Hunting for Yooperlites Along Lake Superior

Yooperlites, officially known as syenite rock rich in fluorescent sodalite, were first discovered in 2017 along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan by Erik Rintamaki, who also trademarked the name “Yooperlite” following his discovery. When exposed to UV light, these unique rocks produce a vibrant yellow/orange lava-like glow.

The Search

In spring of 2021, my dad sent me a Facebook reel about the discovery of Yooperlites along Lake Superior in Michigan. Living on the Ontario side of the lake, he was curious if we could find them along our shores. He was eager to go hunting for these rocks when I was home from college for the summer. Excited about the possibility, he ordered affordable UV lights in preparation for our adventure.

Once I was home, we wasted no time. As the sun was beginning to set on a Saturday evening, we headed out to our rocky beach in Schreiber, Ontario. Once we arrived, my dad handed me a UV light and we set out in opposite directions to search the beach. Since the sun wasn’t fully down yet, I decided to test my light to see if it was dark enough. I turned it on and started panning back and forth across the rocks.
 

The Only Find

As I was sweeping my light over a patch of rocks, a bright orange glow appeared. I could hardly believe my eyes and shouted, “No way. I found one!” My dad heard my excitement and came rushing over to see. We were like kids in a candy store, completely captivated by this ordinary-looking rock glowing like lava under the UV light. I turned to my dad and said, “We should have brought a bag with us!” expecting we would find more. For the next hour, we walked side by side carefully scanning the entirety of the beach but ended up leaving with just the one Yooperlite.  

Knowing that Yooperlites could be found along our shores, we decided to broaden our search to nearby beaches and shorelines in hopes of finding more. After sharing our discovery on Facebook, we learned there were a few other Yooperlite hunters in the area and decided to check out the spots where they were successful in their search. However, we came home empty-handed each time. 

The Search Continues

More recently, my dad overheard a police officer telling someone about Yooperlites. Curious, he asked, “Yooperlites? You know where there are Yooperlites?” The officer replied, “You know about Yooperlites?” My dad said, “I sure do!”. The officer shared a story about a time he came across several vehicles on the side of the highway at night with their hazard lights flashing. Thinking something was wrong, he stopped to investigate. He discovered a group of university students studying a rock cut they believed to be made up of sodalite—potentially the source of these glowing rocks. The students used large UV lights and pointed them at the rock cut which lit up with an orange glow. Intrigued, my dad asked where the rock cut was located. The officer gave my dad an approximate location between Terrace Bay and Marathon, so he could check it out for himself.

The Amazing Discovery

My dad set out one night with a group of friends who were eager to see Yooperlites for themselves. He handed them UV flashlights and told them to shine the lights out the window as he drove past the rock cuts. As they were coming up on the approximate location, my dad heard them scream “STOP!”. He pulled over and they immediately hopped out of the truck and stared in amazement at the lava-like glow the rock cut was producing. My dad has taken many people to this spot since, but since it is located on a dangerous curve of the highway, please be cautious if you plan to search for it yourself.

Since discovering the rock cut, my dad has discovered Yooperlites in several other locations. He has also learned that the type of UV light used to bring out the Yooperlite colour best is a 365nm filtered UV light, which he has since ordered. As the curator of the Schreiber Railway Museum, he hopes to set up an exhibit in the near future for all to admire and learn about these unique glowing rocks. Who knows? If you visit the museum on a day he is working, you may be able to see a Yooperlite for yourself! He always has a UV light and chunk of rock on hand to show curious visitors. 

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