We’ve all heard of ghosts haunting crumbling mansions or creepy forests, but tales of sunken spirits are far less common. With that in mind, here are a few spooky stories that might make you think twice about taking a dip in your favorite swimming hole.
Underwater Ghost Hunters
Hundreds of teams hunt spooks on land, but the Paranormal Divers are the only group to take the search for ghosts underwater. The Florida-based team investigates everything from shipwrecks to caves, and has run across some frightening phenomenon during their time under the waves.
In one expedition, the Paranormal Divers spotted “a weird unexplained light phenomenon” in the water under Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The bridge has a tragic history, including 200+ suicides and a 1980 collapse that sent 35 motorists plunging to their deaths. Could the light be related to these awful events?
In another investigation, members of the paranormal dive team reportedly heard screams coming from a flooded underground cavern. Intrigued, someone pointed a camera in the direction of the noise and took a photo. “The first underwater ghost photo” may not look like much, but members of the team claim it shows a ghostly diver’s face mask. What do you think?
Blue Hole Ghosts
Additionally, there are several “blue holes,” or underwater sinkholes, reportedly haunted by ghosts, ghouls, and other paranormal creatures. Last year, the Santa Rosa Communicator reported that two scuba instructors saw a ghost with a pink tank near the bottom of the city’s blue hole. The instructors thought it was another diver, but were shocked when the mysterious person disappeared without a trace. The couple reported the incident to police who claimed to have heard similar reports about a disappearing diver. A similar ghost diver story appeared in the Toronto Sun in 2007.
Rumor has it that a small pool of water located deep in the pine barrens of Winslow, New Jersey (left) is home to an invisible being that drags hapless swimmers to a watery death. Mysterious whirlpools and deadly quicksand also plague the Winslow blue hole, or so the stories go. Similar legends surround a blue hole in Washington, Indiana where a 1913 railroad disaster claimed the lives of several men. Several other regions boast haunted blue holes which many imagine are bottomless.
Have you encountered an underwater spirit? Share your story here or speak up in the comments below.