The pristine, post winter waters of northern Lake Michigan have revealed some hidden treasures in the form of history. The U.S. Coast Guard crew captured some incredible photos of shipwrecks found in the bottom of the lake near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Local reports also say that a Traverse City based helicopter spotted the shipwrecks during its routine patrol and immediately captured surprisingly stunning photos of the lake and its relics.

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Apparently, these clear blue, shallow waters of the lake located near the Leelanau Peninsula, close to Leland could also be considered a historical vault as many 19th century and 20th century shipwrecks lie below the crystal waters.

This area is also known as the Manitou Passage between the northwestern region of the Lower Peninsula and the North and South Manitou Islands.

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard posted photos of the shipwrecks on its Facebook page.

Among the wrecks is the Rising Sun that foundered in 1917. The Coast Guard describes this early 20th century ship as a long wooden streamer measuring 133 feet long that was stranded in northern Pyramid Point. The wreckage can be seen under six to 12 feet of water.

Another ship named the James McBride is a 121 foot brig that sailed in 1857. Its remains are located under five to 15 feet of water near the Sleeping Bear Point. This turn of the century vessel apparently encountered a gale that drove it ashore near the Sleeping Bear Dune.

Last month, the U.S. Park Service that manages the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore released an announcement about the Jennie & Annie wreckage visible again from the beach, halfway between the North and South Bar lakes.

This schooner grounded off another ship called Empire in 1872. This particular shipwreck is also visible every few years.

The reason why these shipwrecks became visible to the public again is due to certain weathering factors such as wind, beach erosion, currents and waves that make lake levels reveal the wreck fragments from time to time along the dunes shoreline.

Tagslake michigan, US, US Coast Guard, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Crystal Clear Waters Reveal Amazing Shipwrecks in Lake Michigan, lake michigan shipwrecks