Thunder Bay (Michigan) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Thunder Bay Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Alpena County, Michigan
Coordinates	45°00′00″N 83°24′00″W / 45.00000°N 83.40000°W / 45.00000; -83.40000
Type	Bay
Surface elevation	581 feet (177 m)

Northern Michigan as shown on a 1755 Map of New France showing various islands, land features, rivers, and settlements. (In French, "I. du Castor" means Beaver Island, "L'ours qui dort" means The Bear That Sleeps, and "ance au tonnerre" means Thunder Bay). The map also shows several rivers that exist today with similar names: Rue Aux Buscies, and Rue d'Oulamanittie, Rue du Pierre Marquet.

Thunder Bay is a large bay located in the state of Michigan, USA. It is part of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. This beautiful bay is known for its interesting history and amazing underwater world.

Discovering Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay is a large bay in the Michigan part of Lake Huron. It stretches out from North Point to South Point. This makes it a big area of water to explore!

Where is Thunder Bay?

The city of Alpena is right at the edge of Thunder Bay. It sits where the Thunder Bay River flows into the bay. The entire bay is located within Alpena County. You can find Alpena Township to the north and Sanborn Township to the south.

Protecting Nature in the Bay

Several islands within Thunder Bay are special places. They are protected as part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This means they are safe homes for many animals and plants. Just outside the bay, east of North Point, is Thunder Bay Island.

The waters of the bay are also protected. They are part of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This sanctuary helps protect the bay's wildlife and its unique underwater features.

Why is it Called Thunder Bay?

The name "Thunder Bay" comes from the French language. Early French explorers called it Anse du Tonnerre. This name appeared on maps as early as 1688. It is believed that the name came from the Native American people. They thought the bay often had thunderstorms, so they gave it a name related to thunder.

Exploring Under the Water

Thunder Bay is famous for something special: it has many shipwrecks! These old ships lie on the bottom of the bay. Because of this, diving is a very popular activity here. Divers can explore these underwater historical sites.