A viral social media rumor claimed that a “1700s ghost ship” had mysteriously washed ashore near St. Augustine, Florida, following the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Despite several red flags, the tale quickly captured the imaginations of thousands online, but experts swiftly debunked it as false.

The Origin of the Rumor

The ghost ship rumor emerged just a week after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on October 9.

The storm, a Category 3 hurricane, struck Florida’s west coast near Siesta Key, and then crossed the state, exiting near Brevard and Indian River counties—over 120 miles south of St. Augustine, where the ghost ship was allegedly found.

The rumor initially appeared on a satirical Facebook page called Casper Planet, which is known for its comedic posts akin to those from popular satire outlets like The Onion.

In the post, the page claimed that the ship had “emerged from the ocean’s depths” due to Hurricane Milton’s power, supposedly “sending the ancient ship onto the beach.”

The dramatic description and fabricated quotes from a fictional marine archaeologist lent the story an air of mystery, quickly amassing over 21,000 shares on social media.

Despite the fact that the storm didn’t hit the St. Augustine area and was nowhere near as strong as claimed, many believed the narrative.

Casper Planet later posted a follow-up, mocking the rumor’s viral success with a headline: “Tourists Outraged After Discovering Non-Existent 1700s Pirate Ship in Florida ‘Wasn’t Real’ All Along.”

Debunking the Myth

Although the story attracted many online, maritime experts were quick to debunk it. Chuck Meide, the director of the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, pointed out that the idea of a centuries-old wooden ship surviving underwater for that long is highly unrealistic.

“Most of the wood from a ship that old would have been eaten away by sea creatures like shipworms,” Meide explained.

Over time, any exposed wood would deteriorate, and only certain sections buried under sand or sediment might remain preserved.

Thus, the image of a perfectly intact 1700ship emerging from the ocean was more fantasy than fact.

Hurricanes and Real “Ghost Ships”

Although this ghost ship story was fabricated, hurricanes have indeed washed abandoned vessels ashore in the past.

These incidents are rare but real, often creating genuine “ghost ship” scenarios, where boats drift ashore without anyone aboard.

One notable example is Lady Catherine III, a 45-foot vessel that washed up on Pensacola Beach during Tropical Storm Alberto in 2018.

The boat had been abandoned by its owner, Michael Barlow, after encountering severe weather earlier that month.

Although no one was aboard, the vessel was left largely intact after being carried by the storm’s powerful winds and waves, earning it the nickname “ghost ship.”

Another case involved a 45-foot sailboat named Cuki, which broke free during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The boat drifted over 300 miles up the coast from Key West before coming ashore at Spessard Holland South Beach Park.

Despite its eerie appearance, the vessel had simply been abandoned by its owner, Jeffrey Sundwall, who faced legal troubles unrelated to the storm.