Mind boggling disappearances of ships and aircrafts – this is what immediately comes to mind at the mere mention of the Bermuda Triangle. Its reputation is so notorious that people have even tried to link it to the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, even though the jet went missing halfway around the world. For decades, speculations have been aplenty about what transpires at this infamous triangular area in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean, but none are conclusive.

Interestingly, for a place that is famous (or infamous) globally, the Bermuda Triangle has no official standing. It is not recognised by the United States Board of Geographic Names. Nonetheless, this mysterious triangular area has more than enough monikers to compensate for this. To name but a few, it has been popularly referred to as the Devil’s Triangle, the Twilight Zone, the Magic Rhombus, the Triangle of Death, the Voodoo Sea, the Limbo of the Lost and even the Port of Missing Ships.

Unofficial mapping of the Bermuda Triangle

In addition, it does not have proper boundaries or markers given that it is part of a larger body of water. Thus, the size of the Bermuda Triangle remains a contention. It differs depending on whoever happens to be writing about it. That being said, it is generally accepted to span across a large area of approximately 500,000 square miles from the points of Miami, Florida (United States of America), the island of Bermuda and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Seaweed patches in the Sargasso Sea

Living up to its reputation, very few facts are known about the Bermuda Triangle, adding to its enigma. Take for example the Bermuda Triangle’s departure from the norm of having two measurements of “North”. Unlike the rest of the world which has to make adjustments to cater to the 20 degree difference between the Magnetic North (i.e. the direction reflected in a compass) and the actual geographical direction i.e. True North, the Bermuda Triangle is one of two spots in the world where both Norths perfectly align.

Further, some quarters closely associate the Bermuda Triangle with the Sargasso Sea which overlaps the Bermuda Triangle at its north-western edge. With its big patch of seaweed jungle and unusually warm waters that constantly swirl clockwise despite a lack of wind, the Sargasso Sea also has its fair share of unexplained incidents. With such close proximity and unnatural oddities, it is inevitable that people would link the two together.

Mysterious Vibes, Vanishing Acts

Christopher Columbus leaving Palos, Spain by Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida

The earliest record of the enigma of the Bermuda Triangle goes as far back as Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the New World. Upon reaching the waters of the Bermuda Triangle in 1492, Columbus reportedly experienced weird compass readings. He hid this from his crew to avoid throwing them into a panic. As they continued on, the atmosphere of uneasiness kept escalating. Three days later, all those onboard spotted strange lights hovering and this spooked the edgy crew. Many wanted to abandon the quest and return to Spain but obviously, Columbus managed to circumvent it. It is speculated that Columbus convinced his crew to forge on by chalking it up as an explainable phenomenon i.e. a fallen star (meteor). Columbus maintained that the lights were remnants of the great flame of fire from the fallen star, which he claimed to have witnessed on an earlier night.

These intriguing shipping log entries by Columbus set in motion the rather mythical bordering on eerie perception of the Bermuda Triangle. Subsequent accounts of incidents at the Bermuda Triangle appear to be heavily laden with mythical influences and even paranormal vibes. In this regard, the story of the Ellen Austin best represents the majority of tales circulated about the Bermuda Triangle by seafarers at that time.

It was supposed to be just another routine journey between London and New York over the Bermuda Triangle zone in the Atlantic Ocean, when the crew of the Ellen Austin (a 210-ft-long American large multi-masted ship weighing over 1800 tonnes) became embroiled in a chilling experience fit for a horror movie plot. In 1881, the Ellen Austin was on the last leg of its journey back to New York when, upon entering the waters of the Bermuda Triangle, it was surrounded by a sudden thick mist which blocked out all visibility. Left with no choice, the crew proceeded slowly and relied heavily on the lookout from the crow’s nest. After a few hours, they spotted another ship. Relieved at the prospect of company in such weird circumstances, the Ellen Austin sailed close to the other ship. The crew waited in anticipation for the fog to clear so they could make contact.

The Ellen Austin

However, when the fog eventually cleared, the other ship was found to be abandoned. Despite searching high and low, the captain’s log and the trail boards could not be found aboard the abandoned ship, rendering identification impossible. Captain Baker of the Ellen Austin made the decision to sail the mysterious ship back to New York and dispatched six of his men to man the second ship. Things were smooth sailing for the next couple of days until they were forced apart by a sudden storm. It is said that the other ship mysteriously vanished but after several hours of searching, the Ellen Austin finally caught up with it.

Eerily, the ship was found to be empty once again with no trace of the six men who were stationed there earlier. The crew was spooked but Captain Baker managed to convince a handful of his men, this time armed with firearms, to sail the other ship in close proximity. Tragically, another heavy fog descended upon them once again and the unknown ship along with the men aboard disappeared for good. It remains an unsolved mystery to this day.

Some claim that the unexplained incidents are a result of the hauntings of those who perished in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle. None are more vocal about this hypothesis than psychiatrist Dr. Kenneth McAll of Brook Lyndhurst, England. He theorised that the mysterious vanishing incidents are consequences of the curse of the many African slaves who had been mercilessly thrown overboard on their voyage to America. This is heavily premised on the prevalence of 18^th century insurance scams by British sea captains, who defrauded insurance companies by tossing the slaves into the sea to drown, then cashing in on a claim for them.

With stories like the Ellen Austin and the possibility of thousands of vengeful spirits, it is no surprise that these mystical and paranormal vibes have pervaded to modern times, culminating in theories where aliens are posited as a possible explanation for the numerous accounts of disorientation, navigational problems and even total disappearances within the Bermuda Triangle. Such theories generally revolve around alien abductions and the reasons for this range from scientific curiosity to inter-species breeding.

The Mary Celeste

One of the earliest disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle which is heavily associated with alien abduction is the Mary Celeste. In 1872, Captain Benjamin Briggs, his family and a small, trusted crew set sail from New York to Genoa on a merchant ship called the Mary Celeste. A month later, the ship was found adrift off the coast of Portugal, with not a soul on board. The riddle of the Mary Celeste has intrigued and mystified ever since. The eerily pristine condition of the Mary Celeste and its undisturbed cargo at the time of discovery added fuel to claims of aliens turning up to whisk the crew away. This theory was also used to explain the mysterious disappearance of the USS Cyclops where it is said that aliens beamed the entire ship into their spaceships. However, a lack of convincing evidence and heavy reliance on hearsay continue to cast doubts on the alien theory.

Take for example the USS Cyclops incident, which represents the largest non-combat loss of life in the history of the United States Navy. In 1918, the USS Cyclops was supposed to deliver 10,800 tonnes of manganese ore (to be used in the manufacturing of munitions) from Brazil to Baltimore. The ship never arrived at its destination and no trace of it was ever found despite exhaustive search efforts. Mysteriously, no distress signals were sent prior to the ship’s disappearance, nor did anyone aboard the USS Cyclops respond to the radio calls made by hundreds of other American ships in the vicinity. In addition, the waters were relatively calm with no storms strong enough to cause the USS Cyclops to founder. To date, the lives of the 309 on board remain unaccounted for and to quote Woodrow Wilson, the 28^th President of the United States of America,

“Only God and the sea know what happened to USS Cyclops.”

The USS Cyclops

Mainstream Theories and Explanations

The disappearances within the waters of the Bermuda Triangle all occurred at various spots and each was subjected to different circumstances. Thus, the scientific community maintains that there is no single theory that can explain all the disappearances. The following are some of the mainstream theories that have been put forward as plausible explanations over the years.

The Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current flowing from the Gulf of Mexico around the Florida Straits north-eastward towards Europe. It acts like a saltwater river on the surface of the ocean. As its currents are extremely swift and turbulent, floating objects are easily washed away. The unique features of the Gulf Stream also make it possible for a vessel to encounter disaster at one location and for the wreckage or debris to end up in another.

An example is the disappearance of Daniel Burack on 22 December 1967. He radioed for help from his cabin cruiser “Witchcraft”, reporting engine trouble near the Miami buoy marker one mile from the shore. However, when the Coast Guard arrived at the location 19 minutes after the distress call, the cabin cruiser and its passengers were nowhere to be found. The search party continued for six days, during which some 24,500 square miles were covered, but to no avail.

In the end, the coast guard closed the search effort and the final statement reflects the passengers of the Witchcraft “to be presumed missing, but not lost at sea“.

The Gulf Stream

Underwater Methane Explosions

Infographic about the Methane Gas Theory

When Dr. Ben Clennell of Leeds University, England delivered his lecture about methane gas in Wales in 1998, little did he know his findings would spark an explosion of interest to justify the mysterious vanishings around the Bermuda Triangle.

In short, the theory works on the basis that;

• Large amounts of methane gas exist below the ocean floor, trapped in the sediment in the form of methane hydrate.
• Large volumes of methane gas can be released as a result of landslides under the ocean floor. Under such circumstances, the water density in that area and right up to the surface can become so low that a ship could drop like a rock.
• As methane gas is highly combustible, an eruption can also cause a plane flying above it to catch fire become completely destroyed.

Ever-changing Ocean Bed

The ocean bed of the Bermuda Triangle is strangely volatile. It comprises of deceptively gentle slopes, sudden deep drops and some of the deepest trenches in the world. Thus, it significantly reduces the chances of locating sunken vessels particularly as some of the deeper trenches are virtually inaccessible. In addition, the constant strong current of the Gulf Stream interfacing with reefs and marine trenches rapidly changes the topography of the sea floor. This in turn gives rise to many navigational hazards.

The unusual and ever-changing ocean bed of the Bermuda Triangle

This rapidly changing topography also explains why most rescue efforts and subsequent deep-sea salvage operations turn up nothing at all. The discovery of giant craters (about half a mile wide and 150ft deep) in the Barent Sea off the coast of Norway in March 2016 has also been used to support claims that there are large deep ocean craters on the sea floor of the Bermuda Triangle. The giant craters are attributed to oil leaks or methane gas bursts, trapped at different layers below the sea floor. This also complements the theory that if a ship is wrecked due to a methane blow out or other reason, it may drop into a crater causing the unfortunate vessel to remain hidden forever.

Rogue Waves

This refers to the sudden appearance of gigantic waves capable of taking out a large ship within moments. They can take place during a storm or even in calm seas. These nearly vertical walls of water can easily flip supertankers, sinking them in seconds. They can also utterly immerse and knock down any low-flying airplane or helicopter.

The first rogue wave ever detected by a measuring instrument was the Draupner wave or New Year’s wave. It was recorded on 1 January 1995 on a device placed at the Draupner platform in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.

Ocean Ranger Memorial Sculpture

Other incidents include;

• The capsize of the Ocean Ranger in 1982. The loss of the then world’s largest offshore platform affected the design and safety features of future oil facilities. It also resulted in much tougher regulations regarding safety equipment and training.
• In 1982, a wave measuring approximately 157 feet struck Fastnet Lighthouse in Ireland and caused significant damage.

The unpredictability of rogue waves makes them possibly the most terrifying ocean phenomena. It is believed that rogue waves are not caused by any one factor but a culmination of high winds and strong currents which routinely cause waves to merge. The odds of them occurring are still rare, approximately once every 200,000 waves. Nonetheless, they are more prevalent in the Bermuda Triangle given the frequency of hurricanes and the Gulf Stream therein.

Electronic Fog: A Hutchison Effect

This theory corresponds with testimonies about vessels being engulfed in some kind of electronic fog. It is said that the fog is not stagnant and appears to move in parallel with the vessel, causing its electronics to malfunction gradually. Eventually, the vessel is incapacitated and may even vanish without a trace.

This theory is heavily propagated by Vancouver-based scientist John Hutchison. He has conducted numerous experiments to demonstrate how electronic fog can wreak havoc on electronics.

Compass or Electromagnet Anomaly

As mentioned earlier, the Bermuda Triangle is one of two places on Earth where both Norths are the same. However, a normal compass is calibrated to cater for two different Norths. Thus, depending on the mechanism of the compass, it could behave erratically in the Bermuda Triangle, with compass needles intermittently spinning or spiking. This phenomenon has led to theories that compass anomalies could be the cause of mishaps or fatal accidents within the Bermuda Triangle area due to inaccurate reading of directions.

Human Error

Overestimating the capacity of the vessel, not understanding the area’s hazards sufficiently and poor seamanship are the top three human errors associated with disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. Reports are aplenty of personal pleasure boats and aircrafts radioing for help prior to mysteriously vanishing without a trace. That being said, even the most seasoned sailor or pilot can make mistakes with deadly consequences.

Take for example, Flight 19 which is the Bermuda Triangle’s most famous plane wreck. What was supposed to be a dry bombing practice run over the Florida Keys on 5 December 1945 became a tragic tale of 14 airmen perishing in the open sea. It is believed that the crew, especially the veteran flight leader Lieutenant Charles Taylor who was also a Naval Air Corps flight instructor, somehow became so disoriented that they deviated from their route and flew out over the Bahamas, never to be heard from again.

The crew and plane of Flight 19

Atlantis

Another interesting theory is the link to the lost city of Atlantis. This is largely premised on the discovery of ancient man-made structures submerged in 15 to 20 feet of water, just off the northwest coast of North Bimini Island, about 50 miles east of Miami, Florida. Discovered in 1968 by a scuba diver, these limestone structures, dubbed Bimini Road, are said to be remnants of the sunken Island of Atlantis. Believers allude to the very advanced (possibly alien) technology of the Atlantean empire as the cause of unusual phenomenon at the Bermuda Triangle.

Bimini Road

Evidence cited to support this theory is the testimony of Dr. Ray Brown in 1970, who claimed to have discovered a pyramidal structure with a smooth, glass-like and partially translucent finish. Not only was the pyramid illuminated by some unknown light source, it also appeared to be housing a unique sculpture in the centre, of human hands holding a four-inch crystal sphere, above which was suspended a red gem at the end of a brass rod. The pyramid is said to be about 300 meters in length, 200 meters in height and approximately 100 meters above the sea floor.

An illustration of the crystal pyramid found by Dr Ray Brown

The discovery of this pyramid has been used to strengthen another speculation that the Bermuda Triangle and the area where the pyramid was found is some sort of “holy ground” under the protection of the Atlanteans. Thus, whatever crosses over is considered an offering.

Holy ground for Atlanteans?

Is This Notorious Reputation Warranted?

The number of aircraft and sea vessels lost to the Bermuda Triangle is uncertain and largely depends on which source materials are referred to.

Lost at Sea

Some of the notable sea vessels and their crews who sailed into oblivion in the Bermuda Triangle include;

• 1800: The USS Pickering, on course from Guadeloupe to Delaware, was lost with 90 people on board
• 1814: The USS Wasp, whose last known position was in the Caribbean, was lost with 140 people on board
• 1824: The USS Wild Cat, on course from Cuba to Tompkins Island, was lost with 14 people on board
• 1918: The USS Cyclops left Barbados on March 4 en route to Baltimore, Maryland and was lost with 306 crew and passengers on board
• 1925: The SS Cotopaxi, having departed Charleston, South Carolina two days earlier bound for Havana, Cuba, radioed a distress call reporting that the ship was sinking. She was officially listed as overdue on 31 December 1925.
• 1941: The USS Proteus (AC-9) was lost with all 58 persons on board in heavy seas, having departed St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands with a cargo of bauxite on 23 November. The following month, her sister ship the USS Nereus (AC-10) was lost with all 61 persons on board, having also departed St. Thomas with a cargo of bauxite on 10 December. According to research done by Rear Admiral George van Deurs, the acidic coal cargo would have eroded the longitudinal support beams, making these ageing colliers extremely vulnerable to breaking up in heavy seas. Both were sister ships of the USS Cyclops.
• 1963: The SS Marine Sulphur Queen was lost with 39 crewmen, having departed Beaumont, Texas, on 2 February with a cargo of 15,260 tonnes of sulphur. She was last heard from on 4 February in rough seas with northerly winds of 25-46 knots, and listed as missing two days later. The Coast Guard later determined that the ship was not seaworthy and never should have sailed. The final report suggested four causes of the disaster, all related to poor design and maintenance of the ship.
• 2015: The SS El Faro sank off the coast of the Bahamas, within the Bermuda triangle, on 1 October 2015. The boat was missing for exactly one month until search crews identified the vessel 15,000 feet beneath the surface.

Vanished into Thin Air

The skies of the Bermuda Triangle are no less treacherous. The notable aircraft who vanished without a trace therein include;

• 5 December 1945: Flight 19 (five TBF Avengers) was lost with 14 airmen. Later the same day, PBM Mariner BuNo 59225 was lost with 13 airmen while searching for Flight 19.
• 30 January 1948: Avro Tudor G-AHNP Star Tiger was lost with six crew and 25 passengers, en route from Santa Maria Airport in the Azores to Kindley Field, Bermuda.
• 28 December 1948: Douglas DC-3 NC16002 was lost with three crew and 36 passengers, en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami.
• 17 January 1949: Avro Tudor G-AGRE Star Ariel was lost with seven crew and 13 passengers, en route from Kindley Field, Bermuda to Kingston Airport, Jamaica.
• 8 January 1962: A USAF KB-50 51-0465 was lost over the Atlantic Ocean between the US East Coast and the Azores
• 9 June 1965: A USAF C-119 Flying Boxcar of the 440^th Troop Carrier Wing went missing between Florida and Grand Turk Island. The last call from the plane came from a point just north of Crooked Island, Bahamas, 177 miles from Grand Turk Island. On 18 July 1965, debris from the plane was found on the beach of Gold Rock Cay, just off the northeastern shore of Acklins Island.
• 6 December 1965: Private ERCoupe F01 was lost with pilot and one passenger, en route from Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Bahamas Island.
• 20 June 2005: A Piper-PA-23 disappeared between Treasure Cay Island in the Bahamas and Fort Pierce, Florida. There were three persons on board.
• 10 April 2007: A Piper PA-46-310P disappeared near Berry Island after flying into a level 6 thunderstorm and losing altitude. Two fatalities were listed.
• 23 February 2017: Turkish Airlines Flight TK183 (an Airbus A330-200) en route from Havana, Cuba to Washington Dulles airport was forced to change direction after mechanical and electrical problems occurred over the triangle.

Sceptics, on the other hand, rely on statistics to dissuade any postulation to a “Bermuda Triangle effect”. Take for example Lawrence David Kusche who wrote the book, “Bermuda Triangle – Solved”. After extensively researching the issue, Kusche concluded that the number of disappearances occurring within the Bermuda Triangle was no greater than in any other similarly trafficked area of ocean. He also boldly asserted that previous Bermuda Triangle authors didn’t do their research and either knowingly or unintentionally “made it up.”

Conclusion

Unexplained phenomenon and unsolved mysteries always elicit interest, more so when there are undiscovered secrets. Regardless of whether you are a believer or a sceptic, the mysterious Bermuda Triangle is a stark reminder that despite the technological advances made to date, there are still places which remain unexplained by science.

 
Sources/References:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_Triangle
• http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/652734/REVEALED-The-truth-about-the-mysterious-Bermuda-Triangle-where-boats-and-planes-vanish
• http://www.hellotravel.com/stories/10-shocking-facts-about-bermuda-triangle
• http://www.livescience.com/23435-bermuda-triangle.html
• http://www.crystalinks.com/bermuda_triangle.html
• http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1992181-researchers-say-they-might-figured-out-mystery-of-the-bermuda-triangle/
• https://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda2_00006f.htm
• http://www.crystalinks.com/bermuda_triangle.html