The Baie Chaleur Fireship, more commonly referred to as the Chaleur Phantom or the Phantom Ship, is a form of ghost light, an unusual visual phenomenon, occasionally seen in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada, or across the bay in New Carlisle, Quebec. It takes the form of an arc of light, usually seen before a storm. Its cause is unknown, but speculation includes rotting vegetation, undersea releases of natural gas, and St. Elmo's fire.[1]
The phenomenon has been the source of many a tall tale, and has been said to appear as a flaming three-mast galley much like the style of ship featured on New Brunswick's provincial flag. Local accounts of the supernatural vessel claim that it is possible to hear the screams of the burning ship passengers by submerging one's feet in the Chaleur Bay waters. Sightings are claimed to be most frequent on hot summer nights.