The Phantom Canoe Sighting That Foretold a Catastrophic Eruption in 1886

A local legend born from events surrounding a 19th century eruption of a New Zealand volcano continues to fascinate sceptics and folklorists alike.

"The Phantom canoe: a legend of Lake Tarawera," 1888, by Kennett Watkins. Oil on canvas; 64.3 inches by 73 inches. Auckland Art Gallery. Public Domain

Was a supernatural vision of a Maori warrior-laden canoe, a harbinger of doom for an eruption that would bury the so-called “ninth wonder of the world?”

The canoe (a waka), emerged from the mists on Lake Tarawera, in New Zealand’s North Island, on May 31, 1886.