Ep 2. Phantom Fleet

In season 10, episode 2 of Ghost Hunters, the team investigate the mysterious Phantom Fleet. This episode takes place in the historic coastal town of Salem, Massachusetts, where the team is called in to investigate paranormal activity on a decommissioned US Navy cruiser, the USS Salem.

Upon arrival, the team meets with the ship's curator, who explains that the ship has a storied history that includes being used as a training vessel for the Navy's US Naval Academy. The curator also reveals that several former crew members have reported strange occurrences on the ship, such as unexplained footsteps, disembodied voices, and even the feeling of being watched.

The episode kicks off with team leader Jason Hawes assigning various tasks to his team members. Investigator Steve Gonsalves and trainee Dave Tango focus on the bow of the ship, while Jason and fellow investigator Britt Griffith work in the engine room. Meanwhile, newcomers Shari DeBenedetti and Adam Berry explore the ship's galley and berthing areas.

Despite the ship being mostly empty, the paranormal activity immediately kicks into overdrive. Dave and Steve hear unexplained footsteps coming from the deck above them and explore the area with their night vision cameras. Jason and Britt, on the other hand, notice what appears to be a door opening and closing on its own in the engine room. Shari and Adam experience similar spooky occurrences, including hearing unexplained voices and footsteps.

As the night wears on, the team sets up various pieces of equipment to try and capture evidence of paranormal activity, including thermal cameras and EVP recorders. In one particularly eerie moment, Jason and Britt pick up on a strange, staticky noise in the engine room, and upon reviewing the footage, realize that they may have captured an EVP.

But it's not just the ship that's giving the team the creeps. At one point, Jason and Britt take a break to explore the nearby Willows' Weep house, a notoriously haunted house that's said to be one of the most haunted places in America. There, they experience strange activity, including the feeling of being touched and seeing strange shadows on the walls.

Throughout the episode, the team remains open-minded and skeptical of the evidence they capture, carefully analyzing each piece before drawing any conclusions. They also make sure to respect the ship's history and former crew members, taking care to not disturb any of the ship's artifacts or tread on any sacred ground.

In the end, the team wraps up the investigation without definitively proving or disproving the existence of paranormal activity on the USS Salem. But for the Ghost Hunters, that's not really the point. The team knows that the value lies in investigating and exploring the mysteries of the unknown, and in doing so, shedding light on the unexplainable. And in this episode, they certainly succeed in doing just that.