What Is The Bermuda Triangle? A Tale Of Myths And Disappearances

“Be not afraid; the isle is full of noises, sounds, and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.” William Shakespeare wrote this about the island in ‘The Tempest’. It is believed that Shakespeare drew inspiration for this poem from shipwrecks that happened in 1609 on the coast of Bermuda. Since then, and even before, people have wondered—what is Bermuda Triangle? The ‘triangle’ is a section on the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by Bermuda, Miami, and Puerto Rico. It’s gained a superstitious reputation because of the large number of ship and airplane disappearances over it. 

History Of Bermuda Triangle

History of the Bermuda Triangle dates back to the times of the great explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus. He was the first to see fire crashing into the sea in the triangle during his voyage. First unusual disappearances was reported only in the 19^th century and the region came to the public attention in the 20th century when a Navy cargo ship with more than 300 people on board, went missing. Paranormal activities and the presence of aliens was strongly suggested as the cause for this, however scientific theory says that it is because of magnetic anomalies. No single theory was able to prove the exact reason behind the mystery. Many believe that there is nothing strange but accidents continue to happen in the region every year.

What Is The Bermuda Triangle?

The Bermuda Triangle is also called the Devil’s Triangle or Limbo of the Lost and is spread across 1,300,000 and 3,900,000 square kilometers. The most common question is where is the Bermuda Triangle located? The area is a mythical section and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names does not officially recognize it. While there have been missing planes and ships since the mid-19th century, the phrase was coined by Vincent Gaddis in 1964. Even though there are a lot of theories regarding the Bermuda Triangle, including alien activity, no one has found any concrete evidence. 

The Mystery Of Bermuda Triangle

Some of the biggest Bermuda Triangle mysteries are the disappearances of Flight 19 and USS Cyclops. In March 1918, in an area between Barbados and the Chesapeake Bay, the USS Cyclops sank. It was a navy cargo ship that was carrying 10,000 tons of manganese, with 300 men. It was 542 feet long. The ship did not send out any distress call and the wreckage was never found. The other incident happened in December 1945 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where five navy bombers went on practice runs and took 14 men along with them. Flight 19, the leader of the mission, got lost as his compasses malfunctioned. The other five planes could not navigate their way back to the airfield and ended up with low fuel. These planes were never seen again, and the 13-men rescue team that went in search of them also disappeared the same day. Even after an extensive search that went on for weeks, they did not find any traces of them. 

The Columbus Connection

In 1974, Charles Berlitz wrote a book called ‘The Bermuda Triangle’ which added to the myth and mystery of the area. There is still a lot of confusion as to what is the Bermuda Triangle but the legend goes back to Christopher Columbus who recorded strange goings-on like weird lights, malfunctioning compasses, and a burst of flame as he travelled through the waters now called the Sargasso Sea, an area between Bermuda and the Caribbean. According to ‘The New York Times’, there are legends of many ships and boats that wander these waters with remains of other sailboats. The myth is famous because many ships and planes have disappeared without any wreckage or bodies being found. Most of these vessels had inbuilt distress signals but they were not activated before they vanished.

A Series Of Strange Happenings

Another incident that added to the myth of the Bermuda Triangle mystery, is Ellen Austin. In 1881 a ship called Ellen Austin encountered a ghost ship on its way from Liverpool to New York. Ellen Austin’s crew went on board this abandoned ghost ship, but then both ships were separated by a fierce storm. After the storm passed, Ellen Austin’s crew met with the ghost ship but their crew members had vanished. The ghost ship still had valuables on board so the captain and the crew tried going on the ship again but thick fog covered the ship. When the fog cleared, the ship had disappeared. There is a long list of incidents including the disappearance of a navy ship called the USS Proteus in 1941, a DC-3 commercial flight in 1948, and a British Avro Tudor plane called ‘Star Tiger’, the SS Marine Sulphur Queen in 1963 and more. 

Notable Incidents:

HMS Atalanta – 1844

Mary Celeste – 1872

Ellen Austin – 1881

USS Cyclops – 1918

Carroll A. Deering – 1921

Flight 19 – 1945

Star Tiger and Star Ariel – 1948

Connemara IV – 1955

KC-135 Stratotankers – 1963

Witchcraft – 1967

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A Legend Or An Unsolved Mystery?

According to Britannica, even though the Bermuda Triangle has these mysteries attached to it, the number of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle is not more than the other area in the Atlantic Ocean. The Bermuda Triangle also has heavy air and water traffic. Some regular tropical storms and hurricanes occur in the area. There is no exact estimate of the number of disappearances, but is believed to be up to 50 ships and 20 airplanes.  

Did You Know About The Bermuda Triangle Facts And Myths

• It is located in the western section of the North Atlantic Ocean.
• It stretches off the coast of Florida between Miami, Puerto Rico and Bermuda.
• Even though you won’t find the Bermuda Triangle on a map, the fact is that it is a real place.
• Once called Islands of the Devils but today it is also popularly known as the Devil’s Triangle.
• It’s believed that more than 50 ships and 20 airplanes are said to have mysteriously disappeared from here.
• Many believe that either special magnetic fields, unknown physical forces or chemicals in the waters is the reason for the mysterious disappearances.
• The Bermuda Triangle is one of the two places where a compass points to true north rather than magnetic north.
• The underwater topography of the area shows that it is one of the deepest spots on earth.
• UFO sightings are on a high in this area, hence alien abductions have been a popular explanation for the disappearances.
• The Bermuda Triangle has heavy daily traffic and is one of the most traveled shipping lanes in the world.

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Has The Bermuda Triangle Found An Explanation?

Over the years, scientists have come up with theories regarding the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, relating the unexplained incidents to methane gas on the seabed, shallow waters, and drastic and fast changes in weather. Another fascinating theory proposed by meteorologists’ is that the reason for the disappearance could be because of the unusual hexagonal clouds. These clouds are filled with air bombs that act as wind monsters which can cause all the mischief of sinking ships and downing planes. Scientists are checking images of Bermuda Triangle from satellite imagery to confirm. But of course, not everyone is convinced with the Bermuda Triangle explained theory, more observation is required to confirm this.