The ocean is vast, mysterious, and unforgiving. Over the centuries, countless ships have been found eerily drifting, their crews vanished without a trace. Some were left perfectly intact, as if their sailors had simply stepped away, while others bore signs of struggle, yet no survivors or bodies were ever found. These ghostly vessels continue to baffle historians, sailors, and scientists—raising questions about what truly happened in the endless blue abyss.
The Mary Celeste – The Most Famous Ghost Ship
In 1872, the Mary Celeste was discovered adrift in the Atlantic with its cargo intact, food still on the table, and no sign of its crew. There was no evidence of a struggle, and the lifeboat was missing, but the reason for the abandonment remains unknown. Theories range from mutiny and piracy to sea monsters and supernatural forces. Despite countless investigations, the fate of the crew remains one of the sea’s greatest mysteries.
The Carroll A. Deering – A Ship with No Souls Aboard
The five-masted schooner Carroll A. Deering ran aground off North Carolina’s coast in 1921, completely abandoned. The lifeboats, crew logs, and navigation equipment were missing, yet dinner was still set in the galley. Some believe it fell victim to pirates or the Bermuda Triangle, while others suspect a mutiny. Whatever happened, not a single crew member was ever found.
Kaz II – The Modern-Day Mary Celeste
In 2007, an abandoned catamaran named Kaz II was discovered drifting near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The boat was in perfect condition, with a laptop running and food on the table, but its three-man crew had vanished. Despite calm weather and no distress signals, they were never seen again. To this day, their disappearance remains an unsolved enigma.
The High Aim 6 – A Ghost Ship with Rotten Fish
In 2003, the Taiwanese fishing vessel High Aim 6 was found drifting in Australian waters, loaded with rotting fish but with no crew aboard. The engine was fully operational, and there were no signs of distress or violence. Months later, a crew member was found alive in Indonesia but refused to explain what had happened. Authorities never uncovered the truth.
The Joyita – A Vanishing Act on the High Seas
The Joyita, a merchant vessel, was found adrift in the Pacific in 1955 with no crew, no lifeboats, and no sign of struggle. Oddly, the ship was still buoyant despite taking on water, meaning there was no reason to abandon it. Valuable cargo was missing, leading some to suspect piracy, while others believe it was a case of mass panic. The fate of its 25 passengers and crew remains unknown.
MV Lyubov Orlova – The Ship Full of Cannibal Rats
This Soviet cruise ship was left abandoned and adrift in the North Atlantic after being cut loose from a tugboat in 2013. It became a ghostly hazard, floating aimlessly for years, with reports claiming it was overrun with starving rats forced into cannibalism. Despite multiple sightings, the ship was never recovered and is believed to have sunk somewhere in the ocean.
SS Baychimo – The Ship That Refused to Sink
After being abandoned in Arctic waters in 1931, the SS Baychimo was expected to sink—but instead, it continued drifting through icy seas for nearly 40 years. It was spotted multiple times, sometimes appearing and disappearing under mysterious circumstances. No one knows what ultimately happened to the ship, and it is considered one of history’s greatest maritime legends.
The Jian Seng – The Mystery Ghost Ship of Australia
In 2006, an unknown vessel named Jian Seng was discovered floating off the coast of Australia with no crew or identifying marks. It had no signs of a struggle, no distress calls, and no clear origin. Investigators never found out where it came from or who had abandoned it. The ship was eventually scuttled, leaving its secrets forever buried at sea.
The Ocean Wave – The Boat That Came Back Empty
A fishing boat named Ocean Wave was found adrift near California in 1975, completely intact but with no crew aboard. Even stranger, it had set off on a short fishing trip in calm waters, with no reason for the crew to disappear. No bodies were ever found, and to this day, what happened remains a chilling mystery.
The Ourang Medan – A Ghost Ship of Horror
In the late 1940s, distress calls from the Ourang Medan claimed the crew was dying. When rescuers arrived, they found everyone dead with expressions of terror frozen on their faces. There were no visible wounds, and moments later, the ship mysteriously exploded and sank. Whether it was due to chemical leaks, supernatural forces, or something more sinister, no one will ever know.
Zebrina – A Cargo Ship with No Sailors
The Zebrina, a small cargo vessel, was found washed ashore in France in 1917—completely abandoned but otherwise undamaged. Its cargo of coal was still on board, yet the crew had disappeared without a trace. Some speculate they were taken by a German U-boat, while others believe something far stranger occurred.
The Bel Amica – A Luxury Ghost Yacht
A sleek, luxurious yacht named Bel Amica was discovered adrift off the coast of Italy in 2006 with no passengers or identification. When authorities investigated, they found maps of foreign ports and a half-eaten meal in the galley. The ship was later linked to a mysterious owner, but why it was abandoned remains a mystery.
The MV Alta – A Ship That Came from Nowhere
After drifting for years in the Atlantic, the MV Alta ran aground on the Irish coast in 2020 with no crew. It had been lost at sea for over a year, yet no one could explain where it had been or why it was still intact. Locals now call it the “ghost ship of Ballycotton.”
The Sam Rataulangi – A Mysterious Vessel Without a Crew
In 2018, a massive, rusting cargo ship appeared near Myanmar—completely abandoned. The vessel had no signs of struggle, and no distress calls were ever made. Authorities later discovered it had been under tow but somehow broke free, drifting eerily into open waters before being found.
The Jian Seng – A Ship with No Past
In 2006, the Jian Seng was discovered drifting off the coast of Australia, completely abandoned. There were no identifying documents, no signs of distress, and no recorded history of the ship’s existence. Authorities investigated, but its origin, purpose, and former crew remain unknown. With no answers, the Jian Seng was eventually scuttled, taking its secrets to the depths of the ocean.
Some Mysteries Are Meant to Stay Adrift
The ocean keeps its secrets well. For centuries, ships have been found floating, their crews vanished as if swallowed by the sea itself. Some cases hint at logical explanations, while others leave behind only questions and eerie silence. Whether lost to storms, mutiny, or something beyond our understanding, these ghost ships remind us that the sea is a place where even the strangest things can happen.
