Thunder Bay Film Festival January 23-25, 2026

We are honored to be chosen as one of the films for the upcoming Thunder Bay Film Festival in Alpena, Michigan. The festival happens this month January 23-25, 2026. We are also part of the filmmakers talk on Saturday.

We have two films being shown, Water is Life and The Sweetwater Seas in 100 Words.

Every year Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary brings the world of cinema to Alpena! In January, northeast Michigan is treated to some of the most impressive ocean and Great Lakes films from around the world. Film screenings are complemented by social events, educational activities, and opportunities to meet filmmakers. More than 50 films will be shared over the weekend in three different locations.

You can check out the schedule and get tickets to start planning your film festival weekend.

Get more information about the Film Festival on the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary website.

#thunderbayfilmfestival #thesweetwaterseas #thesweetwaterseasfilm

Been a warm winter...

So far this winter it has been a very warm season, with the exception of a few days near -10F when the steam rose from the water. As I write this today it is nearly 60F which might tie or break the warmest day on record. While we all like the warmth and a season without shovelling snow, it is not necessarily the best for the Great Lakes. Without ice coverage the lakes will evaporate faster. We may see lower lake levels in the coming seasons which can be trouble for harbors for both recreational and industrial maritime activities. Yet, it might make our beaches bigger and help with the erosion problems we have faced in these lakes.

This quick video was shot on January 15, 2024 when it was -8 degrees. Personally I love going out in that kind of weather to get these kinds of shots. You dress for it and when shooting don’t really think much about it. This might be the coldest day of this winter with only about 6 weeks to go before spring. While for those few days the ice along the edge of the lake here in the Chicago area built up slightly it was clearly smaller than usual. This was the ice at the edge, as things were just starting to freeze.

Hope you enjoy.

Cheers, The Sweetwaters Seas

The Power of Nature

Big waves on Lake Michigan August 26, 2023.

On August 26th the winds from the Northeast were 30-40 mph making waves registered at the Wilmette and Chicago buoy's at 7.2 feet. This came after one of the warmest set of days in Chicago with a temp over 100 degrees and a feel like temp of 120. This with the winds of the 30 degree lower cool front made for the high winds from the northeast. Usually the lake is calm or with waves of 1-2 feet only. I ran down to get B-roll for The Sweetwater Seas documentary, yes we are still working on it!

We have shot big waves after a storm before but nothing this with waves this size. This small video of the waves show the power of Lake Michigan at its best. Enjoy, The Sweetwater Seas Team