The mystery of the Mary Celeste

On a fateful morning on November 7th, 1872, an American merchant brigantine ship named the Mary Celeste left the port of New York for Gibraltar. The ship would return, but mysteriously without its crew.

The ship was originally built in Nova Scotia in 1861 under the name “Amazon” which would be its name until 1869, when it was renamed the Mary Celeste when it was sold to the USA. The captain manning the ship in 1872 was Benjamin Briggs who came from a family of captains and sailors. All but one of his brothers went off to sea, and Benjamin continued this tradition. Unfortunately for him, this would be his last voyage.

The Mary Celeste left the port of New York well provisioned and ready for voyage. The ship sailed across the Atlantic, until on December 4th off the Azores islands, completely abandoned and missing a crew. Many suspected pirates were responsible, some believed that a disease wiped everyone out, and others suspected a more supernatural possibility. Maybe sirens lured the crew to the depths and left the ship sailing? Perhaps an alien abduction? Unfortunately for the paranormal enthusiasts, the answer might be less strange.

The ship was found with water in its hull, but without a crew. So many believe that when the ship began filling up with water, the crew panicked and abandoned it, believing that it was sinking. But when the water reached the point of equilibrium, it stopped flowing, balancing out the buoyant force that kept the ship afloat. So while the ship did manage to survive and sail, the crew never made it to shore, and got lost somewhere in the Atlantic.