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'Shark Week' 2020 | 'Sharks of Ghost Island': Shark-ridden haunted archipelago holds age-old tales of death

With its history marred by a series of tragedies, including two lightkeepers' disappearance, the long-abandoned island is said to be haunted by not one, but two known spirits

The Great Isaac Cay is a Bahaman Island, located 40 miles east of Miami, Florida on the western edge of the Bermuda Triangle. Like the legend and mysteries of the infamous phenomenon that is the 'Devil's Triangle', the island also has a sinister reputation that has earned itself the nickname 'Ghost Island'. Planes, ships and people who have ventured into the skies and waters surrounding the island have been known to have either wrecked or gone missing, never to return or see the light of day again. Scientists believe that the island with its surreptitious nature is the perfect hunting ground for sharks.

Discovery Channel's 'Shark Week' 2020 dives into the enigma that is Ghost Island, in a special entitled 'Sharks of Ghost Island', where experts will determine whether the unchartered waters are in fact a migration route for sharks for a winter feeding frenzy. If so, this could possibly be the biggest one yet. A lone vacant lighthouse sits on the island, which has been uninhabited since two workers vanished over 50 years ago. Rumors of a curse and other haunting tales have plagued the island's notoriety for decades. The spooky-looking remote archipelago has an ominous atmosphere, and no one dares to approach it. 

The lighthouse, in particular, is what grasps one's attention. It stands tall on the long-abandoned island and was built as a part of the Great London Exposition in 1852. While many believe that the lighthouse was erected with intent to protect vessels in the area from the perilous shallow-water coral reefs that envelope the island, others believe in the age-old myths about its insidious motives. There are several tragic stories that imply the lighthouse is a site of paranormal activity, resulting in the island being cursed.

Grey Lady

One of the frequently told lore of the island is that of a small boy, the only survivor of a shipwreck in the 19th century. All souls were lost in the tragedy, save for an infant child who was eventually rescued and went on to live a long and prosperous life. His mother, unfortunately, didn't survive the wreck and legend says that you can hear her mournful cries for her son in the dark of the night, as she searches for him in vain. Locally dubbed as the "Grey Lady", rumor has it that when conditions are right during a full moon, you can see her standing in the shallow waters near the lighthouse searching for her child that did not pass with her to the other side. 

Young shark victim

The Great Isaac Cay has more than one ghost and is reportedly haunted by the spirit of another young boy who died when the lighthouse was being assembled in the mid-19th century. He was aboard a supply ship and the story goes that this ship too fell victim to the mysterious waters of the island and sunk to the bottom of the sea. He was the only one out of the passengers that survived but he was lost over the side by the impact of the wreck. He plunged into the depths of the sea, where onlookers allegedly bore witness to the horrific sight of him being ripped apart by man-eating sharks that call the shallow coral waters home. The young boy's ghost has reportedly been seen exploring the lighthouse premises. 

Lost lighthouse keepers

Throughout the 19th century and beyond, the lighthouse had caretakers that were responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. For lighthouses on remote islands like the Great Isaac Cay, the caretakers were subjected to a life of isolation, while they dutifully completed their tasks of operating the lights daily. Ghost Island was staffed continuously from its opening in 1859 until 1969, until the last two caretakers who had been working there, vanished under mysterious circumstances without a trace. In August 1969, the lighthouse and the buildings surrounding it were found abandoned and despite extensive search efforts, no bodies were retrieved either. After this strange and uncanny occurrence, the lighthouse was updated to automatically shine its white light every 15 seconds, that is visible 23 nautical miles away, and does so to this day.