Mary Celestia
Blockade Runner · Confederate States of America · Lost 1864 · Bermuda
A Confederate blockade runner that struck a reef in calm water off Bermuda's South Shore in 1864 and remains one of the island's most-dived wrecks.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
The Mary Celestia was a fast iron paddle steamer built in Liverpool for Confederate blockade running during the American Civil War. On September 6, 1864, while leaving Bermuda for Wilmington, North Carolina, with a cargo of food, ammunition and rifles, she struck a submerged rock at high speed on a flat calm day and sank off the South Shore. The cause has long invited speculation about sabotage, though this remains unresolved. Her bow, anchor and one paddlewheel frame remain visible on the sandy seabed, and NOAA archaeologists excavated the forepeak in 2011.
Vessel
- 1861
- Not established
- Liverpool, England
- Iron
- 225 ft
- Not established
- 207
- Steam, side paddlewheels
- Chartered to the Confederacy as a blockade runner
Loss
- September 6, 1864
- Grounding
- Off Bermuda's South Shore, near the former Sonesta Hotel site
- Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda South Shore
- Bermuda → Wilmington, North Carolina
- Food, ammunition, rifles
- Not established
- Sources reviewed do not give a confirmed casualty count.
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 55 ft
- Bow, anchor and paddlewheels still visible above the sand.
- Not established
- Not established
- Protected historic wreck, 300m no-fishing zone
Position
- 32.24° N 64.83° W
- Approximate position
- South Shore, Bermuda (near Southampton)
Position from Bermuda 100 project statistics (32°14'.487N, 64°49'.918W).
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (82/100)
Whether the sinking resulted from an accident or deliberate sabotage has not been established.
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Maritime Heritage Program
Excavation details, loss date, historical background.
Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Depth, location, protected status.
