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The Bermuda TriangleVortex of time, space and dimension, many ships and planes lost at sea over the years in the area between Bermuda, Miami, and Puerto Rico
The Bermuda Triangle also known as the Devil's Triangle is a 1.5 million square mile area of ocean roughly defined by Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the southern tip of Florida. It is supposedly a paranormal site in which the laws of physics are violated or altered. It is said that within this area a number of ships and planes have disappeared under highly unusual circumstances. The United States Coast Guard and others disagree with the assessment of paranormal activity, arguing that the number of incidents involving ships and planes is no larger than any other heavily traveled region of the world. Another area that is classified by many as having the same paranormal effects is the Devil's Triangle or Devil's Sea, located near Japan. HistoryFirst citations and nameChristopher Columbus made mention of sightings of strange-looking animals near the border of the triangle and recorded near the area now designated as the Bermuda Triangle. At one point he reports that he and his crew observed "strange dancing lights on the horizon". On another instance they observed what was most likely a falling meteor. The first documented mention of disappearances in the area was made in 1951 by E.V.W. Jones as a sidebar on the Associated Press wire service regarding recent ship losses. Jones' article noted the "mysterious disappearances" of ships, aircraft and small boats in the region and gave it the name "The Devil's Triangle". It was next mentioned in 1952 in a Fate Magazine article by George X. Sand, who outlined several "strange marine disappearances". In 1964, Vincent Geddis referred to the area as "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle" in an Argosy feature, after which the name "Bermuda Triangle" became most common.
Popularized by BerlitzThe area achieved its current fame largely through the efforts of Charles Berlitz in his 1974 book The Bermuda Triangle and its subsequent film adaptation. The book recounts a long series of mysterious disappearances of ships and aircraft, in particular the December 1945 loss of five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo bombers in the infamous Flight 19 incident. The book was a bestseller and included several theories about the cause of the disappearances, including accidents due to high traffic volumes; natural storms; "temporal holes"; the lost empire of Atlantis; transportation by extraterrestrial technology; and other natural or supernatural causes. Skeptical ResponsesThe marine insurer Lloyd's of London has determined the "triangle" to be no more dangerous than any other area of ocean, and does not charge unusual rates for passage through the region. Coast Guard records confirm their conclusion. In fact, the number of supposed disappearances is relatively insignificant considering the number of ships and aircraft which pass through on a regular basis. Skeptics comment that the disappearance of a train between two stops would be more convincing evidence of paranormal activity, and the fact that such things do not occur suggests that paranormal explanations are not needed for the disappearance of ships and aircraft in the far less predictable open ocean. Kusche's The Bermuda Triangle Mystery -- SolvedKusche's research revealed a number of inaccuracies and inconsistencies between Berlitz's accounts and statements from eyewitnesses, participants and others involved in the initial incidents. He noted cases where pertinent information went unreported, such as the disappearance of round-the-world yachtsman Donald Crowhurst which Berlitz had presented as a mystery, despite clear evidence that Crowhurst had fabricated the accounts of his voyage and had probably committed suicide. Another example was the ore-carrier Berlitz recounted as lost without trace three days out of an Atlantic port when it had been lost three days out of a port with the same name in the Pacific Ocean. Kusche also argued that a large percentage of the incidents attributed to the Bermuda Triangle's mysterious influence actually occurred well outside it. Kusche came to several conclusions:
In recent years, however, several authors, most notably Gian J. Quasar, have raised serious questions as to the veracity of Kusche's findings, including but not limited to: why Kusche so often brought up as evidence for his claims cases that were already well-known before the writing of his work as not being "Triangle incidents"; his misidentification and mislocation of several ship and aircraft incidents that are well-documented, but then using that inability to properly identify the craft as "proof" that they never existed; holding to his claims that 'nothing out of the ordinary' regularly occurred in and around the area, and yet several times admitting certain cases lacked conventional rational explanation (most notably in the Star Tiger and DC-3 cases), and in other examples openly claiming possibilities for foul weather for certain disappearances where it can be verified that none existed. Quasar's criticisms, however, often remain marginalized or ignored by many attempted debunkers. Methane HydratesAn explanation for some of the disappearances focuses on the presence of vast fields of methane hydrates on the continental shelves. A paper was published in 1981 by the United States Geological Survey about the appearance of hydrates in the Blake Ridge area, off the southeastern United States coast. Periodic methane eruptions may produce regions of frothy water that are no longer capable of providing adequate buoyancy for ships. If this were the case, such an area forming around a ship could cause it to sink very rapidly and without warning. Laboratory experiments have proven that bubbles can, indeed, sink a scale model ship by decreasing the density of the water. Hypothetically, methane gas might also be involved in aircraft crashes, as it is not as dense as normal air and thus would not generate the amount of lift required to keep the aircraft flying. Low levels of methane have also been shown to cause an aircraft engine to stall when added to the intake of air. Mysterious Disappearances AircraftMany have vanished within sight of land, while on radar and while just about to touch down at runways. Others have vanished over shallow water. Some have been in radio communication, saying their equipment was acting erratic, or that a "weird object" was harrassing them. Sometimes an unusual object was seen in the aftermath of a disappearance.
Mysterious Disappearances ShipsThis list is only partial, and has been compiled from Coast Guard reports, US Navy reports, National Archives and Records Administration and Merchant Vessels of the United States Registry.
Bermuda Triangle ResourcesBermuda Triangle Bermuda (or "Devil's") Triangle Un-mystery of the Bermuda Triangle Premier Resource on The Bermuda Triangle Mystery World Atlas Bermuda Triangle Map Bermuda Triangle & Marine Sulphur Queen Bermuda Triangle: Castle of Spirits The Bermuda Triangle by Geoffrey Keyte A chronological database of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle The Paranormal World: The Bermuda Triangle Bermuda Triangle Fact Sheet |
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The Bermuda Triangle - The Bermuda Triangle has long been full of mysteries. More than 100 ships and planes have vanished there since 1945 and lost with them have been more than 1,000 lives. |
The Bermuda Triangle - Old UFO stories never die as long as they can be resurrected every ten years or so for a new book, movie, or TV show. |
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