The Mary Celeste was an American brigantine merchant ship famous for having been discovered on the December 4th, 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean. The merchant ship was unmanned and apparently abandoned, although the weather was fine and her crew of seven had been experienced and capable sailors. The Mary Celeste was in seaworthy condition and still under full sail heading toward the Strait of Gibraltar. She had been at sea for a month and had over six months worth of food and water on board. Her cargo was virtually untouched and the personal belongings of passengers and crew were still in place, including valuables. The crew was never seen or heard from again. The Mary Celeste crew's disappearance is often cited as the greatest maritime mystery of all time.

The fate of her crew has been the subject of much speculation. Theories range from alcoholic fumes, underwater earthquakes, and waterspouts, to paranormal explanations involving extraterrestrial life, unidentified flying objects, sea monsters, and the phenomenon of the Bermuda Triangle. The Mary Celeste is often described as the archetypal ‘ghost ship’, since she was discovered derelict without any apparent explanation, and her name has become a synonym for similar occurrences. It has been said that the ship was cursed and had a long history of disasters and catastrophes, including three captains that died on the ship. The ship was intentionally destroyed in 1885 when it was wrecked off the coast of Haiti.