15 Interesting Facts About The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle, also called the Devil’s Triangle, is an area in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where commercial ships, boats and aircraft have vanished under mysterious circumstances, with investigations of these incidents ongoing without any clear explanations.

Bermuda Triangle is also famous for having violent and unexpected storms that build up rapidly and quickly dissipate.

The idea behind the Bermuda Triangle being a place of strange happenings came to the forefront in the mid-20th century after many writers popularised it through their articles or news publications.

While many believe it to be inhabited by supernatural beings, a place of extra-terrestrial activity, there are many facts about the Bermuda Triangle that people are not aware of, and this is what we will be highlighting in this article.

Read along to learn 15 interesting facts about the Bermuda Triangle.

Table of Contents

Covers an area of 500,000 square miles

While there is no unanimity among nations regarding the boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle, it stretches roughly between Miami, Florida, to Bermuda Island and to San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Writers of the 20th century who wrote about the mysteries surrounding the Bermuda Triangle attributed different boundaries and vertices with total area varying somewhere from 1,300,000- 3,900,000 square kilometres or 500,000- 1,510,000 square miles approximately. However, some writers even stretched it to the Irish coast.

Bermuda Triangle

It is important to note that Bermuda Triangle is of massive size, bigger than the combined area of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra- 3 large states in India.

Also, the Bermuda Triangle is not recognised by the government of the U.S. or any organisation as a danger zone. Some officials and experts believe that many reported incidents in the area could be exaggerated or misreported. They could be a result of human error or even a hoax.

The region, as a site of paranormal activity, became famous in 1952

The earliest explanation of unusual disappearances in the area was given in an article published on 17th September 1950 in the Miami Herald. It was written by Edward Van Winkle Jones.

However, a paranormal angle was given by George Sand, who wrote a short article for the Fate Magazine titled ‘Sea Mystery at Our Back Door in 1952. In this piece, he discussed the tragic loss of Flight 19, which had 5 US Navy Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers who were on their training mission.

paranormal activity

His article was also the first to designate a triangular area where the incidents seem to have occurred. He also suggested a supernatural element to the disappearance of Flight 19.

The term ‘Bermuda Triangle’ was coined in 1964

In 1964, Vincent Gaddis, a writer, coined the term ‘Bermuda Triangle’ in an article he wrote titled ‘The Deadly Bermuda Triangle’, which was published in Pulp Magazine Argosy.

Bermuda Triangle

He was the first person to claim that all incidents happening in the region were part of a pattern of strange events. The following year Gaddis expanded this idea into a book titled ‘The Invisible Horizons’.

First mentioned in the accounts of Christopher Colombus

During his initial voyage across the Atlantic in 1492, famous explorer Christopher Colombus reported strange sightings in the area called the Bermuda Triangle. Firstly, his compass started malfunctioning. Secondly, he wrote about how he saw stars appearing to move around in the sky.

Christopher Colombus

Apart from this, he also saw a light, similar to a candle flame, that moved up and down in the distance. He asked his crew members to look at the light; it disappeared and reappeared several times.

The most eerie thing he saw was a glowing object, like a fireball, coming out of the water and going towards the sky. Many people believe it could be a UFO; others think it could be light from another vessel.

The Powerful Gulf Stream Passes From The Bermuda Triangle

The Gulf Stream, also called the Florida Current, is a powerful ocean current that originates from the Gulf Of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida into the North Atlantic. It is like a river within the ocean, and like a river, it can carry objects.

Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream gives rise to strong currents and unpredictable weather conditions, which could be the cause behind several incidents in the Bermuda Triangle.

It has a velocity of 2m/s per second, and a small aircraft making a landing on water or a boat devoid of an engine can be easily carried away from its reported position by this strong current.

Large fields of methane hydrates near the Bermuda Triangle

Researchers have found methane gas produced due to the decomposition of sea organisms trapped in the floor of the ocean. This could explain some disappearances in the region. Per the hypothesis, methane eruptions could produce frothy waters unable to offer adequate buoyancy for ships, thus destabilising them.

Experiments performed in Australia have shown that when a methane ice pocket ruptures, the gas comes up and erupts on the surface. If a vessel is in the area of the blowout, the water under the vessel would suddenly become less dense.

fields of methane hydrates

This would sink the vessel in no time, and the wreckage would be on the ocean bed in no time, or it would be dispersed by the strong Gulf Stream.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has published about such undersea hydrates found in other places like the Blake Ridge area off the coastline of the southeastern U.S. However, according to the USCG, no massive amounts of gas have been released in the Bermuda Triangle for the last 15,000 years.

Said to be the resting place of the famous ‘Lost City of Atlantis’

Many believe the Bermuda Triangle is home to the lost city of Atlantis. According to legend, the magical city relied on the power of special energy crystals that were very powerful. Per the theory, these crystals are in an altered state and emit energy rays that cause the compass to malfunction and cause problems in navigation.

Another thing linked to the Atlantic story is the submerged rock formation, the Bimini Road, found off Bimini Island in the Bahamas, which comes inside the Triangle per some definitions. Some believe that this rock formation is a road to the city, a wall or another supernatural structure; however, the rock is of natural origins.

Lost City of Atlantis

Another hypothesis suggests the presence of a parallel universe within the Bermuda Triangle, which causes a time/space warp that sucks objects into the parallel universe, making them disappear from this world.

The region has reported the highest incidences of UFO sightings. People have attributed the disappearances to alien abductions, while others consider it a portal to other planets or even other worlds.

Is not the only place associated with ship disappearances

Apart from the Bermuda Triangle, there are other places where ships have vanished without a trace. The ‘Devil’s Sea’ and the Dragon’s Triangle, situated in the Philippine Sea off the eastern coast of China, are some such strange areas where ships have disappeared.

They are often compared to the Bermuda Triangle. People speak of extra-terrestrial beings and lost ancient kingdoms under the sea, causing havoc. At the same time, some believe it is due to natural magnetic anomalies like the one experienced in the Bermuda Triangle.

Devil’s Sea

The region of the Dragon’s Triangle can be marked by connecting Japan, Taiwan and Yap Island on a map. Per a centuries-old Chinese legend, dragons lived deep beneath the surface, and their movements could bring massive waves, thick fog and unpredictable storms, making it a dangerous region.

In 1950, officials from Japan declared it a danger zone for shipping. Two years later, the government sent a research ship, the Kaio Maru No.5, to investigate; however, it disappeared with its 22 crew and 9 scientists.

Bermuda Triangle lies near crucial shipping lanes

Bermuda Triangle is close to many vital shipping routes. It is also a famous destination for recreational boaters and planes. This translates to higher traffic concentration in the region, which could be a reason for a higher number of maritime accidents.

North Atlantic Route

Some prominent shipping routes near the Bermuda Triangle include the North Atlantic Route, connecting North America with Europe. It is used for transporting cargo between the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and other European nations. In fact, quite a few transatlantic shipping lanes traverse the waters around the Bermuda Triangle.

Another route is the Gulf of Mexico route, which is used for shipping petroleum, chemicals, natural gas, agricultural products, etc.

Home to several important military bases and training ranges

Bermuda Triangle is home to many military bases and camps for training officials of the armed forces. This could be a reason for increased accident reports. For example, aircraft practising low-level flying or utilising jamming techniques could be a cause of confusion, leading to accidents.

Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center

In the Bermuda Triangle lies the AUCTEC, or the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, of the United States Government. It is situated on Andros Island, Bahamas. Here, the US Navy tests its new submarines, sonars and other weapons. However, many say it is a secret facility and not only a mere test centre.

1000 lives lost, 20 yachts, and 4 planes go missing every year

Per data, in the last 100 years, around 1000 people have lost their lives while passing through this perilous region. Today, about 20 yachts and 4 planes have gone missing here.

Between 1945-1965, around 5 planes crashed in the area, and 10 ships sank or disappeared from 1800-1963.

yachts

People say that the devil dwells in this place, which is why it is also referred to as the Devil’s Triangle.

Interestingly, most cases of disappearances have taken place close to the triangle’s southern boundary between Puerto Rico and Florida.

Some people who made it out alive have shared their strange and unexplainable experiences of electronic fog, which could act as a time tunnel as well.

Pilot Bruce Gernon said he lost 28 minutes after he flew through a time-warping cloud tunnel. His plane could not be seen on the radar, and it re-emerged near Miami Beach.

Others mention magnetic vortices and hot and cold currents in some areas within the triangle, which could wreak havoc on onboard ship instruments and the fog that blocks out visibility completely.

Compass points to True North, not the Magnetic North

Compass

Bermuda Triangle is one of the rarest places on our planet as here, the compass does not point towards the magnetic North but towards the true North. This strange phenomenon leads to confusion in navigation, another reason why ships and planes derail from their set course and get lost.

Bermuda Triangle has one of the deepest trenches on the planet

deepest trenches

Bermuda Triangle is also characterised by complex underwater topography. It starts from a slightly sloping continental shelf to an extremely deep drop-off. In fact, some of the deepest trenches in the world are found within the Bermuda Triangle. If a ship or plane falls into this region, it could sink and go down into these trenches, never to be found again.

Many movies have been made on the Bermuda Triangle

Bermuda Triangle movies

The Bermuda Triangle has long captured people’s minds and fascination. It has been a subject of interest and speculation for a long time. The mysteries of the place have been popularised among the masses through movies and TV shows such as Satan’s Triangle, Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle: Secrets of the Deep, The Triangle and many more.

The unsolved case of Flight 19, HMS Atalanta and USS Cyclops

On 5th December 1945, five TBM Avenger Aircraft, together called Flight 19, left the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale in Florida. They were doing a routine training exercise and were led by Lieutenant Charles Taylor.

They were to fly east over the Atlantic Ocean and then head to the base. However, mid-flight radio emissions revealed confusion among pilots as Taylor reported his compass malfunctioning, making it difficult to stay on course.

He thought they were near the Florida Keys but was not sure. Soon, the situation worsened, and they were flying towards the open ocean. All efforts to guide them back to the path failed.

What is even more shocking is that a search and rescue plane sent for them with a 13-member crew also disappeared along with the 14 crew of Flight 19. So, what actually happened with Flight 19 remains an enigma, and it has become one of the most popular aviation mysteries.

On 31st Jan 1880, a ship named HMS Atalanta disappeared with her crew after it sailed from the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda. Destined to Falmouth, England. It was argued that she sank in a storm; however, nobody knows where it went.

Another incident occurred on 4th March 1918 when a ship named USS Cyclops loaded with manganese ore, with one engine not functioning, went missing with its 309-member crew after leaving Barbados Island. Many theories have been formulated, some blaming storms leading to the ship capsizing, others blaming enemies and so on.

To conclude, it would be best to say whether it be natural anomalies or paranormal explanations behind the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle; it sure is a mysterious place that continues to capture the imagination of people around the world.

What are your thoughts on the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle? Do let us know in the comments.

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.