The "Bermuda Triangle" of the North: The Graveyard of Lake Ontario

A rendition of the Marysburgh Vortex in Lake Ontario. While this image visualizes the dramatic legend of a swirling funnel, the reality is a fascinating magnetic anomaly in the lakebed, not a physical whirlpool.

Such fascinating stuff! First of all I didn't know we had a Bermuda Triangle equivalent in the Great White North and secondly, I didn't know it had more wrecks per area than the Bermuda Triangle! Yes, you read that right. It isn't just a legend folks, this is for real and in our own backyard!

While we often think of Lake Ontario as a peaceful backdrop to our daily lives, there is a triangular stretch of water in the eastern end that has claimed between 270 and 500 ships and at least 40 aircraft. Known as the Marysburgh Vortex, this area between Prince Edward County and Kingston is a place where the rules of navigation seem to change without warning.

A "ghost ship" rendition of a time capsule where the table remains set, but the crew is long gone.

A Magnetic Mystery Beneath the Wave

It sounds like something out of a mystery novel, but the "Vortex" is a very real phenomenon caused by massive deposits of magnetite on the lakebed. These magnetic pockets are so powerful that they can cause a ship's compass to spin or deviate by as much as 20 to 27 degrees. In the 19th century, before GPS, a few degrees of error was all it took to send a massive wooden schooner straight into the jagged limestone shoals that wait just beneath the surface.

Many believe this magnetic tug-of-war is linked to the Charity Shoal, a 1.2-kilometre (0.75-mile) wide ring-shaped crater on the lakebed that was likely formed by a meteorite impact 460 million years ago. To get a sense of just how many secrets are hidden in these waters, consider the scale of what lies below:

• The Depth of the Mystery: The waters here reach depths of about 60 metres (197 feet), acting as a cold, freshwater tomb that preserves shipwrecks perfectly for centuries.
• The "Bavaria" Incident: In 1889, this ship was found floating perfectly upright and in good condition. The captain’s papers and money were still in his desk, and a pet canary was still chirping in its cage—but not a single person was ever found on board.
• The Vanishing of the Picton: In 1900, the schooner Picton vanished while in plain sight of two other ships. The only thing ever recovered was a single bottle containing a goodbye note from the captain to his wife.
• Instrumentation Failure: Even as recently as the mid-20th century, pilots flying over the area have reported their equipment malfunctioning simultaneously, mimicking the famous stories of the Bermuda Triangle.

Higher Concentration than the Bermuda Triangle

It’s a bold claim, but researchers have found that the Marysburgh Vortex actually has a higher concentration of shipwrecks and plane crashes per square mile than the actual Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic. This isn't just folklore; it's one of the most hazardous stretches of water for navigation in the world.

The Charity Shoal Meteor Crater

The source of the magnetic madness is often linked to Charity Shoal, a ring-shaped shoal caused by a meteorite impact some 460 million years ago. This underwater crater is the likely source of the magnetic iron deposits that throw compasses off so wildly.

The Vanishing of the Picton (1900)

This schooner disappeared while in plain sight of two other ships traveling with it. Witnesses saw the sails come down, and then the whole ship simply disappeared without a trace as if it had plunged into a bottomless pit. The only thing ever found was a bottle containing a note from the captain that washed ashore later. Captain Jack Sidley had written: "Have lashed Vesey to me with heaving line so that we will be found together". (Vesey was the Captain's young son).

The Annie Falconer Mystery (1904)

This schooner sank in a severe gale in 1904. While the crew survived the initial sinking and spent hours in an open boat, the First Mate, James Sullivan, tragically died of exposure after getting separated from the others while seeking shelter on Amherst Island. When the wreck was discovered years later, the captain's binoculars were still sitting right there on the deck.

Sofistikateit Visual Archive

"The Marysburgh Vortex: Lake Ontario's Bermuda Triangle" — Global News Research

Unsolved Echoes: Whispers from the Deep

• The Flying Dutchman of the Vortex: The schooner Ocean Wave tragically sank in a squall off Oswego in 1890. Since then, sightings of its "ghost" are often attributed to the Fata Morgana—a complex mirage caused by temperature inversions that makes distant objects appear to float.
• The Duck-Galloo Ridge: While some define the vortex broadly, the most treacherous "inner triangle" is formed by Point Traverse (Ontario), Stony Island (New York), and Main Duck Island.
• A Freshwater Tomb: Unlike the salt water of the Atlantic, Lake Ontario's cold, fresh water preserves history perfectly. For instance, when wrecks are discovered decades later, items like the captain's binoculars are often found sitting exactly where they were left.

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Resources

Global News. (2021). The Marysburgh Vortex: Inside Lake Ontario’s "Bermuda Triangle".

Nature Canada. (2022). Shipwreck Diving in Lake Ontario’s Own Bermuda Triangle.

Great Lakes Museum. (2026). Virtual Exhibit: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.

NASA Earth Observatory. (n.d.). Charity Shoal Crater, Lake Ontario.

Prince Edward County Historical Society. (n.d.). Legends of the Marysburgh Vortex.

Deep/Quest 2 Expeditions. (n.d.). The Mythical Marysburgh Vortex: Legends and Research.