News Photo by Kaitlin Ryan Jennifer Idol, the first woman to dive all 50 states, holds a copy of her book at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, where she is photographing shipwrecks.

ALPENA — The first woman to scuba dive in all 50 states will give a presentation Thursday at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Visitor’s Center.

The presentation happens at 6 p.m.

Jennifer Idol has been diving in the sanctuary in Thunder Bay to photograph some of the shipwrecks, as well as area lighthouses, to create a presentation of the area’s maritime history.

Idol is a Texas native who has been diving for more than 20 years. She has captured her dives in photography and graphic design. She currently holds 29 diving certifications and runs her own graphic and Web design site called The Underwater Designer.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2000 to help protect one of the most significant shipwreck collections in the United States. It attracts about 100,000 people per year, according to Stephanie Gandulla, a maritime archaeologist and the media and volunteer coordinator for the sanctuary.

The visitor center is free and open year-round.

In 2016, she released her book, “An American Immersion,” documenting the five years she spent diving in all 50 states. She uses her photography and narration to chronicle her dives across the country and the many ecological issues she discovered along the way. Idol said her inspiration came from an experience she had returning home from her first professional job. While flying over the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill, she saw the gulf in flames. Idol said it made her want to do something to help and raise awareness.

“We’ve become really disconnected from what’s going on out there, and I’d like to do what I can to prevent these kinds of mistakes from happening. And to make people aware that our choices matter in all the things we do,” she said.

She is in Michigan for the week to dive some of the shipwrecks in The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, including the Portland, E.B. Allen, and the Joseph S. Fay. During the dives, she will be capturing photos of the wrecks for education and research purposes in hopes to preserve the ships before some begin to disintegrate. She will also be photographing the lighthouses to create a complete picture of the local maritime history and raise awareness for the area’s natural resources.

“I like to bring things that are just out of reach, within the grasp of people’s knowledge,” Idol said.

Her book, “An American Immersion,” is available on Amazon.

Kaitlin Ryan can be reached via email at kryan@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693.