Even our enlightened age does not diminish the dangers that await the navigator in the open ocean. Man is more versed in the structure of the Martian deserts than in the endless depth of the secrets of his own planet - and constant shipwrecks are eloquent evidence of this. Here are some mysterious ship disappearances that baffle researchers.
Porpoise
This ship, built in 1832, was nicknamed the “chameleon brig” because it carried different sailing equipment on each of the two masts. In 1838, the ship went on a research expedition and even managed to get to Antarctica. Porpoise then moved to China, where he went missing, just two days from Hong Kong.
Wasp
The British privateer Wasp participated in 13 operations and by 1814 had become a real bogeyman for all enemies of the Crown. On September 22, 1814, the sloop boarded a merchant ship, although, according to the issued orders, it had to sink all enemy ships encountered. Just a day later, the Wasp mysteriously disappeared right in the middle of the well-known trade routes.
SS Baychimo
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The huge cargo steamer was used by the company to transport furs from northern Canada. The winter of 1931 began too early and the unprepared steamer got stuck in the ice. Most of the crew was saved, but the captain and twenty other crew members decided to stay on board and try to wait out the bad weather. No one has ever seen these people again, but the steamer itself has more than once flashed a ghostly silhouette, frightening sailors in the Arctic waters.
Warata
In 1909, the passenger steamer Warata was making a regular voyage from Durban to Cape Town. According to eyewitnesses, (the military vessel "Gestar" was moving along a parallel route) strange flashes of light appeared at the steamer at night, after which the ship simply disappeared. Throughout the century, the search for "Warat" was resumed several times, the last unsuccessful attempt was made in 2004.
USS Cyclops
The steel giant Cyclops disappeared on its way to Baltimore from Brazil in March 1918. On board, the ship carried a large supply of manganese, an important product for the production of ammunition. Interestingly, the US Navy did not even start looking for the missing ship with the cargo necessary for the war: one of the commanders later claimed that mysterious rumors circulated at headquarters about some "necessary sacrifice."