Case file · Folklore / legend
The Caleuche ghost ship
The Caleuche is a glowing ghost ship said to sail the waters of Chiloé at night, full of music and a party of the drowned, crewed by warlocks; it can sail underwater and vanishes when approached.
1914 CE · -41.82, -73.50 · status: legend
The account
Sailors say that the ship's crew are drowned people who live on in eternal festivity, and that warlocks can board it safely. Merchants who suddenly prosper are rumoured to trade with it. The year is an approximate first-print date: the legend was recorded by early Chilote folklorists such as Francisco Cavada in 'Chiloé y los chilotes' (1914). The pin marks the Chacao channel.
The sceptical view
Lights at sea seen through fog, mirages over cold water and bioluminescence are the usual natural candidates.