The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of ships and aircraft have reportedly disappeared. The area is roughly bounded by the southeastern coast of the United States, Bermuda, and the islands of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico). Key aspects of the Bermuda Triangle:
- Geographical location: The area is generally accepted to have its apexes at Bermuda, Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Meteorologists may refer to it as an area bounded by Bermuda, New York, and the Virgin Islands. The exact boundaries, however, are not universally agreed upon. The area is estimated to range from 500,000 to 1,510,000 square kilometers.
- Unexplained disappearances: The Bermuda Triangle has gained notoriety for the unexplained disappearances of ships, planes, and people, with some cases involving no wreckage or bodies being found.
- The Sargasso Sea: Many disappearances have occurred within the region of the Sargasso Sea, a part of the Atlantic that is characterised by floating seaweed. The Sargasso Sea is bounded by the Gulf Stream and other currents.
- Urban legend: The Bermuda Triangle is considered an urban legend, with many of the disappearances having explanations.
- "Sea of Lost Ships": The area is also referred to as the "Sea of Lost Ships" or the "Graveyard of Lost Ships" due to the numerous disappearances that have occurred there.
- Other names: The Bermuda Triangle has also been called the "Hoodoo Sea," the "Devil's Triangle," and the "Limbo of the Lost".
Criticism of the concept:
- Lack of statistical significance: It has been argued that the number of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle is not disproportionately higher than in other parts of the ocean.
- Exaggerated numbers: Some researchers claim that the numbers of disappearances have been exaggerated by poor research and reporting.
- Normal explanations: Many disappearances can be attributed to natural causes, like tropical cyclones, violent weather, human error, and compass variations, rather than anything mysterious.
- No extraordinary factors: The U.S. Coast Guard has stated that they have found nothing to indicate that casualties were caused by anything other than physical causes.
- Not among the most dangerous waters: The Bermuda Triangle was not among the world's 10 most dangerous waters for shipping in a 2013 study by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Hypothetical Explanations:
- Paranormal explanations: Some explanations include the presence of UFOs, time-space warps, black holes, or other supernatural phenomena.
- Natural explanations: Other explanations include:
Notable Incidents:
- HMS Atalanta: This sail training ship disappeared with its entire crew in 1880. It was likely that a storm caused the ship to sink.
- USS Cyclops: This Navy collier went missing in 1918 with a crew of 306, marking the largest single loss of life in the history of the US Navy not related to combat. Structural failure from overloading has been theorised as a cause of sinking.
- Flight 19: Five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers disappeared during a training flight in 1945. A search and rescue plane sent out to find them also disappeared.
- Star Tiger and Star Ariel: These two British South American Airways planes disappeared in 1948 and 1949, respectively.
- Douglas DC-3: A DC-3 airliner vanished in 1948 during a flight from San Juan to Miami.
- Connemara IV: This yacht disappeared in 1955 about 400 miles southwest of Bermuda.
- KC-135 Stratotankers: Two Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers disappeared in 1963 during a refueling operation.
The disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle have been widely discussed and investigated. While many theories have been proposed, many are not supported by evidence.
