The story of the Mary Celeste is one of the biggest mysteries in history. It is about a ship found floating on the ocean with no one on board. Even today, no one knows what happened to the crew.
The Mary Celeste was a small ship that left New York on November 7, 1872. It was traveling to Italy with a crew of seven sailors, the captain, his wife, and their little daughter. The ship carried barrels of alcohol as its cargo.
About a month later, another ship, Dei Gratia, found the Mary Celeste floating in the Atlantic Ocean. The sails were up, the ship was not damaged, and the cargo was still there. But the crew and lifeboat were gone.
When sailors from the Dei Gratia went on board the Mary Celeste, they found strange things:
• The ship was in good condition.
• There was plenty of food and water.
• The crew’s belongings were still there.
• There was no sign of a fight or bad weather.
• The last entry in the ship’s logbook was written 10 days before it was found.
Many people have tried to explain what happened:
Alcohol fumes: Some think the alcohol barrels leaked, causing dangerous fumes. The crew might have left the ship in fear of an explosion.
Storm or waterspout: Others believe bad weather scared the crew, so they abandoned the ship.
Pirates: Some think pirates attacked, but this doesn’t explain why nothing was stolen.
Sea monsters or aliens: These are wild ideas with no proof.
No one knows the real answer.
The Mary Celeste is famous because it is so mysterious. People love unsolved stories, and this one has been talked about for over 150 years. Books and movies have been made about it, and it’s still a popular topic today.