In the realm of historical enigmas, few names carry as much weight as the Mary Celeste. When Josh Gates takes on this legendary 'ghost ship' for Expedition Files Series 4 Episode 2. We might expect his signature blend of historical curiosity and rugged exploration to shed light on the case, rather than settling for campfire ghost stories.
The third segment of the above episode deals with the story of the discovery of the Mary Celeste. This is illustrated with realistic computer-generated images of the captain, his family, and the vessels involved.
It dismisses some of the theories of why the vessel was found without anyone on board, and settles on an explanation that it was hastily abandoned due to toxic alcohol fumes.
However, he makes the fatal mistake of stating that the cargo was denatured alcohol - something which has been thoroughly discredited.
He also states that on boarding the ship some barrels were found opened. There is nothing to support this claim. It is reported that the empty alcohol barrels were only discovered when the cargo was checked on delivery in Genoa.
It is a shame this otherwise slick production is ruined by nonsense and inadequate research.
