1. High Aim 6 (2003, Australia)
From the time of old sailing vessels to modern tankers, stories of ghost ships have stirred wonder and fear alike. These are ships that turned up adrift, silent, empty, and often untouched, leaving behind more questions than answers. Here are some of the most haunting real-life cases.
In 2003, the High Aim 6, a Taiwanese fishing boat, was discovered drifting off the coast of Australia with its crew gone. The ship itself was in good condition, fully fueled, and stocked with food and supplies. There were no distress calls and no signs of damage, leaving officials baffled. Months later, one surviving crewman was found in Indonesia and claimed there had been a mutiny—but details were never confirmed, and the mystery remains unresolved. To this day, no one knows for sure why the vessel was abandoned or what became of the missing men.
2. The Mary Celeste (1872, Atlantic Ocean)
Perhaps the most famous ghost ship of all, the Mary Celeste was discovered drifting in the Atlantic with everything in order, except for its missing crew. The ship’s cargo of alcohol barrels was untouched, food was still on the table, and the vessel was perfectly seaworthy. The only thing gone was the lifeboat. Theories about pirates, sudden storms, toxic fumes, or even mutiny have circulated for over a century, but not a single trace of the crew has ever been found, cementing the Mary Celeste as a lasting maritime mystery.
3. SS Baychimo (1931–1969, Arctic Ocean)
This Arctic freighter was trapped in Alaskan ice in 1931 and abandoned by its crew, who assumed it would sink. But the SS Baychimo refused to go down. Instead, it drifted through icy waters for nearly four decades, repeatedly spotted by locals and passing sailors. Some even tried to board it, but storms and ice often drove them away. By the late 1960s, the ship disappeared into the fog and was never seen again. Many came to believe the Baychimo was cursed, destined to roam the Arctic forever.
4. MV Joyita (1955, South Pacific)
When the MV Joyita was found half-submerged in the South Pacific, its 25 passengers and crew had vanished without a trace. Supplies were still onboard, along with medical kits and a cargo of food, but the lifeboats and rafts were missing. A broken radio showed someone had tried to call for help, but no distress call was recorded. The mystery deepened because the ship, though damaged, was still floating and could have kept the crew safe. Why they abandoned it remains unsolved, fueling theories of piracy, mutiny, or sudden panic.
5. Kaz II (2007, Coral Sea)
Nicknamed “the ghost yacht,” the Kaz II was found drifting near Australia with eerie signs of an interrupted day. The engine was running, a laptop sat open, and a meal was still laid out on the table. Yet its three crewmen were gone. There were no signs of violence, no distress calls, and the boat itself was in good condition. Investigators guessed the men may have fallen overboard while adjusting sails, but with no bodies or evidence ever found, the Kaz II remains one of the most unsettling modern maritime mysteries.
6. Carroll A. Deering (1921, North Carolina)
This five-masted schooner ran aground on Diamond Shoals, North Carolina, with its sails still set and supplies untouched. The entire crew, however, had vanished. The captain’s logbook and navigation equipment were missing, but food was cooking in the galley, and charts were laid out on the table, as if the crew had simply walked away mid-task. Despite investigations that considered mutiny, piracy, and even government involvement, no crew member was ever found. The Carroll A. Deering is often called “the ghost ship of the Outer Banks” and still stirs curiosity today.
7. Zebrina (1917, English Channel)
The Zebrina, a British cargo schooner, set out from England to France during World War I carrying coal. It should have been a quick voyage across the Channel, but when the ship arrived in France, it drifted ashore without a single crew member aboard. The ship showed no damage, no signs of struggle, and no distress calls had been sent. Some suspected the crew had been captured by German forces at sea, while others believed they may have abandoned ship after a sudden scare. Still, no proof was ever found, and the crew simply vanished into history.
8. Lyubov Orlova (2013, North Atlantic)
Once a Soviet-era cruise liner, the Lyubov Orlova was being towed from Canada to the Dominican Republic when the tow line broke, setting it adrift in the North Atlantic. With no one aboard, the ship floated freely for months. Rumors swirled that it was infested with “cannibal rats” feeding on each other to survive. Sporadic radar sightings suggested the ship might still be drifting, but no official trace of it was ever confirmed. Whether it sank quietly beneath the waves or continues to roam the ocean is a mystery that still sparks headlines.
9. SS Valencia (1906, British Columbia)
The SS Valencia sank in a storm off the coast of Vancouver Island in 1906, killing more than 100 people. But its story didn’t end there. Survivors and locals reported seeing ghostly visions of the ship sailing the same waters for years after its wreck. Even more chilling, some of its lifeboats turned up decades later (empty and intact) without explanation. These strange sightings and recoveries gave the Valencia a ghostly reputation, leading many to believe it haunts the waters off British Columbia. Its legacy as both a tragedy and a legend continues today.
10. Jian Seng (2006, Australia)
In 2006, Australian authorities discovered a large tanker drifting near the Gulf of Carpentaria. The ship had no crew, no nameplate, and no identifying documents. It carried no cargo and showed no signs of distress. Despite efforts to trace its origins, no country or company came forward to claim it. With no answers and no leads, officials eventually sank the vessel at sea to avoid navigation hazards. The Jian Seng remains one of the most baffling ghost ship cases in modern history, raising questions about how such a massive vessel could simply appear out of nowhere.
11. The Octavius (Legend, 1700s)
The Octavius is one of the most chilling ghost ship tales, though many believe it’s more legend than fact. The story goes that in the late 1700s, a whaling ship found the Octavius locked in Arctic ice. Onboard, the crew was discovered frozen solid, still in their positions. The most haunting detail was the captain, reportedly found at his desk with pen in hand, as if he had frozen mid-sentence. While historians doubt the story’s authenticity, the Octavius has endured as a classic maritime legend, capturing the eerie sense of ships that seem to live on long after their crews are gone.
Whether rooted in fact or in legend, these mysteries continue to stir the imagination, and keep alive the haunting question of what really happened at sea.
This story 11 Real-Life Ghost Ships That Were Found Drifting Without a Soul Aboard was first published on Daily FETCH
