Igbo Landing — where enslaved Africans chose the sea over slavery

Igbo Landing, also known as Ebo Landing, is a historic site on Dunbar Creek at St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia. In 1803, a group of captive Igbo people from present-day Nigeria were being transported by ship to a slave market in Savannah. During the journey, the Igbo captives rose up, took control of the vessel, and grounded it in Dunbar Creek. Rather than submit to enslavement, the entire group walked into the creek and drowned, choosing death over bondage. This act of mass resistance has been remembered in Gullah-Geechee oral tradition for over two centuries. The creek and surrounding marshland are said to be haunted by the spirits of the Igbo captives. Locals and visitors report hearing chanting in an African language rising from the water, particularly at dusk and dawn. Some have seen figures walking on the surface of the water. The site carries a profound spiritual significance for the Gullah-Geechee community, who consider it sacred ground. Fishermen have long avoided the creek, reporting that their boats are pushed away by unseen forces and that the water grows inexplicably turbulent near the landing site. In 2002, the site was listed as one of the most significant African American historical locations in the country.