Bermuda Triangle, often referred to as the Devil’s Triangle, is an area in the North Atlantic Ocean, commonly described as the region between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. This geographical zone has long been associated with the mysterious disappearance of ships and aircraft, sparking urban legends and conspiracy theories since the mid-20th century. However, despite widespread intrigue, comprehensive investigations from the U.S. government and other scientific organizations have failed to find evidence of anything supernatural or inexplicable occurring in the area, attributing the incidents to natural causes, human error, and even misinterpretation of data.
Origins of the Myth
The first signs of a mysterious nature to the Bermuda area emerged through an article written by Edward Van Winkle Jones for the Miami Herald in September 1950. The story, picked up by the Associated Press, hinted at unexplained disappearances of vessels and planes. Two years later, Fate magazine published an article titled “Sea Mystery at Our Back Door,” written by George X. Sand. This piece helped shape the narrative of the Bermuda Triangle by pinpointing the specific area where these losses were occurring. Sand detailed the vanishing of several ships and aircraft in the region, including the ill-fated disappearance of Sandra, a tramp steamer, the mysterious disappearance of Flight 19 in December 1945, a series of strange events involving BSAA aircraft like Star Tiger and Star Ariel, and other unexplained disappearances of planes and vessels between 1948 and 1949.
The term “Bermuda Triangle” began to gain traction when further articles were written in the 1960s and 1970s. Notable figures like Charles Berlitz and Richard Winer wrote books on the subject, perpetuating the idea of an enigmatic zone filled with supernatural forces. Books and articles filled with sensational accounts of strange phenomena, even invoking connections to lost civilizations like Atlantis, helped popularize the Bermuda Triangle mystery.
The Bermuda Triangle’s Boundaries
In terms of geography, the Bermuda Triangle is commonly defined as an area with vertices at Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. However, writers and researchers have given different interpretations of its size and boundaries. Some describe it as a large triangle with an area spanning 1.3 to 3.9 million square kilometers (0.5 to 1.51 million square miles). Certain authors even stretch its borders to include the Irish coast. This variation means that which incidents are considered “Bermuda Triangle events” depends on how the triangle is defined by each author.
Skepticism and Criticism
One of the most vocal critics of the Bermuda Triangle legend is Larry Kusche, whose 1975 book The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved debunked many claims made by the writers who contributed to the mythology. Kusche found significant errors and inconsistencies in the reports written by authors like Charles Berlitz. His research showed that many of the alleged mysteries had simple, logical explanations, and that disappearances often occurred in other regions far from the Triangle’s supposed boundaries.
Kusche revealed that the numbers of ships and planes reported missing in the Bermuda Triangle were not disproportionate to other parts of the ocean. Many of the events were actually explained by factors like tropical storms, navigational errors, and mechanical failures. Kusche also found that some disappearances were fabricated or misreported. For example, a yacht claimed to have disappeared in the Triangle had, in fact, returned to port after an extended period, and certain aircraft presumed lost had crashed in well-documented incidents.
Further investigations, such as those conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard, have not supported the paranormal claims surrounding the area. Official sources, including Lloyd’s of London and the U.S. Coast Guard, confirm that there is no evidence of any higher-than-normal rate of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. Many of the most sensationalized accounts have been debunked with facts showing that these events were far from mysterious.
Explanations for the Bermuda Triangle Phenomenon
For those still subscribing to the idea that the Bermuda Triangle holds some hidden force, various theories have been put forward to explain the disappearances. Paranormal explanations often suggest that the area is home to leftover technologies from the lost city of Atlantis, while others propose the existence of a parallel universe that could create time and space distortions. Additionally, UFO sightings and extraterrestrial involvement have been suggested as potential culprits behind the disappearances.
On the other hand, natural explanations focus on the region’s environmental conditions. The area is known for its volatile weather patterns, including frequent hurricanes and sudden tropical storms. The Gulf Stream, a powerful ocean current flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico, could potentially carry floating objects like boats and planes far off course, causing confusion and leading to misreported disappearances.
Compass anomalies have also been cited as a possible cause. While some believe magnetic anomalies in the area could cause compasses to malfunction, experts argue that this is a natural occurrence due to the Earth’s magnetic field and does not provide any evidence of supernatural activity. The public, however, may interpret these shifts as something out of the ordinary.
One of the most widely discussed theories is the presence of methane hydrates, or natural gas formations on the ocean floor, which could rise to the surface and reduce the water’s density. Such methane eruptions could potentially cause ships to sink without warning, although no significant evidence of this phenomenon has been found in the Bermuda Triangle.
Famous Disappearances
The Bermuda Triangle is known for some highly publicized incidents that have fueled its legendary status. Among the most famous cases is the disappearance of Flight 19, a squadron of five Navy bombers on a training mission in December 1945. The pilots lost their way, ran out of fuel, and were never seen again. A search plane sent to find them, a PBM Mariner, also disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Despite extensive search efforts, neither the planes nor their crews were ever found.
Another well-known case is the disappearance of the USS Cyclops, a massive naval collier that vanished in 1918 with 306 people aboard. Despite extensive searches, no trace of the ship was ever found, though the most likely explanation involves the ship’s overloading and structural failure.
The disappearance of the Carroll A. Deering, a five-masted schooner, in 1921 remains a perplexing case. The ship was found abandoned off the coast of North Carolina, with no explanation for the disappearance of the crew. Theories ranged from piracy to sabotage, but the cause was never conclusively determined.
Other cases, such as the disappearances of Star Tiger and Star Ariel, two British aircraft that vanished in 1948 and 1949, also contributed to the mythos of the Bermuda Triangle. Additionally, yachts like the Connemara IV, which was found adrift after a storm in 1955, have been linked to the mystery, though in most cases the real causes are tied to weather conditions or human error.
Theories and Natural Phenomena
Many of the most recent theories about the Bermuda Triangle focus on natural phenomena. Hurricanes and violent storms frequently pass through the region, and their unpredictable nature can catch sailors and pilots off guard. In fact, the area is known for hosting powerful tropical cyclones, which can cause sudden changes in weather and lead to accidents.
Some researchers have also pointed to the presence of deep-sea methane hydrate fields, which could erupt and cause significant disturbances to the water’s density, resulting in shipwrecks. These eruptions, however, have not been conclusively tied to any known disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.
Conclusion
The Bermuda Triangle myth is a captivating tale, but most of the incidents that have been tied to it can be explained by mundane, earthly causes such as weather, human error, and natural ocean phenomena. While the legend of the Bermuda Triangle remains a popular subject for books, movies, and TV specials, official investigations and scientific studies have shown that the area is not particularly dangerous or mysterious compared to other parts of the ocean. The true nature of these incidents is far less sensational than the theories surrounding them.