Ghost Ship Mary Celeste: The 150 Year Mystery

NOTICE: The Age of Sail Museum featured in this video that was gracious enough to assist in the production of this video has recently sustained serious water damage. In addition to hosting fundraising events, they're doing a campaign on GoFundMe to help cover the costs. If you can, please consider giving them a donation so they can continue their efforts to preserve these old Nova Scotia seafaring stories! gofund.me/47bae567

There is an epilogue to the Mary Celeste story that almost nobody mentions. A few weeks after the ship was found empty, a dinghy with several decomposing bodies landed on the shores of northern Spain. The bodies could not be identified and were buried there, but they could have been the passengers of the Mary Celeste. If this is the case, this would indicate that they abandoned ship for some reason (maybe they thought it was about to explode), got separated from it by the waves, and died from starvation and exposure at sea.

I used to wonder why sailors were so superstitious. Then I learned about how many ships there were like this that just seemed cursed from beginning to end. It's hard not to be.

This is what I always wanted the History Channel to be. Very interesting and impressive

Re-watching this after another year, I note again how much more I enjoy sober, fact-based reporting like yours than any kind of "re-enacting" of what "might" (but almost certainly didn't) take place. As with true-crime documentaries, I'll take closest-to-the-source, factual narration anyday over speculation and, often, fantasy. Glad to have your quiet, beautifully made, history-minded documentaries.

I like the theory that the crew abandoned ship, thinking a disaster was going to happen, but trying to stay attached via lifeboat. Only for that lifeboat to become unattached to the ship.

How those ships survived some of those storms is mind blowing. It really was a dangerous way to make a living.

I like how you put old photos in the same spot in the videos so we can see what that place looked like back in the day.

As a sailing enthusiast, and a lover of real-life mysteries, I found this to be a superb piece of maritime documentary making. Thorough, entertaining and well-paced. Huge congratulations to you Tom, and your talented animator. This has been an education and an unforgettable account of a famous story. well done!

I'm 71 and remember being obsessed with this story, this ship, when I was about 9. I believe I concluded it was Kraken. I'm not sure, not at all.

Speaking as a person with over 40 years of boat experience, here is my views. Would the M. Celeste captain or crew have knows that the cargo needed venting? Yes. would they understand that the fumes were dangerous? Yes. Would they choose to stand all on board on the windward (upwind) side of the vessel during venting, thereby avoiding the fumes? Yes. Would they be concerned about the moaning and groaning of the vessel during venting? No. it would be expected. Would there be a fire danger? No, the captain would have seen that all flames were extinguished before venting any flammable fumes. Would the Captain abandon the ship?, putting his wife, child and all into a small boat to be let far from the ship, when all above precautions had been taken and the ship was perfectly safe. Undergoing a standard procedure that must have been done hundreds if not thousands of times by other freight haulers? No, certainly not. { if the ships boat would have been lowered, it would have been lowered from its davits, not requiring a removal of part of the railing. I worked as a tanker man, hauling Diesel, Gasoline and Aviation Gas. All highly flammable. Never had a problem, followed standard procedures. They would have also.} To much of the idea given falls flat when looked at from a boat captain perspective, sorry. nice vid tho. More likely what happened is during the bad storm they suffered a knockdown.....where the combination of a large wave and strong wind gust laid the ship over on its side, washing the on deck crew into the water. Captain or any remaining crew would rightly fear a capsize and rush all including baby to the deck and ships boat, whereupon another large wave washed them overboard. Ive seen steel hull of large ocean fishing vessels dented in by breaking waves during a storm, lots of tons of force there, easily breaking wooden ship railing and washing all over the side small boat and hatches included. This would handily explain why there was so much water in the bilges. Sail dropped on deck by crew trying to reduce heel and vessel speed as wind grew stronger right before disaster struck. Other sails shredded by wind when no one aboard to furl them...... Truth be tho, since no one was there with a video camera and a TicTok account, we will never know what actually did occur.

I first read this story when I was grade 6 student in my English class learning the word "mystery". Since then, which now I am a 38 year old man, I occasionally think about the story even though I never came across any content about it. it is good to finally find this one. From East Africa Ethiopia.

Wow. I spent my childhood watching tall tales of the Mary Celeste being a victim of the Bermuda Triangle. Your more accurate telling is more haunting than the sensationalized accounts!

Love the explanation you had for the abandonment. The best and most logical one I've ever heard.

Consider this a standing ovation. Bravo! I don't think I've ever seen such a comprehensive and workmanlike, yet absorbing and entertaining rendition of the Mary Celeste story. Thoroughly researched, engagingly presented and graphically attractive without being led by the visuals. Truly impressed.

This is the second historical study by PTE I've watched and I'm impressed with his discipline, rigor and delivery - excellent content.

I am originally from Nova Scotia and I am familiar with the story of the Mary Celeste. Indeed, some of my ancestors are from the Economy/Five Islands area. I have visited there briefly, but I really enjoyed seeing the footage of those communities and the background information about shipbuilding in the area. Thank-you!

I feel like anyone watching this film in its first couple of hours has probably watched(or read) more than one video about the Mary Celeste beforehand. Yet, I'm pretty sure Tom is about to teach us a lot of things. 11 minutes in and already loving the background story!

I’m a Titanic enthusiast and found you through your Titanic and White Star Line videos. You have such an incredible gift for telling history, and I much prefer watching you to any History Channel show. Thank you for your dedication to history and I can’t wait to see your next video!

It's sad that an innocent cat died, but it's sweet that they obviously took her in an effort to save her since she wasn't on the boat.