at $5,995 per person.

Things to do in the Great Lakes

As noted above, the Great Lakes offer a wide mix of attractions and experiences. During a Great Lakes cruise, you might find yourself climbing aboard the bus where Rosa Parks took a stand at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit on one day and kayaking through the wild marshlands of Point Pelee, Ontario, the next.

Of the two lines operating in the Great Lakes, Viking has the greatest focus on outdoorsy stops such as Point Pelee (a tiny sandspit that juts into the northwestern corner of Lake Erie and is famous as a stopover for migratory birds). Some of Viking's sailings include a call at Alpena, Michigan — the gateway to a National Maritime Sanctuary, where passengers can kayak past shipwrecks in shallow waters. Another destination that Viking visits, Silver Islet, Ontario, brings the opportunity for a trail walk through Ontario's 94-square-mile Sleeping Giant Provincial Park — a rocky, forested park named for a long line of mesas that resemble a giant lying on its back.

The city-oriented stops that Viking and the other lines make, such as visits to Milwaukee or Chicago on Lake Michigan, give you time to explore the urban sensibility of the region. Brew-town Milwaukee offers the chance to explore the city's craft beer and brewing scene or to take a walking tour to the city's many outdoor sculptures. Chicago is famous for its world-leading architecture (which you can see on walking and boat tours), its Magnificent Mile lined with more stores than you've probably ever seen in one place and its world-class cultural institutions.

Then there are stops at quieter places such as Mackinac Island, where your sightseeing might include an excursion by horse-drawn carriage to historical sites. Of the three main lines operating in the Great Lakes, as noted above, Pearl Seas Cruises focuses the most on the region's small towns, with fewer stops at bigger cities.

One thing that all three of the main lines operating in the Great Lakes have in common is that they include tours during at least some stops and sometimes every stop in their base fares. Pearl Seas Cruises and Viking are particularly known for including lots of shore excursions in their base fares.

Included tours are part of what you're paying for when you pay the high prices noted above. So you can go off on your own in any of the places these ships visit. But you might just have a no-extra-charge outing including many of the highlights of each place already planned for your voyage.

Best Great Lakes cruise ports

The best Great Lakes cruise ports include the handful of relatively big cities in the region, such as Chicago, that are loaded with cultural sites, nightspots and restaurants, as well as charming small towns such as Holland, Michigan. Great Lakes cruises also bring days that are all about getting up close to wonders both natural and human-made — from towering Niagara Falls to the engineering marvel that is the Welland Canal.

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Known as "Canada's Gateway to the West" because it's the final navigational point on the Canadian side of Lake Superior, Thunder Bay is one of Ontario's most vibrant cities and a center for art and culture. It's also a hub for outdoorsy pursuits including mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and angling, as it's nestled within boreal forests.

Great architecture and cultural institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago — along with lots of nightlife, shopping and world-class dining — make Chicago the premier city destination in the Great Lakes region. Many Great Lakes cruises begin or end in Chicago, with some including an overnight in the city, allowing time to explore. Don't miss a stroll down the Magnificent Mile and a sightseeing boat ride on the Chicago River (a great way to get an overview of the city and see some of its architectural gems).

Wisconsin's biggest city is often surprisingly delightful to first-time visitors, home as it is to a Santiago Calatrava-designed art museum with a world-class collection, a Harley-Davidson Museum that our sister site Lonely Planet has dubbed "badass" plus stylish eating and shopping enclaves. Settled by Germans in the 1840s, "Brew City," as it's known, also is a mecca of sorts for beer lovers — and not just because it's home to the original Miller Brewing Company complex, which is open daily for tours. You'll also find lots of craft breweries that you can visit on your own or as part of a tour, and you can tour (and drink at) the original Pabst Brewery.

Holland, Michigan

As the name suggests, Holland is a little bit of The Netherlands transported to the Americas. Settled by Dutch immigrants in the 1800s, it's home to the annual Tulip Time Festival, which takes place every May, and offers up such Holland-themed attractions as Windmill Island Gardens, where you'll find a working Dutch windmill, canals and dikes. Holland's downtown is a charmer with cobblestone sidewalks and more than 100 specialty shops, breweries and restaurants.

Sault Saint Marie, Michigan

Located at the northeastern edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Sault Saint Marie is the site of the Soo Locks, a marvel of engineering that connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The locks themselves are the big attractions in Sault Saint Marie — head to the observation deck at Soo Locks Park to watch freighters passing by and learn more at the Soo Locks Visitor Center.

But there are other allures, including the Museum Ship Valley Camp. It's a retired Great Lakes freighter (named Valley Camp) that you can climb into and explore. In addition to touring the living quarters for its 29-person crew, you'll find a 20,000-square-foot maritime museum in its cargo hold with exhibits on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and more.

Mackinac Island

The Jewel of the Great Lakes has been a summer getaway for Midwesterners since the Victorian era and it retains much of its Victorian-era charm. The iconic attraction on the island is the 135-year-old Grand Hotel , with its seemingly endless, rocker-lined front porch (the longest in the world). Afternoon tea in the hotel's parlor, or a game of croquet at its Tea Garden, are among Mackinac Island's allures. Tours in a horse-drawn carriage are another popular pastime; cars are banned on the island, leaving horse-drawn carriages as one of the main ways of getting around, along with bicycles. When visiting, don't miss Fort Mackinac, which dates to the 1700s.

Niagara Falls

Located on the short waterway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls is one of the world's most spectacular waterfall complexes (it's actually three waterfalls, not one) with a flow rate greater than any other waterfall in North America and a vertical drop of more than 160 feet. Visitors can take it in both from viewing areas on land and from a tour boat.

Note that Great Lakes cruise vessels don't travel directly on the 36-mile-long strait that connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, which is known as the Niagara River (lest they go plunging over the falls). Instead, they use the Welland Canal — another marvel of engineering and an attraction in its own right.

Motor City should probably be called Museum City, as it's home to a wonderful array of museums worth a visit, from The Detroit Museum of Art and the Motown Museum to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. Passengers on Great Lakes cruises will find that stops in Detroit often revolve around an included visit to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, a sprawling history museum complex that is home to the limousine that President Kennedy was in when he was assassinated, George Washington's camp bed, Buckminster Fuller's prototype Dymaxion house, the bus on which Rosa Parks was arrested and countless other rare artifacts.

When to book a Great Lakes cruise

The best time to book a Great Lakes cruise is right when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance. You'll have your pick of itineraries and cabins and often the best fares.

Because the Great Lakes has such a short season with a limited number of ships, sailings in the region are often in high demand and people plan early. Newcomer Viking, notably, has told TPG it has seen brisker sales this year for its Great Lakes trips than sailings to Antarctica — one of the world's ultimate bucket list destinations.

If you wait to book, you're not entirely out of luck. Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season" ). You can take advantage of discounted fares and other perks. Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help.

In general, waiting until the last minute is not the best idea, unless you live in a gateway city such as Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto and don't need to book flights. While some less preferred sail dates or cabin categories may have availability a few months out, spurring cruise lines to drop rates, you might have trouble finding affordable airfare and pre- or post-cruise hotel accommodations that do not eat up your cruise savings.

What to bring on a Great Lakes cruise

When it comes to packing for a Great Lakes cruise, your mantra should always be: dress in layers. It can be chilly in the morning in the more northerly parts of the Great Lakes, particularly at the start of the Great Lakes cruising season, but then warm up fast.

If you're planning to do some outdoorsy pursuits, such as kayaking or hiking, be sure to bring appropriate activewear. And don't forget to pack a rain jacket, if not a complete rain gear outfit, including a wide-brimmed waterproof hat, rain pants and waterproof shoes or boots.

Also, and this is critical: Don't forget your passport. Many of the places you'll visit in the Great Lakes will be in the United States and do not require a passport. But every Great Lakes cruise includes at least a few — and sometimes many — stops in Canada, where a valid U.S. passport, passport card or NEXUS card is required to enter if you're a U.S. citizen.

Bottom line

There's a lot to see and do in the Great Lakes region, and it's hard to argue that there's a better way to see and do it than on a cruise. Cruise vessels departing from such cities as Chicago and Toronto can take you to all of the highlights of the region — from the breweries of Milwaukee to thundering Niagara Falls — in a single trip. That's something that you'll be hard-pressed to accomplish any other way.

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Detroit , Michigan

New is a word familiar in Detroit. New restaurants, entertainment districts, retailers and businesses are everywhere. All this exciting development is a sign that it’s GO time in Detroit — an undeniable IT place to visit with its own take on renewal that’s inspiring.

Popular shore excursions

• Visit the Motown Museum where the international Motown sound was first recorded.
• Relish in the city’s renowned public art.
• Walk through art history in the Detroit Museum of Art, home to more than 100 galleries.
• Put yourself in the center of the action at Campus Martius Park.
• Take in America’s pastime with a Tiger’s game at Comerica Park.

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Cruise the Great Lakes on a journey to experience the majesty of our fresh water seas aboard luxury small-ship cruises complete with personalized service, world-class dining, great activities, and the adventure of a lifetime.

Choose from exciting itineraries where you can explore iconic destinations along the Great Lakes, from the rich history of Mackinac Island and French-Canadian Villages to the breathtaking shoreline of Lake Superior and the cultural epicenters of iconic cities such as Detroit and Chicago. Come create your own lifetime of memories on our fresh water seas.

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In 1842, Charles Dickens embarked on a tour of North America taking a cruise across Lake Erie, and in 1895, Mark Twain decided to embark on a trip “at home around the world” and boarded a ship in Cleveland to travel to Mackinac Island. He wrote that “across Lake Erie to the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River is a most charming trip."

In 1894-1895, when the Northern Steamship Company introduced the North West and North Land , with their motto “In all the World, no trip like this.” Among the North Land ‘s first passengers was Samuel L Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Part of the Great Northern Railway system, these ships were described as the “largest, most complete, and luxuriously equipped passenger boats in the world.” 

Ernest Hemmingway and Samuel Clemmens like thousands of other people, relied on steamships and trains to get them from their homes to their Michigan destinations. The Hemingways journey began at a pier in Chicago where they boarded one of the several Great Lakes steamers that traveled along Michigan's west coast. Porters would help them load trunks filled with clothes, books, and provisions onto the ship, and the family would settle in and enjoy the two-day trip.  When the Manitou docked in Harbor Springs, the Hemingways transferred themselves and their cargo to a small train that would take them to their destination.

Many more cruise ships followed on both sides of the border, carrying Great Lakes cruisers for the decades to come. These ships were all between 300 and 400 feet in length, 3,000 to 7,000 tons, and carried between 280 and 500 passengers each. Their most interesting amenity was suites with private balconies, many decades before they were introduced into modern-day cruise ships.

The Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company began a Detroit to Chicago service via Mackinac Island in 1924, with the 500-berth Eastern States and Western States . In 1933, the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Company offered a seven-day Great Lakes cruise all summer long. Unlike the traditional cruise ships, these were big side-wheel paddle steamers, the largest in the world, and they continued cruising until 1950, when D&C, deprived of its overnight business by the advent of the superhighway, closed. 

A bow anchor from the S.S. Greater Detroit was cut in December 1956 and abandoned on the bottom of the Detroit River. The Great Lakes Maritime Institute's Dive Team searched for this 6000-pound artifact and finally located it some 200 feet out in the Detroit River. The anchor was recovered on November 15, 2016, and is now located at the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority building. (See The Anchor Story)

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America’s Great Lakes are a little-known, unspoiled wonderland, boasting diverse natural beauty, scenic wildlife and some of the most interesting cities in North America. Over 750 miles across with 10,000 miles of coastline, the Great Lakes cover an area twice as large as Pennsylvania. Glide silently by kayak past otters in Georgian Bay, hear the roar of Niagara Falls, hike through verdant old forests or visit Canada’s prominent museums to marvel at art inspired by these shores. Here are some highlights you may experience during your journey:

• Explore the largest freshwater ecosystem on earth—the Great Lakes
• Watch for wildlife, from bald eagles to moose, bears and beavers
• Hike through stunning forests in this pristine environment
• Learn about Canada’s colonial past and the St. Lawrence River
• Kayak in stunning Georgian Bay—a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
• View the world-class collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum
• Explore tranquil, scenic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
• Transit engineering marvels like the Welland Canal and Soo Locks

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Detroit MI (Michigan)

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Local Time 2024-06-08 03:37

Port Detroit MI cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Detroit MI, Michigan. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Detroit MI (aka Motor City) is USA's 7th largest city and a major port on Detroit River. It is located on a navigable waterway that links the Great Lakes with Saint Lawrence Seaway .

The city is also world's foremost car-manufacturing center. The economic growth was aided by city's transport links to USA's interior and its strategic location on Detroit River - the waterway connecting USA's upper and lower Great Lakes.

On Detroit riverfront is located the Civic Center, with Cobo Hall, City-County Building and Arena (one of the largest convention halls in the US). Here also is Henry and Edsel Ford Auditorium and Museum. Ford Museum takes a look at the man behind the assembly line and at how his ingenuity has transformed American life. The collection includes antique and classic cars including the automobile in which JFK was shot, railway locomotives, farm equipment, kitchen appliances, car advertising posters, early car videos. Greenfield Village is adjacent to the museum. It takes tourists back 150 years to reveal the genius of remarkable Americans. Actual structures like Thomas Edison's Menlo Park laboratory, Orville and Wilbur Wright's home and bicycle shop, have been moved to Greenfield. The village also features a paddleboat on the small lake and an operating steam railway.

Also north of downtown are General Motors and Fisher buildings, designed by the German architect Albert Kahn. Pewabic Pottery (1907) is another place of interest, built for ceramicist Mary Chase Perry Stratton. Her glazed tiles were an important element in buildings of 1920s. West of Detroit's downtown area is situated Fort Wayne Military Museum, Midwest's best-preserved pre-American Civil War fort. It houses Great Lakes Indian Museum and Tuskegee Airmen Museum.

The post-COVID 2022 was the most successful year ever for cruises on the Great Lakes. The season featured ~150,000 cruise ship tourists (+25% over 2019) served by 9x boats. Currently, the largest by capacity Great Lakes cruise companies are Viking Cruises USA ( Viking Octantis ), AQV-American Queen Voyages (ships Ocean Navigator , Ocean Voyager ), Pearl Seas Cruises ( Pearl Mist ), and the Canadian company St Lawrence Cruise Lines ( Canadian Empress ). Other travel brands that offer Great Lakes voyages are PONANT and Tauck ( fleet ).

Due to the increased Great Lakes cruise passenger traffic, in 2022 were opened two new US Customs and Border Protection facilities - in Duluth MI and Cleveland OH, in addition to the existing in Detroit MI and Sault Ste Marie MI.

In 2022, Detroit Port Authority reported a successful season with a total of 52 cruise ship calls/handled berthings.

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Detroit/Windsor

Just outside of Detroit, you can visit the Henry Ford Museum, created to document the genius of ordinary people. Housed in a sweeping, nine-acre, single-floor space with soaring 40-foot ceilings, the design and sheer scope of the museum is as grand as the vision that inspired it. Local expert docents will escort guests to see the museum’s highlights that include: the limousine that carried President John F. Kennedy on that fateful day in Texas, the bus in which Rosa Parks stood her ground and sparked the Civil Rights movement, and the chair from the Ford Theatre in which Abraham Lincoln was sitting when he was shot.

Windsor is located on the south bank of the Detroit River, directly across from Detroit, Michigan. These two cities are connected by the Ambassador Bridge and contribute to making it the busiest international border crossing in North America.

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Detroit gets its first Great Lakes cruise ship docking for 2023 on Monday

(WXYZ) — The Port of Detroit got its first cruise ship of the 2023 season on Monday as the 665-foot Viking Octantis docked in the morning.

According to the Port of Detroit, the Octantis docked around 8 a.m. and is set to leave at 2 p.m., but not before passengers have a chance to explore the city.

A record number of cruises are expected to dock in Detroit this year as part of a growing Great Lakes cruise industry.

Last year, there were a record 52 cruise ships that docked in Detroit, and according to Cruise the Great Lakes and the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, there will be 67 cruise ships docking during the season.

David Lorenz, the vice president of Travel Michigan, said Cruise the Great Lakes met in Montreal earlier this year to look at the ships that planned to sail the Great Lakes this year. According to Lorenz, they have all the ships they had last year, and a new ship – the Hanseatic Inspiration.

The ships have a variety of routes on the Great Lakes with stops in Michigan including Detroit, Mackinac Island, Muskegon, Sault Ste. Marie and more.

When they stop in Detroit, the team from Visit Detroit works with the Port Authority to provide a welcome for passengers on the dock.

Passengers from the cruises have a variety of options to explore metro Detroit while they're in the area, with locations like The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, the Motown Museum and more.

"Most people from all around the U.S., places like Texas and California, they've heard about places like Michigan, but they might not know the real story about pure Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes region. So when they come here, they get this two-nation destination experience pretty unique," Lorenz said. "They get to see that people in our region are really friendly and they see this freshwater experience, which not many cruisers around the world really get to see."

The cruise industry doesn't just benefit Michigan and Detroit – it also helps other cities along the Great Lakes like Cleveland and Milwaukee.

According to the Port of Detroit, the cruise ships will continue to dock in the city throughout the summer and last until mid-October.

In all, there will be nine cruises in May, nine in June, 12 in July, 15 in August, 17 in September and five in October. That doesn't include the dinner cruises along the river that use the Port of Detroit.

According to Lorenz, the future of cruising on the Great Lakes is bright, and he thinks the initial visit to Detroit will bring people back.

He also said they're hoping to lure some ships to start and stop their journeys in Detroit in the future.

"I think what you're going to find is that the Port of Detroit is going to continue to make accommodations so that they can lure additional ships, including some of these bigger ships like the Hanseatic Inspiration," he said. "You're going to be able to see more and more ships here. And I tell you, we're going to all benefit from that initial visit because people are going to be able to see Detroit."

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Cruises on the Great Lakes are giving new life to the Rust Belt

For waterfront cities such as Cleveland, Detroit, and Green Bay, new tourism opportunities are literally sailing in.

The winds of change are coming to the port cities of the Great Lakes . For over a century, the largest network of freshwater in the world had served as a highway for moving bulk products such as grain, petroleum, and other industrial products to and from the interior United States and Canada .  

But as the region’s manufacturing economy withered due to offshoring and other technological changes, the Great Lakes’ ports went quiet.

Now, several cities are investing in their waterfronts—but this time to facilitate cruise ships and the lucrative tourism dollars they bring.  

After years of stagnation due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Great Lakes will host their largest cruise fleet ever this year, with nine cruise ships setting sail this season, four of them new ships making their inaugural trips through lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario . Around 150,000 passengers are expected to sail—a 25 percent increase from 2019—generating an estimated $120 million in economic impact.  

Making waves

This summer was a historic one for Green Bay, Wisconsin , with the city welcoming its first-ever cruise ship —the 202-passenger Ocean Navigator —into port.

“It really created a sense of pride in our community to bring in these large cruise ships and guests from all over the world,” says Nick Meisner of Discover Green Bay .

( How cruise lines are adapting to COVID-19 in the age of Omicron .)

Shipping facilities in Green Bay, a port city of just over 100,000 people on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, have for decades traditionally handled raw materials and goods such as petroleum and other industrial products.

But now, a new cruise roster means the local tourism scene is set to chart a different course. Visitors can take in popular spots such as Lambeau Field, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, as well as a host of local breweries and stores. In July, work started on an $8.8 million project to revitalize the city’s waterfront that would include a promenade, fishing pier, and an urban beach.

These efforts were not lost on the cruise companies. “Because we have relatively smaller ships, we can get into smaller ports. That’s somewhat unique to the Great Lakes,” says Bill Annand, vice president of marine operations for American Queen Voyages , which operates the Ocean Navigator . “Green Bay worked in terms of time and distance on some of our itineraries, but also, it’s an attractive port. The local community helped us set up good shore excursion activities.”

Green Bay isn’t alone.

In May, Thunder Bay, Ontario , on the Canadian shores of Lake Superior, welcomed its first cruise ship passengers since 2013. Experts estimated that more than 5,000 tourists were expected to debark in Thunder Bay this year for hiking excursions around shipwreck-ridden Sleeping Giant Provincial Park , urban walking tours, and Indigenous-led visitor experiences, generating up to $4.3 million for the local economy.  

Cleveland , situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie and featuring attractions such as the West Side Market , the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , and a nearby national park , is set to receive about 4,000 passengers via 38 cruise visits this year, up from 19 cruises in 2018.  

When the 672-foot-long Viking Octantis , the newest and largest vessel on the Great Lakes cruise roster, sailed up the Detroit River and docked in the Motor City in May, it stopped traffic . Some people reportedly drove 60 miles just to catch a glimpse of the ship.  

Once the poster boy for America’s manufacturing decline, Detroit now teems with new developments and fresh initiatives. Cruise ship visits doubled to 50 this year, with around 10,000 passengers contributing millions of dollars to the local economy. Many of those are first-time visitors who local tourism experts say might never have considered visiting Detroit as a stand-alone destination.

“This is business that I really didn’t have at all until this year because it didn’t seem to exist much before COVID,” says Bob Goldsmith, owner of the tour guide service Detroit Tour Connections . “We’re hoping for more [visitors] next year.”

Not entirely easy sailing

Catering to this fast-growing industry does have its challenges.

In some ports, access is still an issue. When the Viking Octantis arrived in Detroit in May, it had to dock at the larger Nicholson Terminal because the city’s main port wasn’t set up to receive it. (The smaller Ocean Navigator has been able to dock at Detroit’s main waterfront this year).  

Port authorities say that updates, however, are expected to be made this off-season to allow the Octantis and an additional ship dock at Detroit’s main port from next year.

Access to customs facilities, since the ships regularly sail between U.S. and Canadian ports with passengers from a host of countries, is another issue, say observers. To mitigate the problem, ports such as Cleveland and Duluth-Superior have recently spent millions of dollars on creating new processing facilities, though others still lack the infrastructure.

It is also not ideal that passengers are only projected to spend around $150 to $180 on shore per person, as meals and sleeping quarters are already provided on board, says Annand.

The economic impact “straight away is not huge for our community,” adds Meisner, however, “the big impact is showcasing our destination to new travelers from across the country and the globe.”

With more ships now sailing thousands of miles across the Great Lakes, there is also a greater potential environmental impact on the region. Regulatory organizations, however, are working to mitigate that.  

( The Great Lakes—North America’s most valuable resource—is at risk .)

“We test the ballast water of every ship coming into the St. Lawrence (Seaway) in Montreal,” says Rebecca Yackley of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation , a federal agency that manages and promotes ship activity in the region. Ships are required to flush ballast water (fresh or saltwater held in the gravel tanks that keep boats balanced) before entering the Great Lakes system. Testing the water helps prevent invasive species such as zebra mussels (bivalves that clog water filtration pipes, devour the algae needed for native species to survive, and destroy boat engines) from getting in.  

Cleveland, Detroit, and Thunder Bay, along with several other cruising organizations and port cities have signed the Cruise the Great Lakes sustainability pledge . Compliance with the pledge includes using more biofuel and alternative fuel technology, creating a lighter shoreside footprint, switching to LED lights, locally sourcing food, not dumping waste in the lakes, and repurposing supplies when possible.

Newer vessels such as the Viking Octantis   are deploying cutting-edge ways to save energy. The hot water generated by its engines is recycled to heat the vessel’s living quarters. The Octantis has been designed to minimize disturbances to animals by reducing its noise emission.

Due to the smaller physical and environmental footprint of Great Lakes cruise ships, these and other green energy initiatives implemented mean the Great Lakes cruise scene is poised to flourish in the years to come.  

In Green Bay, tourism officials are expecting to add at least two new cruise arrivals next year and are holding conversations with additional cruise operators about coming to the city.  

“We expect that this year’s cruise visits to Green Bay will lead some to plan an entire trip,” Meisner says. “That will be extremely valuable to our community.”

Related Topics

• CRUISE SHIPS

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Zlake superior explorer cruise - thunder bay to detroit, our complete program of shoreside discoveries.

Show all itinerary details

Board the mv Victory II in Thunder Bay

On arrival at the airport, our chauffeured transfer takes you to the pier where the elegant mv Victory II awaits. Settle in to your outside stateroom before joining your fellow passengers for dinner with free-flowing house wines, cocktails and beverages.  Meals D

Discover Duluth, Minnesota

The Sioux and Chippewa were the first to settle in the scenic hills that overlook the far western shores of Lake Superior. By the mid 1600’s, it was a fur trading outpost that was then claimed for France by Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Lhut, the French soldier and explorer for whom the city is now named. Stepping off ship today, your guided exploration begins with the Aerial Lift Bridge which stands guard over the harbor and then continues along the North Shore Scenic Driver, from where you’ll have commanding views over the city and its picturesque setting on Lake Superior. You’ll ascend to Hawk Ridge to learn about the unique natural phenomenon that occurs here annually as raptors migrating from the Arctic crest the ridge and seemingly come to a halt in mid-air as they encounter the vast expanse of Lake Superior below. Back in town, enjoy a guided walk along the waterfront to Leif Erikson Park to see an amazing replica of a Viking ship and then tour the Duluth Depot, which houses the unique collection of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore more of Duluth’s vibrant waterfront at your own pace.  Meals B+L+D

The Keweenaw Waterway + Houghton

Comprised of natural lakes and waterways as well as artificial canals that were dredged in the 1860’s, the Keweenaw Waterway traverses the Keweenaw Peninsula and provides a shortcut for freighters hauling ore from the rich copper mines of the Peninsula to larger cities along Lake Superior. Today you’ll off ship in the village of Houghton, situated midway through the Keweenaw Waterway, for a tour of the famous Quincy Copper Mine. The mine operated for nearly a century, right up through World War II, and offers the rare chance for visitors to actually enter the mine itself! After lunch, you’ll visit the Houghton Lake Historic Village to see a restored vintage homestead and tour the Fireman’s Memorial Museum.  Meals B+L+D

Marquette, Michigan

Set on the northern shores of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the lands around Marquette were well known by French missionaries as far back as the 1600’s and in later centuries by intrepid fur trappers. With the discovery of iron deposits in the mid-19 th century, the town of Marquette began to grow and prosper and by the late 1800’s steamships were also bringing summer visitors to fill the city’s hotels and resorts. Stepping ashore today in this historic town, your sightseeing will include the Michigan Iron Industry Museum and the still-operational Famous Eagle Mine site. At the Baumer Heritage Center, informative and entertaining exhibits will offer further insight into Marquette’s development from furs and mining to modern-day tourism.  Meals B+L+D

Through the Soo Locks into Lake Huron

A delightful day of cruising is enriched by engaging talks with our onboard Great Lakes experts. Elegant dining in two distinctive venues, our ship’s Open Bar with house wine, spirits and beer, and convivial conversation with your fellow travelers add to the experience. Today our ship will transit through the historic Soo Locks, where freighters, barges and tugboats traverse the 21-foot drop of the St. Mary’s River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The first lock here was built in 1855 and the canal was navigated by 27 vessels during its first year of operation. Today, more than 10,000 ships hauling 86 million tons of cargo pass through these historic parallel locks each year, even though they’re closed during the winter when ice shuts down shipping on the upper Great Lakes! As we navigate from Lake Superior downward through the locks, our experts will be on-hand to offer colorful historical insights. Once we reach Lake Superior, we’ll continue our voyage toward Mackinac Island.  Meals B+L+D

Mackinac Island

This morning, the mv Victory II will dock in St. Ignace where you’ll board the Star Line Ferry to Mackinac Island. From the Mackinac waterfront, a horse-drawn carriage tour is a great way to experience the Victoria-era ambience of this National Historic Landmark. Learn about the island’s history and see turn-of-the-century homes built by early captains of American industry. Then hop off at the Grand Hotel and take in the views from its famous verandah, the longest in the world! In the elegant main dining room, you’ll enjoy the hotel’s lavish Grand Buffet Luncheon.   Also today, you’ll tour Fort Mackinac - set high on a bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. Built by the British in 1780, taken by the Americans in 1796, and reclaimed by the British at the start of the War of 1812, your guided visit offers rich insight into colorful chapters of American history. Then return to the waterfront where the ferry will take you back to St. Ignace to reboard the mv Victory II .  Meals B+L+D

Little Current on Manitoulin Island

After breakfast, you’ll step ashore in Little Current, Ontario. This charming town is the gateway to Manitoulin, the largest freshwater island in the world. Learn about the island’s nautical heritage and its natural history as you make the scenic 30-minute drive to the Immaculate Conception Church. With a unique in-the-round architectural style that evokes a teepee and the circle of life, this church is the spiritual focal point of the local community and brings together the beliefs and customs of the native Ojibwe culture and the Catholic Church. Later at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, you’ll enjoy a guided tour through the art galleries and enlightening state-of-the-art exhibits of this heritage museum. If you wish, you can browse in the Foundation’s artisan shop and participate in a smudging ceremony, an ancient purifying ritual that uses the smoke from cedar, sage, sweet grass and other plants that are regarded for their healing powers. A narrated drum and dance performance offers further insight into Ojibwe cultural traditions. We’ll return to the mv Victory II for lunch. In the afternoon, you can relax onboard or step off to explore the charming town of Little Current at your own pace.  Meals B+L+D

Killbear Park + The 30,000 Islands

Today we’ll be docked in the town of Parry Sound, tucked along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay and surrounded by pristine waters, deep forests and the rugged terrain of the Laurentian Plateau. To fully appreciate the grandeur of the region, we’ve arranged two special excursions for the day. In Killbear Provincial Park, an expert team of wildlife naturalists and geologists will guide your exploration of the region’s diverse terrain - which encompasses rocky shores, sandy beaches, and the pine-forested ridges of the Plateau. Enjoy breathtaking views of Georgian Bay and learn about the unique flora and fauna of the park. For a different perspective, we’ve also arranged for an excursion aboard the mv Chippewa III . With insights from an expert local resident, this guided cruise through Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands region promises an experience that is both enlightening and fun.   Travelers with a taste for even greater excitement can join an available Flightseeing Adventure in modern 3-passenger aircrafts that will take you soaring above the blue waters, rugged shores and forests of the 30,000 Islands.  Meals B+L+D

Cruising Lake Huron

Delight in this day of cruising aboard the casually elegant mv Victory II . Today finds our intimate ship navigating the second largest of America’s Great Lakes. If you count Huron’s 30,000 islands, the lake actually has the longest shoreline of any of the Great Lakes. Enjoy convivial conversation with your fellow passengers or join an engaging discussion with our shipboard experts; they’re well-versed in the history, peoples and natural wonders of the Great Lakes region. Elegant dining in two distinctive venues with free-flowing wine and beer and our ship’s Open Bar enhance your day.  Meals B+L+D

Disembark in Detroit, Michigan

After breakfast and disembarkation here in Detroit, you’ll be escorted to the airport for your homeward flight.  Meals B

Extend Your Trip

Free pre-cruise stay in thunder bay.

Extend your journey with our complimentary pre-cruise stay in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Set on the western shores of Lake Superior and cradled by the Nor’Wester Mountain Range, this vibrant urban community is a friendly place to relax and explore before embarking your cruise. We include your flight from Toronto to Thunder Bay, arrival transfer, hotel accommodations, and sightseeing.

Fly from Toronto to Thunder Bay

Your flight today from Toronto is included with our Pre-Cruise Stay. On arrival in Thunder Bay, you can arrange your transfer to the comfortable Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton : Simply dial #10 from the Guest Services Phone to contact the hotel and request their complimentary shuttle service. The balance of your afternoon and evening is yours to relax and enjoy as you wish.

Discover Thunder Bay + Embark your Cruise

After breakfast and hotel check-out, our friendly local guide will take you to Fort William Historical Park. Set on 250 acres overlooking the picturesque Kaministiquia River, this leading heritage and cultural center offers a chance to experience and learn about local life in the early 19th century at the peak of the North American fur trade. Start with an informative video presentation and continue through the Park to the old fur trading post where you’ll find finely-reconstructed historical buildings including a working farm and areas for artisans and trades people. Hands-on demonstrations and engaging staff in period garb bring the region’s history to life. After your visit, we’ll take you to the pier to board the mv Victory II .  Meals B+D

$399 port charges are extra

Family + Friends

Every A+R Journey is carefully crafted with more than 7 decades of expertise helping our guests to experience the world in a more authentic and caring way. Choose from more than 105 Original Journeys With Never More than 16 Guests or book your tour as a Completely Private Experience – whether it’s just the two of you, a small group of friends, or your entire family.

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America's Great Lakes

Our Great Lakes cruise from Chicago to Toronto encompasses all five of the Great Lakes - revealing their rich maritime history, indigenous cultures and captivating natural beauty. Aboard the elegant small ship mv Victory I, the finest ship on the Great Lakes, our deluxe cruise includes fine dining, enriching onboard experts, all excursions, an open bar, airport transfers and gratuities.

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With the smallest groups in the Americas, our journey uniquely begins in a small Canadian fishing port. Traveling all the way across British Columbia, we’ll show you more of its history, beauty and wildlife.

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Our Pacific Northwest tour features the smallest groups in the Americas, combining the bounty of Portland, Oregon’s vineyards and its Pacific Coast with a luxury Columbia River cruise aboard the American Empress.

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Look inside huge, luxurious Viking Polaris, Octantis cruise ships

• Updated: Jun. 06, 2024, 1:04 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 06, 2024, 12:47 p.m.

• Justine Lofton | [email protected]

These huge Great Lakes cruise ships have been traversing the Great Lakes for three years - and they’re still a sight to see.

The Viking Octantis debuted on the freshwater seas in 2022. The vessel was joined by its identical sister, the Viking Polaris, in 2023. The cruise line is now in its third season of Great Lakes itineraries.

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9 great Detroit weekend arts options that don't involve Michigan Central

While Michigan Central’s grand reopening is soaking up all the local ink these days , there are still many, many other valuable experiences to be had this weekend in metro Detroit arts, from galleries to theater to live music and beyond. Here are just nine of your options.

A young man’s quest

“Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” playing through June 9 at Trenton’s Open Book Theatre Co., charts the emotional voyage of a young, Black man searching for a connection with an ancestor who leapt to freedom from a slave ship during the Middle Passage. Lively performances (particularly from Maggie Alger as Erika and costume designer Ashley M. Lyle as Shea), a gorgeous set and great lighting design by Harley Miah elevate the play by way of magical realism.

Open Book Theatre Co., 1621 West Rd., Trenton. 734-288-7753. openbooktheatrecompany.net. Tickets start at $17.

Art among the mountains

Detroit gallery Library Street Collective will host an opening reception on Saturdayfor a new solo exhibition from New York-based artist Sam Friedman. “Temple of Silence” is an immersive presentation featuring four large-scale cave paintings ranging from 9 by 9 feet to 9 by 25 feet. Friedman aims to create a space for viewers to “realign with (their) natural pace” – a harmonious environment where the endless pressures of our constructed world can be temporarily diminished. The show will be on display through July 17. The show runs from 6-8 p.m.

Library Street Collective, 1274 Library St. (in The BELT), Detroit. 313-600-7443. lscgallery.com. Free to attend.

Celebrating queer Detroit artists

In honor of Pride Month, Detroit Shipping Co. will present “From Cass Corridor with Love,” an art exhibition opening Saturday, June 8 from 7-11 p.m. Artists featured are G. Reni, Yazzmin Aguilar, Corey Tut, Maria Perreault, MadofAnts and Kar Devidasi. Sunday afternoon feature an art market and family activities from noon-3 p.m.

Detroit Shipping Co., 474 Peterboro St., Detroit. 313-462-4973. detroitshippingcompany.com. Free to attend.

Deep dive into classical

June means the return of the annual Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, which opens Saturday and runs through June 22. Workshops, community concerts, masterclasses and more are held around the metro Detroit region, bringing music directly to neighborhoods in public libraries, religious spaces and arts venues, reaching demographics from 5 years old to over 65. Over 35 concerts and events will take place across Southeast Michigan, with costs ranging from free to $70.

Saturday evening in Ann Arbor, Kerrytown Concert House will host violinist Tai Murray, cellist and artistic director Paul Watkins and the Amnis Piano Quartet from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The musicians will perform a sonata for violin and piano, a string quartet, and a Schumann piano quintet. On Sunday, Beverly Hills’ Seligman Performing Arts Center will be the setting for Watkins, violinist Leila Josefowicz and the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings performing pieces by Wagner, Britten and Bartók.

Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. 248-559-2095. greatlakeschambermusic.org for tickets and registration.

120 years of artisan legacy

Pewabic Pottery’s Annual House & Garden Show, taking place Friday through Sunday will celebrate ceramic art all weekend with strolling tours and artisan demos. Saturday and Sunday’s events will include a courtyard beer garden, live music and food trucks.

Pewabic Pottery, 10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit. 313-626-2000. pewabic.org. Free to attend.

Swinging into the weekend

Saxophonist and composer Marcus Elliot is in a weekend-long residency at Detroit jazz institution Cliff Bell’s, with shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. His compositions and improvisations have been described by the New York Times as “convincing and confident, evolved in touch and tone” and the Detroit Free Press has said, “Marcus Elliot represents the next generation of jazz.”

Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543. cliffbells.com. Tickets $25.

Spontaneous art marathon

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) will host a Monster Drawing Rally Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to watch artists in action, creating work in real time. During three one-hour shifts, local artists will draw their hearts out. Each piece will be bagged, tagged and available to buy on-site. The pace is quick – don’t miss out on your favorite piece!

MOCAD, 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-832-6622. mocadetroit.com. $10 admission.

A 75-voice choir

Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Ferndale High School, LGBTQ+ ally chorus Sing Out Detroit will present its spring performance, “Still Standing: Bigger, Bolder, Better.” Directed by Amy Saari, the 75-voice choir will sing contemporary hits and showtunes that celebrate resilience, strength and the power of the human spirit.

Ferndale High School, 881 Pinecrest Dr., Ferndale. 248-943-2411. singoutdetroit.org. Tickets $20 advance, $25 at door.

You’re already humming it

Dun-dun-dun-DUNNNNNNNN! One of the most recognizable pieces of music in any genre or nationality, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony will be performed three times this weekend by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Friday at both 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m., and Saturday at 8 p.m. Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, heralded by NPR as “nothing less than the future of classical music,” will also join the orchestra for a concerto, and composer Julia Perry’s centennial will be marked by a short but brilliant piece from her extensive catalogue of work.

Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111. dso.org. Tickets start at $24.

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 9 Detroit weekend arts options that don't involve Michigan Central

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Viking Starts Third Great Lakes Season

• May 31, 2024

Viking is celebrating the start of its third season in the Great Lakes, with the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris deployed in the region.

The season features itineraries that operate between Toronto and Duluth and explore all five Great Lakes until early October when both ships return to Antarctica.

Additionally, two new itineraries in the Great Lakes for 2026 are now open for booking. The 10-day Great Lakes Treasures voyage sails roundtrip from Milwaukee, with new ports of call for Viking, including Chicago, Canada’s Fathom Five National Marine Park and Benjamin Islands. The 17-day Niagara and Great Lakes Treasures voyage sails between Toronto and Milwaukee, with visits to Niagara Falls, Canada’s Point Pelee National Park and a transit of the Welland Canal.

“The Great Lakes region is a phenomenal place that is close to home for many of our guests, but one that few have yet to fully discover. With more than 10,000 miles of coastline, world-class cities and remote wilderness areas, it is truly a destination that is best explored by ship,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking. “We would like to thank our local partners for the warm welcome once again, and we look forward to introducing more curious travelers to the Great Lakes this season and in future years.”

Highlighted 2024-2026 Great Lakes season:

• Great Lakes Treasures voyage (10 days; roundtrip Milwaukee)
• Niagara and Great Lakes Treasures (17 days; between Toronto – Milwaukee)
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Celebrate the spirit of Detroit

In recent decades, Detroit may not have always been the headliner on everyone’s must-see cities list, but you’ll be singing a different tune after attending our upcoming inside Tauck presentation. Join us as Karin Risko, owner of City Tour Detroit, shares her passion for all things Detroit… AKA Motown… AKA Motor City… AKA the Renaissance City… giving us a glimpse into what makes its downtown so special, including its storied history, its significant global contributions, and its remarkable recent comeback.

MEET YOUR HOST

Karin Risko

Business owner, tour guide and author, Karin Risko has been showing off Detroit for over a decade. She continues to expand her company, City Tour Detroit, which shows off the many different facets of Detroit’s fabulous and quirky history – and gives her an opportunity to surprise and delight guests, exceeding their expectations of the city and dispelling the image of Detroit as a new discovery. Karin is the author of A History Lover’s Guide to Detroit and co-author of Michigan Civil War Landmarks , both published by The History Press.

Related Journeys

Cruising the Great Lakes: Toronto to Chicago

Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island

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‘None of us saw this coming’: Michigan confronts bird flu in cows

By Interlochen Public Radio

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

This coverage is made possible through a partnership with  IPR  and   Grist , a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

Laurie Stanek shovels hay in front of a group of young, black and white Holstein cows.

“We’re out here at 5 o’clock every morning to get started feeding the babies,” she said. In a nearby barn, she points to a small calf shakily getting to its feet.

“That guy over there was yesterday’s new one,” she said. “They’re born about 100 pounds, 120 pounds.”

Stanek has worked at her family’s dairy farm in Antrim County for almost 50 years. Right now, they have about 200 milking cows.

This is among the Michigan farms that have to abide by new state and federal measures to protect their animals against the bird flu.

Officially called H5N1, this latest outbreak of the virus emerged in wild birds in Europe in 2020. In 2022, it was detected in commercial flocks in the United States. It’s led to the deaths of tens of millions of farmed birds and infected many mammals, from sea lions to foxes.

The jump to cows is new.

The first reported case from cattle was in Texas earlier this year. And Michigan has reported the most cases of the bird flu in dairy herds in the country — officials here say that’s because of widespread testing. It also has two of the nation’s three confirmed cases of the disease in people (the other was a dairy worker in Texas).

Scientists say controlling the disease is important, because this latest jump to cattle could pose an increased threat to human health, as well as to other animals.

So far, nine states have confirmed the presence of bird flu in dairy herds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Across the country, the response has been rocky . Some states have pushed back against federal efforts to address the virus. Public health experts have warned that the true reach is likely greater that official counts, and have raised concerns about the lack of testing. The federal government announced that it would spend $824 million on its response, and the USDA just launched a voluntary pilot program to test cow milk in bulk.

An ‘extraordinary emergency’

Last month, Michigan declared an “extraordinary emergency.” Officials said the flu is a threat to animal health, human health, trade and the economy. The state’s largest egg producer laid off 400 workers last month amid the outbreak. In cows, bird flu causes a reduction in milk production. It may also be passed from dairy facilities to poultry farms, where it could be deadly.

“We want to make sure that we’re limiting the further spread of the virus, so that we’re continuing to protect human health, and we don’t have so much virus in the environment that could potentially mutate and affect humans in a different way,” said Tim Boring, the director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have maintained that the danger to the public is relatively low. But farm workers face increased risk of exposure to the bird flu; the CDC has said it’s likely that those who have tested positive contracted the virus from cows. The people who experienced the illness recently have reported mild symptoms.

Over the past month, farms have faced new state and federal biosecurity requirements . The USDA has required that lactating cows moving across state lines receive a negative test.

And Michigan has prohibited poultry or lactating cows from being shown at events like fairs, and says farms should limit the people and animals coming in.

Two rows of cows at the Stanek farm in Antrim County. June 3, 2024. (Photo: Izzy Ross/IPR News)

That aspect isn’t a huge concern for the Stanek farm, which has what’s called a “closed herd.”

“We raise our own, so they don’t come up against other herds that have been in other states or other places. So they’ve all been raised here,” Stanek said.

To lower the risk of infection, the state says farms should also name a biosecurity manager. The Staneks appointed one of their adult sons to that post, where he’s responsible for designating a secure perimeter around the herd and keeping track of visitors.

How the illness moves

The question of how the virus has jumped from birds to cows is, so far, unanswered. And scientists say gaining a better understanding of how the bird flu moves between animals is critical to determining how to respond to this outbreak and plan for the next one.

“I’m a virologist by training, and my other virologist buddies and I all have to admit: None of us saw this coming,” said Kim Dodd, the director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Michigan State University.

“We didn’t expect to find [highly pathogenic] avian influenza in dairy cattle, and to find that it amplifies so well, and that we have so much virus in the milk,” she said. “And so that’s really a big part of trying to understand, you know, what do we do about that to be able to help control the outbreak.”

The milking equipment at the Stanek farm. June 3, 2024. (Photo: Izzy Ross/IPR News)

When poultry are exposed to or contract the bird flu, they usually either die from the disease or are euthanized, which generally stops the viral spread. That’s not the case for cows.

“These guys recover after a period of seven to 10 days of mild to moderate illness,” Dodd said. “So those animals are still there and still producing virus while they recover, which gives individuals who are caring for them the opportunity to come into contact with that virus and potentially spread it themselves.”

The climate factor

Looming in the background is climate change . Its role in this outbreak of H5N1 is unclear. But generally, research has shown that climate change could join a host of other factors in making the transmission of viruses between species more likely — something called “viral spillover.”

“Absolutely, as we see climates change, we see changes in migratory patterns and the timing of migratory patterns,” Dodd said. “To what degree climate change may have played a role in how long this outbreak has gone on, I think, remains to be seen.”

As the climate warms, animals are pushed into new places at different times of year. That can create more opportunities for pathogens to infect new hosts. For example, the spread of tick populations has brought certain diseases to new places.

State agriculture officials say more safety measures on farms could become a bigger part of their approach to climate change.

“Improving biosecurity in new ways that we hadn’t previously considered, I think, will increasingly be a component of robust climate resiliency actions,” said Boring, the director of Michigan’s agriculture department. “So we’re seeing a little bit of that in real time here with our response to H5N1 here in the state.”

Dodd said Michigan’s response so far has been relatively strong. And the fact that the state has seen so many positive cases among cattle is because it’s testing for them. That, critically, relies on collaboration between state and federal agencies and farmers.

“That takes two sides,” she said. “It takes the people who are looking and the people who are testing, but it also requires that the people who own the animals are opening their doors and allowing testing to occur.”

No dairy herds in northern Michigan have reported signs of bird flu yet, according to the state . But back in Antrim County, Laurie Stanek said dealing with animal sickness is just part of running a farm; they’re paying attention to the new rules and doing what they’ve always done.

“A lot of it’s just good herdsmanship — just common sense,” she said. “You keep your animals healthy so they in turn give you a healthy product.”

That, she said, is what their livelihood depends on.

Featured image: A group of Holstein cows jostle for hay at the farm run by Laurie Stanek and her family. June 3, 2024. (Photo: Izzy Ross/IPR News)

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Viking returns to the Great Lakes for the Third Season

Viking is celebrating the start of its third season in the Great Lakes, with both of its identical expedition ships, the Viking Octantis® and the Viking Polaris®, now deployed in the region. Voted #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveller in the most recent Readers’ Choice Awards, Viking offers a variety of itineraries that operate between Toronto and Duluth and explore all five Great Lakes. The 378-guest expeditions vessels, which were designed specifically to transit the historic Welland Canal, will remain in the lakes until early October before returning to Antarctica for the austral summer.

Viking has also announced that two new itineraries in the Great Lakes for 2026 are now open for booking. The 10-day Great Lakes Treasures voyage will sail roundtrip from Milwaukee and will allow guests to explore new ports of call for Viking, including Chicago, as well as Canada’s Fathom Five National Marine Park and Benjamin Islands. The longer, 17-day Niagara & Great Lakes Treasures voyage sails between Toronto and Milwaukee and also includes Niagara Falls, Canada’s Point Pelee National Park and a transit of the Welland Canal.

“The Great Lakes region is a phenomenal place that is close to home for many of our guests, but one that few have yet to fully discover. With more than 10,000 miles of coastline, world-class cities and remote wilderness areas, it is truly a destination that is best explored by ship,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “We would like to thank our local partners for the warm welcome once again, and we look forward to introducing more curious travellers to the Great Lakes this season and in future years.”

The return of Viking’s expedition ships to the Great Lakes coincides with the recent announcement of the company’s latest scientific advancement—for the first time ever, phytoplankton is being genetically sequenced at sea. With scientific support from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), real-time environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing of phytoplankton is being conducted in the PCR lab on board the Viking Octantis. Visiting scientists contributing to the Genomics at Sea Program (GASP) are able to monitor the environmental impact on phytoplankton without the need to transport samples to a distant shoreside facility. Viking will regularly host Scripps scientists on board the ship this season in the Great Lakes.

Viking has also partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), which conducts innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for resource use and management decisions that lead to safe and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities. Additionally, Viking’s expedition ships have been designated official NOAA / U.S. National Weather Service weather balloon stations, from which regular launches are undertaken.  

Highlighted 2024-2026 Great Lakes Voyages:

• NEW   Great Lakes Treasures   (10 days; roundtrip Milwaukee)  – Visit the “Windy City” of Chicago and its wealth of world-class museums, including the Art Institute. Explore the picturesque islands of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and admire their bucolic landscapes. Venture out to Flowerpot Island in the Fathom Five National Marine Park and marvel at the stunning pink granite isles of the Benjamins Islands. Participate in lab studies as you explore coastal wetlands and delve into the Native cultures of the Great Lakes.
• NEW   Niagara & Great Lakes Treasures   (17 days; between Toronto – Milwaukee)  – Discover the mighty waterfalls of Niagara and immerse yourself in nature amid the freshwater marshes of Point Pelee’s peninsula. Witness the creativity of Detroit’s urban development as you admire the city’s postmodern and art deco skyscrapers. Behold the stunning isles of Georgian Bay from the water and marvel at their verdant landscapes during this extended voyage.
• Great Lakes Collection  (15 days; between Toronto – Duluth)  – Join Viking for a unique voyage across the historic waterways of all five of the majestic Great Lakes. Experience culture-rich urban centres and admire the awesome power of thundering Niagara Falls. Explore the granite islands and sheltered inlets of Georgian Bay and traverse the famous Soo Locks. Study the aquatic ecosystems of the lakes as you journey and venture into the dense boreal forests that line the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
• Niagara & the Great Lakes  (8 days; between Toronto – Milwaukee)  – From urban skylines to uninhabited islands, discover North America’s wilderness alongside renowned cultural attractions while cruising the striking waterways of the Great Lakes. Immerse yourself in the lakes’ compelling shipping history, experience the power of the thundering Niagara Falls and keep watch for scores of migratory birds at Point Pelee. Led by a team of experts, explore sheltered bays and woodlands to uncover complex ecosystems and hidden treasures.
• Undiscovered Great Lakes   (8 days; Thunder Bay – Milwaukee)  – Cross the width of Lake Superior between Duluth and the Soo Locks, exploring the lake’s North Shore Inside Passage as you sail. Hike along clifftop trails for sweeping views of the lake. Gain insight into the unique features and ecosystems of remote wilderness islands, and admire Kakabeka Falls, the “Niagara of the North.” Follow in the footsteps of fur traders in Duluth and step back in time as you stroll the quaint, car-free streets of Mackinac Island.
• Canada & East Coast Explorer   (15 days; between Toronto – Fort Lauderdale)  – Sail the US’s Atlantic coastline and visit storied cities. Enjoy Charleston’s southern charm and colonial homes. Visit Norfolk, home to the world’s largest naval base. Trace Nova Scotia’s shores to explore its rugged landscapes and visit Quebec’s national parks. Traverse one of North America’s scenic waterways, the St. Lawrence River, and marvel at the locks and canals that comprise the St. Lawrence Seaway on an enriching journey to historic ports.

Viking is also offering a variety of Longitudinal World Cruises between the Great Lakes and Antarctica, offering guests the opportunity of a lifetime to sail from the world’s largest freshwater system to “the end of the world” or the reverse. Additionally, all of Viking’s Great Lakes voyages feature Mackinac Island, which was recently rated the #1 summer travel destination in the U.S. by USA Today 10Best.

  Viking Expedition Ships

The Polar Class, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms. These vessels are built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety and comfort in remote destinations. With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth. Highlights include:

• The Aula:  A stunning panoramic auditorium inspired by the University of Oslo’s famed ceremonial hall, the former venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Used for lectures, daily briefings, documentaries and films, this spectacular venue features a 4k laser-projected screen that retracts to expose floor-to-ceiling windows and 270° views.
• Finse Terrace:  An outdoor lounge area just above sea level with recessed seating, the Finse Terrace was designed to allow guests the comforts of the ship al fresco while enjoying the dramatic scenery. Named after the Finse Plateau in Norway, where some of the greatest polar explorers, including Nansen and Amundsen, did their expedition training in preparation for their North and South Pole expeditions.
• The Hangar:  A state-of-the-art, industry-first in-ship marina providing ease of embarkation and disembarkation of Special Operations Boats and other equipment while sheltered from the elements.
• The Bow:  An important forward-viewing platform. And in the case of inclement weather,  The Shelter  is a comfortable, partially enclosed space for guests to warm up with a hot drink before going back out into the elements.
• The Science Lab:  Developed in partnership with the University of Cambridge and Akvaplan-Niva, The Science Lab, at 380 sq. ft., is designed to support a broad range of research activities and is equipped with wet and dry laboratory facilities. Guests have supervised access to The Science Lab to learn from and participate with scientists in undertaking meaningful research.
• Expedition Central:  The hub for the expedition team to consult with guests on their expedition activities and share knowledge about the destinations on a one-on-one basis, with the aid of 3D printed maps, digital screens, and a state-of-the-art spatial data visualisation chart table.
• Dining Choices:  The Restaurant offers fine dining featuring regional cuisine and always-available classics; the casual World Café offers an open kitchen, bakery, grill and premium seafood and sushi choices, as well as a wide range of international flavours; Mamsen’s, named for the Hagen family matriarch, serves Scandinavian-inspired fare; and Manfredi’s offers the best of Italian cuisine.
• The Nordic Spa:  Following a day of exploration, The Nordic Spa offers guests opportunities to experience the ultimate healthy Nordic traditions, with an indoor heated pool set against expansive windows and a badestamp (wood-sided hot tub) that is open to the outside.
• Explorers’ Lounge:  Located high on the ship with floor-to-ceiling windows, the Explorers’ Lounge provides guests an ideal space to take in the magnificent scenery, share discoveries with fellow travellers or to enjoy a drink.
• The Living Room:  On the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris, The Living Room is located to maximize views of the surroundings through floor-to-ceiling windows and a library that informs even the best-read explorers. The Library is curated by acclaimed London bookshop Heywood Hill, as on all Viking vessels, as well as Cambridge University’s Scott Polar Research Institute.
• Nordic Balcony:  A first for polar expedition vessels, all staterooms on board Viking’s expedition ships feature a Nordic Balcony, a sunroom that converts into an al fresco viewing platform with an observation shelf at elbow level to stabilise binoculars or a camera. Guests can choose from six stateroom categories that range from 222 sq. ft. to 1,223 sq. ft.—all with a Nordic Balcony, as well as a king-size bed and large bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor and anti-fog mirror. Every stateroom is also equipped with a unique floor-to-ceiling drying closet that circulates warm air to dry and store clothing and expedition gear.
• Expedition Ship Suites:  Nordic Junior Suites (322 sq. ft.) and Explorer Suites (580 sq. ft.) on the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris are similar to those on Viking’s fleet of ocean ships, with wood detailing and amenities that include additional storage and seating, an expanded bathroom with extended shower and double sinks, welcome champagne, a fully-stocked mini-bar replenished daily, complimentary laundry, priority restaurant reservations and more. Explorer Suites feature two separate rooms, a Nordic Balcony and a full outdoor veranda. Additionally, each ship features one Owner’s Suite (1,223 sq. ft.) that has three rooms –a living room, a board/dining room and a bedroom—as well as a 792 sq. ft. private deck with a traditional Norwegian badestamp open to the invigorating outdoors.
• Enrichment On Board and On Shore:  Viking has created the world’s leading scientific enrichment environment in an expedition setting. Exclusive partnerships with the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—as well as other prestigious scientific institutions match leading researchers and educators with each expedition. Thirty-six experts accompany each journey as part of the Viking Expedition Team, including an Expedition Leader and support staff, photographer, field research scientists, general naturalists, mountain guides, kayak guides, submarine pilots and specialists (ornithology, geology, higher predator biology and history). On board, guests enjoy daily briefings and world-class lectures about their destination. On shore, they can assist in fieldwork or interact through experiential activities during landings—such as monitoring birds to help identify migratory patterns; accompanying scientists to collect samples; or taking their cameras ashore alongside a professional photographer to learn how best to capture scenic landscapes.
• Environmentally Considerate:  Viking believes that its responsibility extends beyond providing exceptional travel experiences. From the outset, the company has been deliberately concerned about the environment, making decisions that it believes are scientifically correct, rather than what is deemed as politically correct. Viking’s fleet boasts many environmentally friendly features, such as diesel-electric river ships and energy-efficient ocean vessels equipped with closed-loop exhaust scrubbers. Viking’s expedition ships have set a new standard for responsible travel by exceeding the current International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements by nearly 38%. Additionally, Viking is working to make its next generation of ocean ships even more environmentally friendly, with a project for a partial hybrid propulsion system of liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, which could allow for operation with zero emissions while in port and while travelling at low speeds.

With a clear focus on creating experiences for The Thinking Person, Viking does not try to be all things to all people. This approach has resonated with guests, and in 2023, Viking was rated #1 for Expeditions, as well as #1 for Rivers and #1 for Oceans by Condé Nast Traveller in the most recent Readers’ Choice Awards.

Viking announces new Mongolia extension for China voyages starting in 2024

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May 27, 2024

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Sturgeon remain rare in Great Lakes, but Detroit River's population thrives

by Carol Thompson, The Detroit News, The Detroit News

A pair of federal fish experts braced themselves as they cradled a hulking fish over the side of their boat just north of the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge. Its kick would be strong enough to unhorse a novice angler, but the duo had performed this routine 31 times in a handful of weeks and were on pace to do it maybe a hundred more before the season's end.

Still, it felt like a lucky catch. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Gibraltar-based lake sturgeon team had been out all day without finding much more than a mudpuppy. It was early May, and by then, the water had reached above 50 degrees, warm enough that their targets were less likely to feed on the bits of round goby serving as bait.

But finally, after pulling hundreds of empty hooks out of the Detroit River, they caught one. Into the tank he went, all 70 pounds and 5-plus feet of him, a fish that had sustained multiple sea lamprey bites and probably spent his near-50 years meandering the waterways that connect lakes Huron and Erie.

He's far from alone.

Throughout the Great Lakes, lake sturgeon populations have been decimated to approximately 1% of their historic numbers, but that's not the story in the Detroit and St. Clair rivers. Here, the species holds strong at about 30,000 fish. The rivers boast the most resilient lake sturgeon population in the Great Lakes basin.

That's despite the legacy of industrialization that still impairs the two waterways. The Detroit and St. Clair rivers were contaminated by decades of sewage overflows, coal burning and industrial ooze. Their shorelines were hardened, lined with seawalls and factories. They are major thoroughfares for shipments of coal, salt and iron ore.

Those actions swept away fish spawning habitat and damaged ecosystems. Still, the rivers' robust lake sturgeon numbers have become central to endeavors to rehabilitate the species throughout the Great Lakes.

"I've been working here for 14 years now, and people think 'the Detroit River? There's no fish there. Why are sturgeon there?'" said Justin Chiotti, fish biologist for the Fish & Wildlife Service's Alpena conservation office's Detroit River Fish Laboratory in Gibraltar. "But they don't see the thousands of people that are out here walleye fishing every day, don't see that this is home to the largest lake sturgeon population in the Great Lakes."

The Gibraltar-based lake sturgeon team sets 700-foot lines targeting lake sturgeon throughout the Detroit River and checks them at least weekly through April and May. Some are set alongside natural areas, such as Fighting Island. Others are within clear sight of steel mills, factories and chemical waste sites.

When they hook a sturgeon, the biologists pull it on board to collect data on its size, sex, age, injuries to help them understand more about the population's size, growth and trajectory. They also install tags used to monitor where the fish moves during its life, which likely will last longer than a biologist's career. Then, they return the fish to the water.

Although the rivers maintained a sizeable lake sturgeon population throughout the industrial age, the species has benefited from a surge in attention and restoration planning, said Sheri Faust, executive director of Friends of the St. Clair River.

That has largely been financed by the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, launched in 2010. Since then, local groups have received millions of dollars for habitat restoration projects, including new artificial reefs aimed at providing more spawning habitat for sturgeon and other fish.

"The restoration work that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Michigan DNR (Department of Natural Resources) have been doing for a decade, I think, is a testament to the success of this threatened and endangered species," Faust said. "It's an example that can be modeled and replicated elsewhere to also protect and preserve lake sturgeon."

The decline of a formidable fish

As individuals, lake sturgeon are formidable. Adults typically grow between four and six feet long, weigh 30 to 80 pounds and live 50 to 100 years, although the largest and oldest can reach seven feet, 300 pounds and 150 years.

They once were formidable as a collective, too, in numbers so great that lore says "You could walk across the river" on their backs, said Andrew Briggs, Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries research biologist.

That wasn't just in the Great Lakes or big connecting channels like the Detroit, St. Clair or St. Mary's rivers, said Michael Kelly, director of the Virginia-based nonprofit Conservation Services' Great Lakes office, which is helping to finance restoration work in the Saginaw Bay river system. Lake sturgeon also thrived in tributaries such as the Saginaw River.

"At one time, these rivers were full of them," Kelly said. "They've been around for 150 million years largely unchanged, but it's only in the last 200 years where they've run into problems. Coincidentally, it's only been 200 years since European settlers appeared on the scene. There's no question that mankind is to blame for the near extinction of this species."

Logging, a primary Michigan industry in the late 19th century, crowded lake sturgeon out of their spawning habitats in Great Lakes tributaries. Loggers sent their harvest down rivers to mills. Along the way, the logs scoured river bottoms and eroded their banks, piling sediment over the rocks where sturgeon spawn.

Many Great Lakes anglers also saw the abundant behemoths as problems. Lake sturgeon were large enough to tangle nets designed for smaller fish. By some accounts, sturgeon were numerous enough to capsize fishing boats. Sturgeon were slain, discarded, tossed ashore. Sometimes, their oily flesh was used for fuel.

"There's stories of how they'd stack them up like cordwood until they realized their market value," said Corey Jerome, biologist for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in Manistee. "Then it changed from nuisance fish to market fish."

Sturgeon caviar became a highly popular delicacy. Though the fish was then prized instead of derided, the result—overfishing—was the same.

Twentieth-century environmental protection laws pulled the region beyond the Gilded Age era of overharvesting and habitat destruction, but they didn't fix the problem sturgeon experts said is a significant challenge to sturgeon's ability to rebound.

Dams built to generate electricity, power grain mills, control water or create lakes continue to block sturgeon from reaching their historic spawning grounds. That's significant since sturgeon "imprint" on the environment in which they are born and return to that place to reproduce. If their access is blocked, they might not reproduce.

"Overfishing decimated the population levels," the DNR's Briggs said. "With lake sturgeon being long-lived, it takes them a long time to mature… If you remove the majority of the adults out of the population, it is going to take a very long time for them to recover. It takes them a long time to reach maturity and, if you keep taking out the adults before they can reach maturity, they're just never going to repopulate. That was a big problem.

"But then once we started putting dams in, the fish that were able to spawn couldn't even reach their spawning grounds."

Dams challenge sturgeon spawning

That may be the secret behind the Detroit and St. Clair rivers' hardy lake sturgeon population, Chiotti said. No dams.

The other ills facing the river systems, namely the contamination of sediment from historic and ongoing industrial releases and dredging that ripped up much of their spawning habitat, don't seem to affect sturgeon's ability to reproduce as much as dams do.

"We went through that time period of heavy industrialization, and they still made it somehow," Chiotti said. "One of the theories is that there's no dam on this (river). It's a connecting channel with fast-flowing water. A lot of other systems, they blocked that habitat."

The Saginaw Bay stands as a contrast to the Detroit and St. Clair river system. The bay maintains only a remnant of its once-sizeable sturgeon population, Kelly said. Its tributaries are peppered with dams.

That's why dam removal projects are crucial to restoring lake sturgeon in the bay and its connecting river systems, Kelly said. The nonprofit he works for, Conservation Services, is helping to finance dam removal projects as part of sturgeon restoration work in partnership with natural resources agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan DNR.

The coalition of groups has been working on dam removal projects for roughly two decades, Kelly said. So far, they have dismantled almost two dozen dams on the Flint, Cass, Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers. Those removals have opened more than 200 miles of stream to sturgeon and other fish, but there are hundreds of dams left, Kelly said.

An upcoming project to build a fish passage around the Dow Dam in downtown Midland will open up another 300 miles of fish habitat. Kelly called that project "the holy grail of fish passage in the Saginaw system." The work kicks off this coming fall or spring.

Stocking programs replace lost fish

Once rivers become suitable for sturgeon spawning, state, federal and tribal natural resource agencies and nonprofits stock them with young sturgeon they hope will someday return to reproduce. Stocking programs, alongside dam removals and habitat projects, were credited with keeping lake sturgeon off the list of federal endangered species list this year.

Tribal governments' natural resources departments are key players in those efforts. Many, including the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Little River Band, raise sturgeon and stock them in nearby rivers.

Jerome said the Little River Band's leadership sees their community reflected in the trajectory of lake sturgeon.

"Some of the same things that were happening to sturgeon as their population was declining was similar timing to when a lot of the tribal issues were occurring," he said. "Trying to help both of those would help revitalize the tribal community as well."

Sturgeon are clan animals for the Anishinaabek people of the Great Lakes region, said Frank Ettawageshik, executive director of the United Tribes of Michigan and citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Protecting them is an inherent responsibility within their culture, he said.

"We don't think of the natural world as property," Ettawageshik said. "We think of it as relationships. They're our relatives. So we have to protect them. Things that we do, we're doing not because we're trying to protect something we own. It's because we're trying to protect the relatives."

St. Clair River sturgeon are a major source of the eggs and milt—the seminal fluid of fish—that will be raised in hatcheries around the region to stock Great Lakes tributaries with young fish. Approximately 3,000 of their offspring will be released into the Maumee River and 500 into the Saginaw River this year, the Fish & Wildlife Service's Chiotti said. Other Lake Erie tributaries, including the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, are being evaluated for future stocking programs.

The St. Clair River maintained sturgeon spawning ground during the Industrial Revolution and dredging navigational pathways, said Faust with Friends of the St. Clair River. The fish also adapted to the changed environments; some have been seen spawning on coal cinders, Chiotti said, and approximately 20,000 will spawn under the Blue Water Bridge at some point in their lifetimes.

Chiotti, biological science technician Michala Burke, fish biologist Jason Fischer, fish biologist Jorden McKenna and biological science technician Eric Adams are the scientists that power the Fish & Wildlife Service's Gibraltar-based "sturgeon team."

Just before Memorial Day weekend, the team dispatched north to the St. Clair River for spawning season. The work is similar to what they did between Gibraltar and Detroit in early May—catch fish, measure them, collect a tail clip for a genetic sample and insert tags—but at a much more frantic pace.

Their work will coincide with an annual Sturgeon Festival thrown by the Friends of the St. Clair River to celebrate the species and raise money for conservation programs. This year's festival is scheduled for June 1.

Sturgeon serve as a character the friends group uses to teach people about their restoration work in the river that along with the Detroit River has been designated one of the most degraded places in the Great Lakes region, although the St. Clair River is well on its way to being removed from that list of toxic hot spots.

"When we talk about the health of the St. Clair River—can we drink the water, can we go swimming at the beaches—lake sturgeon help us tell that story," Faust said. "They help us make the connection between the water that we use for recreation and enjoyment, bird watching and freighter watching. It's the same water. The water that we drink is the same water that the sturgeon are swimming in."

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U-m awarded $6.5m grant to study harmful algal blooms, human health across great lakes.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Researchers at the University of Michigan have been awarded a $6.5 million grant to host a center for studying the links between climate change, harmful algal blooms and human health across the Great Lakes region.

According to school officials, harmful algal blooms are increasing due to increased precipitation, more powerful storms and warming Great Lakes waters.

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Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can produce toxins that are harmful to humans, pets and wildlife. While algal blooms are typically associated with Lake Erie, cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) now occur in all five Great Lakes.

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A person who breathes in or swallows water with cHAB toxins may experience runny eyes or nose, asthma-like symptoms, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, headaches, and/or dizziness. cHAB toxins that come into contact with skin can cause rashes, blisters or hives.

The Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health, based out of Ann Arbor, will be assisted by scientists from the University of Toledo and the University of Michigan to focus on the human impact of cHABs. The center had previously determined that cyanobacterial toxins can become airborne when waves break against Great Lakes shorelines and piers.

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Bare RV Resort

Review Highlights

“ Jessica and Bill are so friendly and customer service oriented, and the residents were all friendly. ” in 4 reviews

“ It was a great community from pool volleyball to the poolside cookout we will definitely be back again !! ” in 3 reviews

“ I've stayed at the Riverboat for about 5 months now and absolutely love it. ” in 2 reviews

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6901 Caliente Blvd

Land O' Lakes, FL 34638

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We are a campground, resort, and community of naturists, artists, and art appreciators! …

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This place is super charming and cozy. Its under new ownership and they are awesome ,down to earth people. Bare resort its a must visit !

Absolutely the friendliest, most involved ownership. 2 years into owning and they're continuing to improve the place. Friendly, open, adopting folks. THE BEST!

Apr 28, 2024

Thank you so much Bob! We look forward to your return trip :)

This place is new and starting up, however the owners (Bill and Jessica (I think that is their names) are so friendly. They offer movie nights by the pool and warm nights by the fire! It is a wonderful place and you will met so many amazing and open minded people camping and for events!! Don't forget to get one of their signature towel

Husband and I stayed here for 5 full days in early March. It was wonderful! Best 5 days we have had in a long time. Jessica and Bill are so friendly and customer service oriented, and the residents were all friendly. Resort offers a weekly "wine down Wednesday" which is a wine and food pitch in, and even as a visitor, we just went to the local Publix and got some food to bring and wine. We felt very welcome and not outcasted at all. The pool and hot tub are lovely. The cleanliness is obvious because the cleaning staff are always out and about. Besides pool and hot tub, amenities include a large community area with a pool table and TV, and an outdoor lounging area with comfy chairs and a huge TV for streaming movies and shows. Cannot say enough good things about this place. They are revamping and remodeling, so there is evidence of that, but nothing that took away from our relaxing good time. Had an absolute blast, and more relaxed than we have been in months. Thanks, Jessica and Bill, and our new Bare RV friends. Mark and Pat

Mar 12, 2024

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! We are looking forward to the next time your travels bring you our way!

We made reservations here for the weekend for the first time . Everything from the initial contact to final reservation was smooth and super friendly :) The grounds were very clean and such a relaxing atmoshphere . Our campsite was beautiful overlooking the lake . The staff and the people we met here were very friendly and helpful . It was a great community from pool volleyball to the poolside cookout we will definitely be back again !! Wish we didn't have to leave so soon . If you are looking for a relaxing experience with great people and atmosphere I highly recommend Bare RV Resort! Cant say enough good things about our weekend here . Thank you for a great weekend get away !

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Sep 6, 2023

Thank you JT - we look forward to having you back soon!

We were there from mid October to January 1. Wonderful time. We could stay for the whole winter. Very relaxed vibes...just enough "scheduled "events so you don't feel obligated to show. Jessica and bill are working hard to make this place a go to choice every year.

Dec 1, 2023

Thank you John!

Quiet, clean, friendly, growing very laid back vibe. New ownership is what this campground needed. Stayed for a month now and wish we booked longer.

Great since it's been under new management, cleaned it all up great people awesome place to relax very reasonable lotta fun.

I want to leave the RESORT. I never signed up for it in the first place. I am not sure how you got me signed up but please cancel my account, JAMES MARTELL

Very nice and relaxing place in a green and playful atmosphere. Amenities are nice. Positive and respectful vibe.

This place is amazing! Bill and Jess go above and beyond to creat a wonderful experience, even if you are a first timer you can feel the sense of community.

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