Bermuda Triangle Mystery - Facts and Myths

For decades, the Atlantic Ocean’s fabled Bermuda Triangle has captured the human imagination with unexplained disappearances of ships, planes, and people.

Some speculate that unknown and mysterious forces account for the unexplained disappearances, such as extraterrestrials capturing humans for study; the influence of the lost continent of Atlantis; vortices that suck objects into other dimensions; and other whimsical ideas.  Some explanations are more grounded in science, if not in evidence.  These include oceanic flatulence (methane gas erupting from ocean sediments) and disruptions in geomagnetic lines of flux.

Environmental considerations could explain many, if not most, of the disappearances.  The majority of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes pass through the Bermuda Triangle, and in the days prior to improved weather forecasting, these dangerous storms claimed many ships.  Also, the Gulf Stream can cause rapid, sometimes violent, changes in weather.  Additionally, the large number of islands in the Caribbean Sea creates many areas of shallow water that can be treacherous to ship navigation. And there is some evidence to suggest that the Bermuda Triangle is a place where a “magnetic” compass sometimes points towards “true” north, as opposed to “magnetic” north. 

The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard contend that there are no supernatural explanations for disasters at sea.  Their experience suggests that the combined forces of nature and human fallibility outdo even the most incredulous science fiction. They add that no official maps exist that delineate the boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle. The U. S. Board of Geographic Names does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an official name and does not maintain an official file on the area.

The ocean has always been a mysterious place to humans, and when foul weather or poor navigation is involved, it can be a very deadly place.  This is true all over the world.  There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-traveled area of the ocean. 

Does the Bermuda Triangle really exist?

The Bermuda Triangle or Devil’s Triangle is a mythical geographic area located off the southeastern coast of the United States. It is noted for an apparent high incidence of unexplained losses of ship, small boats, and aircraft.

The Coast Guard does not recognize the existence of the so-called Bermuda Triangle as a geographic area of specific hazard to ships or planes. In a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, there has been nothing discovered that would indicate that casualties were the result of anything other than physical causes. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.

Newspaper articles:

Flight 19

• "Great Hunt On For 27 Navy Fliers Missing In Five Planes Off Florida", The New York Times, December 7, 1945.
• "Wide Hunt For 27 Men In Six Navy Planes", The Washington Post, December 7, 1945.
• "Fire Signals Seen In Area Of Lost Men", The Washington Post, December 9, 1945.

SS Cotopaxi

• "Lloyd's posts Cotopaxi As 'Missing'", The New York Times, January 7, 1926.
• "Efforts To Locate Missing Ship Fail", The Washington Post, December 6, 1925.
• "Lighthouse Keepers Seek Missing Ship", The Washington Post, December 7, 1925.
• "53 On Missing Craft Are Reported Saved", The Washington Post, December 13, 1925.

USS Cyclops (AC-4)

• "Cold High Winds Do $25,000 Damage", The Washington Post, March 11, 1918.
• "Collier Overdue A Month", The New York Times, April 15, 1918.
• "More Ships Hunt For Missing Cyclops", The New York Times, April 16, 1918.
• "Haven't Given Up Hope For Cyclops", The New York Times, April 17, 1918.
• "Collier Cyclops Is Lost; 293 Persons On Board; Enemy Blow Suspected", The Washington Post, April 15, 1918.
• "U.S. Consul Gottschalk Coming To Enter The War", The Washington Post, April 15, 1918.
• "Cyclops Skipper Teuton, 'Tis Said", The Washington Post, April 16, 1918.
• "Fate Of Ship Baffles", The Washington Post, April 16, 1918.
• "Steamer Met Gale On Cyclops' Course", The Washington Post, April 19, 1918.

Carroll A. Deering

• "Piracy Suspected In Disappearance Of 3 American Ships", The New York Times, June 21, 1921.
• "Bath Owners Skeptical", The New York Times, June 22, 1921. piera antonella
• "Deering Skipper's Wife Caused Investigation", The New York Times, June 22, 1921.
• "More Ships Added To Mystery List", The New York Times, June 22, 1921.
• "Hunt On For Pirates", The Washington Post, June 21, 1921
• "Comb Seas For Ships", The Washington Post, June 22, 1921.
• "Port Of Missing Ships Claims 3000 Yearly", The Washington Post, July 10, 1921.

Wreckers

• "'Wreckreation' Was The Name Of The Game That Flourished 100 Years Ago", The New York Times, March 30, 1969.

S.S. Suduffco

• "To Search For Missing Freighter", The New York Times, April 11, 1926.
• "Abandon Hope For Ship", The New York Times, April 28, 1926.

Star Tiger and Star Ariel

• "Hope Wanes in Sea Search For 28 Aboard Lost Airliner", The New York Times, January 31, 1948.
• "72 Planes Search Sea For Airliner", The New York Times, January 19, 1949.

DC-3 Airliner NC16002 disappearance

• "30-Passenger Airliner Disappears In Flight From San Juan To Miami", The New York Times, December 29, 1948.
• "Check Cuba Report Of Missing Airliner", The New York Times, December 30, 1948.
• "Airliner Hunt Extended", The New York Times, December 31, 1948.

Harvey Conover and Revonoc

• "Search Continuing For Conover Yawl", The New York Times, January 8, 1958.
• "Yacht Search Goes On", The New York Times, January 9, 1958.
• "Yacht Search Pressed", The New York Times, January 10, 1958.
• "Conover Search Called Off", The New York Times, January 15, 1958.

KC-135 Stratotankers

• "Second Area Of Debris Found In Hunt For Jets", The New York Times, August 31, 1963.
• "Hunt For Tanker Jets Halted", The New York Times, September 3, 1963.
• "Planes Debris Found In Jet Tanker Hunt", The Washington Post, August 30, 1963.

B-52 Bomber (Pogo 22)

• "U.S.-Canada Test Of Air Defence A Success", The New York Times, October 16, 1961.
• "Hunt For Lost B-52 Bomber Pushed In New Area", The New York Times, October 17, 1961.
• "Bomber Hunt Pressed", The New York Times, October 18, 1961.
• "Bomber Search Continuing", The New York Times, October 19, 1961.
• "Hunt For Bomber Ends", The New York Times, October 20, 1961.

Charter vessel Sno'Boy

• "Plane Hunting Boat Sights Body In Sea", The New York Times, July 7, 1963.
• "Search Abandoned For 40 On Vessel Lost In Caribbean", The New York Times, July 11, 1963.
• "Search Continues For Vessel With 55 Aboard In Caribbean", The Washington Post, July 6, 1963.
• "Body Found In Search For Fishing Boat", The Washington Post, July 7, 1963.

SS Marine Sulphur Queen

• "Tanker Lost In Atlantic; 39 Aboard", The Washington Post, February 9, 1963.
• "Debris Sighted In Plane Search For Tanker Missing Off Florida", The New York Times, February 11, 1963.
• "2.5 Million Is Asked In Sea Disaster", The Washington Post, February 19, 1963.
• "Vanishing Of Ship Ruled A Mystery", The New York Times, April 14, 1964.
• "Families Of 39 Lost At Sea Begin $20-Million Suit Here", The New York Times, June 4, 1969.
• "10-Year Rift Over Lost Ship Near End", The New York Times, February 4, 1973.

SS Sylvia L. Ossa

• "Ship And 37 Vanish In Bermuda Triangle On Voyage To U.S.", The New York Times, October 18, 1976.
• "Ship Missing In Bermuda Triangle Now Presumed To Be Lost At Sea", The New York Times, October 19, 1976.
• "Distress Signal Heard From American Sailor Missing For 17 Days", The New York Times, October 31, 1976.

Popular theories solving the mystery 

So what caused the ships and aircraft to disappear mysteriously? There have been many research and explorations done to uncover the mystery. There is no single theory that can explain all the incidents. The ships and aircraft have been victims of different circumstances and situations. Things happened very quickly and unexpectedly. While many theories have come out, there are few that come close to solving the Bermuda Triangle Mystery.  

Methane Gas trapped under the sea floor can erupt, as a result can lower the water density and cause ships to sink. Even planes flying over it, can catch fire and get completely destroyed during such gas blowout. 

Sargasso Sea is a strange area that has no shores and bounded only by water currents on all sides. The ships passing through it have been stranded and made motionless. 

Electronic Fog, a strange thick cloud appears from nowhere and engulfs a ship or a plane. Instruments begin to malfunction, and finally the ship or the aircraft vanishes without a trace. 

There are many other theories. Check out the Theories of Bermuda Triangle that explains most of such strange factors that would have caused the disappearances. 

And there are also theories that took recourse to some supernatural events to explain the disappearances. Check out Supernatural Theories to know about them. 

History of Bermuda Triangle 

So how and when did it all start, and who first noted the abnormal incidents in the triangle area? Check out Bermuda Triangle History to know about that.