Highlights

• Rumor of a 1700s ghost ship washing ashore after Hurricane Milton is false.
• The viral image shows the Flying Dutchman prop from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean films.
• The ship was stationed at Disney’s Castaway Cay from 2006 to 2010 as a tourist attraction.
• The story originated from the satirical Facebook page Casper Planet, known for humorous posts.
• AI tools confirmed that portions of the post were generated using artificial intelligence software.
• The viral claim spread after Hurricane Milton hit Florida in October 2024, but no real ghost ship has appeared.

In October 2024, a sensational rumor claimed that a “ghost ship” from the 1700s had mysteriously washed ashore in St. Augustine, Florida after the powerful Hurricane Milton swept through the area.

The post went viral across social media, including platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter). However, this intriguing story has been proven to be completely false and is now labeled satire.

The initial post, which originated from the humor page Casper Planet on Facebook, showed a weathered wooden ship stranded on a beach, with a dramatic caption describing it as a 1700s ghost ship that had reappeared from the depths of the ocean due to the hurricane.

According to the post, locals and experts were “baffled” by the mysterious vessel’s appearance.

However, not everyone was convinced by the outlandish claim. Comments quickly poured in, with one user questioning, “Is this really real or an AI generated post?” Another commenter pointed out, “Yea… that absolutely is not the water in nor near St Aug,” highlighting inconsistencies in the setting.

Also Read: Did a 1700s Ghost Ship Really Wash Ashore in St. Augustine After Hurricane Milton?

Image Identified as Disney’s Flying Dutchman Prop

To uncover the truth, several reverse image searches were conducted, and it quickly became clear that the ship featured in the viral post was not from the 1700s.

Instead, the ship in question was identified as the Flying Dutchman, a prop used in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Specifically, the ship appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, released in 2006.

Disney fans were quick to point out that the Flying Dutchman was once a popular attraction, stationed just off the coast of Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, between 2006 and 2010.

Photos and videos of the prop ship were widely available on various platforms such as TripAdvisor, Flickr, and YouTube, with clear similarities to the ship in the viral post.

Although the exact photographer of the viral image is unknown, side-by-side comparisons of the Facebook post and a 2007 photo of the Flying Dutchman taken at Castaway Cay leave no doubt about the ship’s true identity.

This ship is no ancient relic; it’s a carefully constructed movie prop, designed to bring a fictional story to life.

The Source: Casper Planet and AI-Generated Satire

Casper Planet, the source of the post, is a known satirical Facebook page that openly describes its content as humorous and often fictional.

According to the page’s “About” section, they specialize in delivering “Snews that doesn’t matter” and are transparent about the use of satire and humor in their storytelling.

Further analysis of the post using AI text detection tools, such as ZeroGPT and Quillbot, confirmed that portions of the story were generated using AI writing software.

This adds another layer of artificiality to the claim, showing how modern AI tools can create convincing yet false narratives.

Casper Planet has a history of producing similar satirical posts, one of which even falsely claimed that Mickey Mouse dropkicked a toddler at Disneyland.

The “ghost ship” story spread online just days after Hurricane Milton, a real Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida on October 9, 2024, causing significant damage near Sarasota.

However, there were no legitimate reports of any ancient ships or mysterious vessels appearing on the coast after the hurricane.

A simple Google search using terms like “St. Augustine ghost ship after Milton” returned only results debunking the claim, with no credible news sources supporting the story.

This viral post serves as a reminder to always verify the authenticity of online content, especially when it comes from humor or satire pages.

While the idea of a centuries-old ship resurfacing due to a hurricane might sound thrilling, in this case, it’s nothing more than a playful fantasy designed to entertain and amuse.