Located 11 miles southeast of Manitowoc, the Floretta wreck site lies in 180 feet of water in Lake Michigan. Constructed in 1867 and lost in 1885, the Floretta represents a vessel class, the canaller, which traveled the longest routes of any of the Great Lakes vessels while carrying Midwestern grain to eastern markets. Little historical documentation exists on canaller construction and operation. Much of our understanding of this vessel type has come from archaeological data recovered from wreck sites like the Floretta. The Floretta was involved in the grain and ore trade and is significant for its association with early transportation methods in the Great Lakes grain trade.

Due to is remote location and extreme depth, the Floretta wreck site remains lightly visited by divers. The site has produced a wealth of archaeological knowledge about canal schooner construction and use and is important for its potential to yield information in the future.

State and federal laws protect this shipwreck. Divers may not remove artifacts or structure when visiting this shipwreck site. Removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime. More information on Wisconsin's historic shipwrecks may be found by visiting Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks website