I moved to Atlantic Canada more than 20 years ago and I’ve done my best to visit every corner of this magnificent region.
When people ask me what it is I love about living here, I always say it’s the people. The scenery is lovely, the seafood is fresh, but the people and their stories are the true gems.
While I feel I know a fair amount about the area, I love to learn new things and that’s why I was so excited when I saw an email from Bob Found of Indian Harbour, N.S. The subject line read: Ghost ship of Mahone Bay. Bob goes on to explain a little bit about a ship called The Teazer.
“The Teazer was an American ship run by privateers back in 1813. It was blown up/started on fire and sunk by the British in Mahone Bay, N.S, but folklore says it is often seen at night, on fire, on the horizon. WE SAW IT YESTERDAY! Photos attached. This is from five miles away with a long lens at night. No tripod so some shake is obvious. The white light at left is a lighthouse, the red lights at right are marker buoys. Photos taken from Indian Harbour facing 240 degrees SW towards Ironbound Island.”
Wow, that certainly got my attention. I had to do a little more digging…
The Teazer is believed to be the most famous ghost ship off the coast of Nova Scotia, and is said to appear in the waters between Mahone Bay and Chester. Locals call it the Teaser Light – it’s the spectre of a burning ship. Reports of a burning ship in the bay go back to the late 19th century. Our very own Helen Creighton documented several versions of the story in her classic folklore book, Bluenose Ghosts. I find it interesting that the local folklorist noted many sightings might be optical illusions during full moons.
Bob Young and his friends spotted the mysterious fire on the water on Monday, Nov. 12; the moon was waxing crescent, only four days old. However, the moon was setting at about the same time the photo was taken. Was there enough moonlight to create what you see in Bob’s photo?
The mystery continues…
Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.
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