Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, terrorized the seas aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge in the early 1700s. Blackbeard spent his time pillaging and plundering vulnerable ships and wreaking havoc on those who came into contact with the dreaded pirate.
Blackbeard’s reign of terror came to an end on November 22, 1718 off the Coast of Ocracoke Island. Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood sent a ship commanded by John Maynard to track and kill Blackbeard. While anchored up in Teach’s Hole just off of Ocracoke, Maynard was able to surprise Blackbeard and his men. Their meeting resulted in an epic battle with the pirate crew either killed or captured and the dreaded pirate Blackbeard was finally killed. Maynard cut of Blackbeard’s head and hung it from the bowsprit of his ship and threw his body overboard. Legend has it, as the body hit the water, the hanging head of Blackbeard shouted, “Come on Edward” and his headless body swam around the boat three times before plunging into the deep.
To this day, Blackbeard’s ghost still haunts Teach’s Hole in search of his missing head. It’s been reported that his glowing headless ghost floats just underneath the surface, swimming around Teach’s hole ….searching. On windy nights, folks have reported a strange light, known as “Teach’s light”, coming from the Pamlico Sound and the voice of Blackbeard can be heard roaring “Where is my head?”
Since his death, tales have been told of the ghost of Blackbeard haunting Teach’s Hole. Folks have reported a ghostly light, known as “Teach’s light”, moving just beneath the surface of the water around the cove. Many believe this is Blackbeard still in search of his head. On stormy nights, Blackbeard’s voice can be heard calling out in the wind bellowing “Where is my head?” Other stories say Blackbeard’s headless ghost has been spotted along the beaches of Ocracoke in search of his head.