Ghost Ships That Still Travel the Great Lakes

During the summer season the Great Lakes are a popular tourist destination, but be careful, you could encounter ghosts of shipwrecks past while enjoying time on these waters.

How Many Shipwrecks Have Happened in the Great Lakes?

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For those that might need a refresher, the Great Lakes are made up of 5 different lakes; Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, which are all connected by other lakes and rivers.

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system in the World, so it should come as no surprise that over 6,000 vessels have been lost in the waters of these lakes.

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that lies entirely in the United States, and while I was on the hunt for fascinating Great Lakes facts I came across an article from The 'Gander that said five ghost ships are rumored to still be traveling these waters.

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Great Lakes Ghost Ships

The 'Gander's article says that in October 2016 a man named Jason Asselin captured this video of a huge, mysterious ship sailing Lake Superior that quickly went viral.

Was it a pirate ship sailing through huge waves that other ships wouldn't chance...or was it something else, like a ghost ship?

We may never know what was actually captured in the video above, but I can tell you, the Great Lakes has many spooky shipwreck stories to share.

Here are five of the most popular, according to The 'Gander;

1. The Cornelia B. Windiate - This ship is often called "The Great Lakes Ghost Ship", but not because it has been spotted by people in the past. It earned that title because it suddenly vanished while sailing Lake Huron in November of 1875, and the nine crew members on board who never seen or heard from again.

2. The W.H. Gilcher - This ship was transporting a load of coal from Buffalo to Milwaukee in 1892 when it entered a cloud of fog and never came out. According to The 'Gander, some historical reports say people have since seen the ship;

"sailing through fog near Mackinac Island, just as it did on its fateful voyage in 1892. Those same reports suggest that when the sunlight shines through the fog, the ship’s fog whistle sounds.

3. The Western Reserve - Legends say that in August of 1892, the captain of The Western Reserve had a nightmare that the ship sank in Lake Superior, but it ended up coming true eight weeks later! The 'Gander's article says;

some say they still see the Reserve sailing the seas of Lake Superior to this day. According to some reports, voices and laughter can be heard when the ship is in sight.

4. The S.S. Bannockburn - This ship, also referred to as "The Flying Dutchman of Lake Superior", sank in Lake Superior in 1902. Some reports say the ship ran "aground", but no one knows for sure what caused it to sink. Many people report the Bannockburn "can be seen today, sailing back and forth between Port Austin on the top of Michigan’s Thumb and the Soo Locks of Lake Superior".

5. The Erie Board of Trade - Legends say this schooner may have been sunk by the ghost of a crewman that fell to his death on the ship. Stories say that after his death, the crewman's ghost was seen walking on the ship's deck, and later the ship completely disappeared while sailing on Lake Huron.