The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, sometimes called the Devil's Triangle, is an urban legend focused on a region in the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of planes, ships, and people are said to have mysteriously vanished.
Location
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The Bermuda Triangle is said to exist in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean. The boundaries, however, are not universally agreed upon.
The approximate area stretches between Florida to the west, Bermuda to the northeast, and Puerto Rico to the southeast.
The Bermuda Triangle does not appear on any world maps, and it is not recognized as an official region of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Urban Legend: Planes
For decades, the Bermuda Triangle has captured the imaginations of millions with unexplained disappearances.
Planes flying overhead had suddenly lost signal and contact, never to return. Rescue missions had the same fate when flying over the area in hopes to find the missing aircrafts. There were no distress signals, no sign of conflict, they simply vanished without a trace.
Plane wreckages for any incidents over the Bermuda Triangle have never been found—even with extensive efforts made.
The Urban Legend: Ships
Ships that went into that region did not come back out. Some ships were found nearby completely abandoned, and for no apparent reason, and no evidence of conflict.
History
Dating back to the mid-19th century, there are reports of occurrences that cannot be explained. However, it was not dubbed, The Bermuda Triangle, until 1964.
It first appeared in print, in an article written by Vincent Gaddis, who used the phrase to describe a region where multiple ships and planes vanished without a trace.
Number of Incidences
Overall, the loss involving the Bermuda Triangle is not known. However, it is estimated to be around 50 ships and 20 planes.
Because of the fact that most of the wreckages have ever been found, it is hard to say if the Bermuda Triangle is where they were lost. Some speculate that that is simply where the contact is lost.
Flight 19
One of the most notable incidents involving the Bermuda Triangle was that of Flight 19.
In December of 1945, a squadron of U.S. Navy bombers had apparently become disoriented when flying over the area. Contact was suddenly lost, and none of the 14 pilots were heard from again.
The Naval Air Station sent a crew of 13 members on a seaplane on a rescue mission to find the missing pilots, and unfortunately, this ship was lost as well, including every last crew member.
Because none of the planes were found, it is assumed that explosions occurred midair over the ocean.
Joshua Slocum
Joshua Slocum was the first person to sail single-handedly around the world. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard his boat, the Spray.
Contact was suddenly lost, and he was simply never heard from again. In July of 1910, his wife informed the media that he was lost at sea. In 1924, he was officially declared unalive.
As usual, it is unclear what had happened to Slocum, or his boat, but many speculate the Bermuda Triangle played a part.
The USS Cyclops
The USS Cyclops, was the biggest ship of the U.S. Navy. It went missing in the area of the Bermuda Triangle in March of 1918. At the time, it was making its way home to Baltimore from Brazil, carrying metal cargo.
The last known message from the ship said simply: “Weather Fair, All Well.” After that, contact was suddenly cut, and a location could not be found. No distress calls were made. Several ships were questioned, asking if SOS calls had been heard over any frequency, but no one had heard a thing.
There were no survivors, and the wreckage has never been found.
There were 306 crew members and passengers on board.
The U.S. Navy made the following statement: “The disappearance of this ship has been one of the most baffling mysteries in the annals of the Navy, all attempts to locate her having proved unsuccessful.”
Theories & Explanations: Weather
One of the longest standing theories in an attempt to debunk the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle is simply weather.
Most people believe that ocean storms are to blame for the sudden disappearance of ships and planes as they travel over the triangle.
Not only is the Bermuda Triangle known to have frequent hurricanes and tropical storms, The Gulf Stream also passes through this area. The Gulf Stream is a strong ocean current known to cause “sharp changes in local weather”.
Although this seems highly likely, it doesn’t answer all the questions. Specifically, why wreckages are not found, why distress calls are not made, and why some ships have been found in-tact but without a single crewmember aboard.
Theories & Explanations: Atlantis
Another intriguing theory among enthusiasts is that the Lost City of Atlantis is somehow responsible for the many shipwrecks and missing aircraft incidents that occur in the Bermuda Triangle.
This theory suggests that mechanical malfunctions in boats and planes is caused by sunken technology (including crystal energies) on the ocean floor developed by the Atlanteans, may still be active.
The problem with this theory is that Atlantis has not been confirmed as “real”.
Theories & Explanations: Magnetic Forces
There are only two places on Earth where a compass will point to true north instead of magnetic north, and the Bermuda Triangle is one of them.
True North is the fixed point where lines of longitude meet on a map.
Magnetic North is the point on Earth’s surface where its magnetic field points directly downward. This is constantly shifting.
The difference between the two is called “declination”. All properly trained ship and airplane pilots should know to account for this when charting their course.
For those who do not account for this magnetic force, compasses can become unreliable and mistakes can be made.
Given that, this theory struggles with the fact that wreckages are not recovered.
Theories & Explanations: Rogue Waves
Rogue Waves are significantly large swells of water that suddenly appear in the ocean. They can reach heights of 100 feet and are typically twice the size of a typical large swell.
These waves are said to be common in the Bermuda Triangle due to storms coming in from all sides.
However, this theory doesn’t explain how airplanes also go missing in the Bermuda Triangle.
Theories & Explanations: Paranormal Activity
Well, it’s no surprise that this is a common theory for the Bermuda Triangle. Given newly discovered information about the paranormal world, it makes sense that we blame them for most unexplained mysteries here on Earth.
Conspiracy theorists suggest that aliens use the Bermuda Triangle as a portal to our planet. This is where they gather information about our people and our technology.
As far-fetched as this theory is, it would explain why aircraft and ships that disappear in the Bermuda Triangle are never recovered.
Theories & Explanations: Methane Bubbles
In 2016, a group of scientists huge, half-mile craters at the bottom of Barents Sea off the coast of Norway. These craters were caused by sudden explosions of methane gas deposits deep underwater.
Instantly, conspiracy theorists suggested a connection to the Bermuda Triangle.
However, scientists quickly responded, stating: “We are not making any links to the Bermuda Triangle”.
Denying Its Existence
While there are dozens more theories out there suggesting explanations for the bizarre behvavior of this specific area of the ocean, there is nothing that proves any of them.
In fact, scientists and professionals all over the globe collectively agree to avoid acknowledging the existence of the Bermuda Triangle at all.
The Only Survivor
There is only one person who has survived a close encounter within the Bermuda Triangle.
On December 4, 1974, a pilot named Bruce Gernon and his business partners took off from Andros Island to Miami Beach. Shortly after take-off, Gernon noticed a sudden dark cloud form around them. As they rose in altitude, the cloud rose with them. Having no choice but to fly through the cloud, they continued on. Suddenly, the world around them went black, but there was no rain, thunder or lightning. Moments later, a tunnel of free space opened up and it was their only chance to escape the blackness they were blindly flying though.
During this time, the planes navigation systems were going haywire and the plane was malfunctioning.
Fortunately, the tunnel led him directly out of the black cloud and into blue sky. He quickly contacted ground control to determine his location. They informed him that he was already over the skies of Miami—which did not make sense, time wise. The trip should have taken approximately half hour longer than it reportedly did.
Gernon said, “I didn’t believe in time travel or teleportation until it happened to me… a sudden fog surrounded my craft and I leaped ahead 100 miles.”
He documented every detail and published a book in 2017 about his experience.
Final Thoughts
While these theories can be rather intriguing, it is important to note that none have actually been proven. The mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle remains.
In fact, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA, “there is no evidence that ships or planes disappear more frequently in the Bermuda Triangle than they do anywhere else in the world.”
Professionals continue to deny its existence, while theorists all over the globe continue to marvel in its mystery.
