Crystal clear waters have revealed a number of haunting hulls belonging to ships that succumbed to the perils of Lake Michigan over the centuries. The unusual transparency has been caused by surface ice melting, unveiling the boat graveyard at the bottom of the Great Lake, before organisms like plankton conceal them once more. The soul-stirring images were snapped during a routine helicopter patrol by the U.S. Coast Guard, who had a perfect view of normally obscured wreckage in an area where many ships foundered in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Scroll down for video . Revealed: The 121-foot brig of the James McBride, which ran aground during a storm on October 19, 1857, has been revealed following ice-melt in Lake Michigan . Rising Sun: The 133 foot long wooden steamer stranded just north of Pyramid Point on October 29, 1917, and can be seen on the bottom of the Great Lake . Glory days: The Rising Sun was owned by a religious group called the House of David when it crashed in October 1917. Members of the group were returning from High Island, where they spend the summer, when it crashed in a sudden snowstorm . Graveyard: The above map shows the Manitou Passage of Lake Michigan, which is home to dozens of shipwrecks due to the unpredictable weather on the lake. The wrecks of the James McBride and Rising Sun were exposed this month after ice melted on the lake . Unpredictable weather makes Lake Michigan home to some of the most dangerous waters in the world with sudden storms, fire, and fog causing the destruction of these many thousands of vessels over the years. The pictures are taken of the shallow waters of the lake off the Leelanau Peninsula near Leland, known as the Manitou Passage, between the mainland of the northwestern Lower Peninsula and North and South Manitou Islands. This area alone is home to dozens of shipwrecks, most which were grounded shipping lumber at the turn of the 20th century. The Coast Guard wasn’t immediately able to identify the wrecks, but with help from fans on Facebook, they learned that two of them are the James McBride and the Rising Sun. The 121-foot brig James McBride ran aground during a storm on October 19, 1857. Her remains now lie in 15 feet of water near Sleeping Bear Point. The James McBride is believed to be the first ship to haul cargo from the West Indies all the way back to Chicago, when it completed a trip to Turk Island for salt in 1848, stopping at Nova Scotia on the way back for cod. Eerie: This unknown wreck was captured by the US Coast Guard from a helicopter during a routine patrol over the Great Lake . Rare sightings: Two wrecks can just be seen (top left and bottom right of picture) through the clear waters of Lake Michigan . Stunning scenery: A house can be seen on the edge of the lake which endures unpredictable weather and is home to some of the most dangerous waters in the world . It launched on April fool’s day in 1848 and sank nine years later after carrying a cargo of wood from the Manitou Islands. The Rising Sun was a 133-foot-long wooden steamer which stranded just north of Pyramid Point on October 29, 1917, because of an early snow storm. Lifeboats were scrambled and all 32 people on board were saved but she went to pieces. Her wreckage now rests in about 12 feet of water. The Rising Sun was actually first named the Minnie M, but it was renamed the Rising Sun when it was purchased by a religious group called the House of David in 1913. The commune was founded by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1903. Benjamin claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus, and his group of about 900 followers called him King Ben. During the summer, the group lived on High Island - located about thirty miles northwest of Charlevoix, Michigan. In October 1917, Captain Charles Morrison was taking  passengers and crew members from the group back to Benton Harbor where they would spend the winter when a sudden snowstorm hit. The captain tried to make Charlevoix, but the ship pushed west into the Manitou Passage where it crashed into a set of submerged boulders. Everyone on board survived the crash, escaping on two sets of lifeboats. Protected: The wrecks of the stricken vessels are protected by law to stop divers trying to salvage anything from the sunken history . The U.S Park Service, which manages the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, announced last month that the wreckage of the Jennie & Annie was now visible again on the beach halfway between North and South Bar lakes. The schooner grounded off Empire in 1872 and is visible every few years. Beach erosion, waves, wind and variable water levels in the lake cause the wrecks to periodically become visible along the dunes shoreline. Since the shipwrecks are considered public property, they are not allowed to be disturbed. However, divers are allowed to explore the wrecks in warmer weather. Doomed voyage: The James McBride, which ran aground during a storm on October 19, 1857, while carrying a cargo of wood .
Ice melt has revealed the wrecks of vessels including the James McBride (1857) and the Rising Sun (1917)
Beach erosion, waves, wind and variable water levels are said to be behind wrecks exposure.
Eerie images were taken from a helicopter by the Coast Guard from Traverse City during routine patrol.