The Mary Celeste was found drifting in the Atlantic, in fair condition, with food, water and cargo aboard. The captain, his wife, their daughter and the crew were gone, along with the lifeboat. They were never seen again.
Truth label: Debated. Serious people disagree. You get both sides.
Go deeper
A leading idea
Fumes from the cargo of alcohol, or fear the ship was sinking, may have sent everyone into the lifeboat in a hurry.
The legend grows
A short story by Arthur Conan Doyle added invented details, like half-eaten breakfasts, that many still believe.
Learn
- What is known. The lifeboat was missing and some cargo barrels were empty. Beyond that, it is guesswork.
Test yourself
What was missing from the Mary Celeste?
The lifeboat. The lifeboat was gone.
Sources
Swipe more like this
CurioUS is a feed you steer. Pick what you're curious about and every swipe tunes what comes next.
Open this card in the appMore from Unexplained
- Did a comet end the last Ice Age, then bring it back?
- Is the Great Sphinx much older than we think?
- Where did the story of Atlantis come from?
- A former intelligence officer told Congress the US has "non-human" remains.
- Navy pilots chased something they still cannot explain.
- In 1977, a radio telescope caught a signal so strong someone wrote "Wow!".