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[[File:Bermuda Triangle.png|thumb|300px|right|One version of the Bermuda Triangle area]]
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The '''Bermuda Triangle,''' also known as the '''Devil's Triangle,''' is an area in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] where various disappearances of people and their [[aircraft]] and [[ship|surface vessel]]s have occurred. Some of the disappearances involve a level of mystery which is often popularly explained by a variety of theories beyond human error or acts of nature, attributed by some to the [[paranormal]], a suspension of the laws of [[physics]], or activity by [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial beings]].  
 
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An abundance of documentation for most incidents suggests that the Bermuda Triangle is merely a sailors' legend, later embellished by professional writers. Popular interest in the idea continues, however, reflecting the irrepressible human yearning to fathom that which lies beyond the external, physical world and interact with the realms of the imagination and [[spirit]].  
 
 
[[Image:Bertriangle.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] image of the [[Atlantic Ocean|western Atlantic]], showing the popular borders of the Bermuda Triangle.]]
 
The '''Bermuda Triangle''', also known as the '''Devil's Triangle''', is an area in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] where the disappearance of many people and their [[aircraft]] and [[Surface ship|surface vessel]]s has been attributed by some to the [[paranormal]], a suspension of the [[laws of physics]], or activity by [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial beings]]. Some of the disappearances involve a level of [[mystery]] which is often popularly explained by a variety of theories beyond human error or acts of nature. An abundance of documentation for most incidents suggests that the Bermuda Triangle is a sailors' legend, later embellished by professional writers.  
 
  
 
== The Triangle area ==
 
== The Triangle area ==
[[Image:triangles1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The area of the Triangle varies with the authors.]]
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The [[legend]]s of the Bermuda Triangle do not come from one primary source, but rather are a continuance of an older tradition of stories passed on orally before being written down.  Consequently the reports are subject to any number of [[culture|cultural]] perspectives, making it is impossible to pinpoint its exact dimensions. The most common representation is an isosceles [[triangle]] that stretches from [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Florida]], to [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]]; and the mid-Atlantic island of [[Bermuda]], with most of the accidents concentrated along the southern boundary around the Bahamas and the Florida Straits. Another popular theory is that it is more of a [[trapezium]] covering the [[Straits of Florida]], the [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], and the entire [[Caribbean]] island area east to the [[Azores]]. Occasionally, the [[Gulf of Mexico]] is added under this theory.  
The boundaries of the Triangle vary with the author; some stating its shape is akin to a [[trapezium]] covering the [[Straits of Florida]], the [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], and the entire [[Caribbean]] island area east to the [[Azores]]; others add to it the [[Gulf of Mexico]].  The more familiar, triangular boundary in most written works has as its points [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Florida]]; [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]]; and the mid-Atlantic island of [[Bermuda]], with most of the accidents concentrated along the southern boundary around the Bahamas and the Florida Straits.
 
  
The area is one of the most heavily-sailed shipping lanes in the world, with ships crossing through it daily for ports in the Americas and [[Europe]], as well as the Caribbean Islands. Cruise ships are also plentiful, and pleasure craft regularly go back and forth between Florida and the islands. It is also a heavily flown route for commercial and private aircraft heading towards [[Florida]], the [[Carribean]], and [[South America]] from points north.  
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Beyond the exact geographical boundaries, the general area of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico have been heavily-sailed shipping lanes since [[Christopher Columbus]] led the way for the [[Europe]]an involvement of the [[New World]]. From colonial trade ships to the modern day, ships cross through the triangle waters daily for ports in the Americas and Europe, as well as the Caribbean Islands. Cruise ships are also plentiful, and pleasure craft regularly go back and forth between Florida and the islands. It is also a heavily flown route for commercial and private aircraft heading towards Florida, the Caribbean, and [[South America]] from points north.  
  
The [[Gulf Stream]] ocean current flows through the Triangle after leaving the Gulf of Mexico; its current of five to six knots may have played a part in a number of disappearances. Sudden storms can and do appear, and in the summer to late fall the occasional [[hurricane]] strikes the area. The combination of heavy maritime traffic and tempestuous weather makes it inevitable that vessels could founder in storms and be lost without a trace especially before improved telecommunications, radar, and satellite technology arrived late in the 20th century. <ref>http://strangegr.tripod.com/strangeandparanormalactivities/id25.html</ref>
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The climate in that area of the ocean can be fairly extreme. The [[Gulf Stream]] ocean current flows through the Triangle after leaving the Gulf of Mexico. Sudden storms can and do appear, and in the summer to late fall, the occasional [[hurricane]] strikes the area. The combination of heavy maritime traffic and tempestuous weather makes it inevitable that vessels could founder in storms and be lost without a traceespecially before modern [[telecommunication]]s, [[radar]], and [[satellite]] technology arrived late in the twentieth century.
  
== History of the Triangle story ==
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==History of the Triangle story==
According to the Triangle authors [[Christopher Columbus]] was the first person to document something strange in the Triangle, reporting that he and his crew observed "strange dancing lights on the horizon", flames in the sky, and at another point he wrote in his log about bizarre compass bearings in the area.  From his log book, dated [[October 11]], [[1492]] he actually wrote:
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{{readout||left|250px|The Bermuda Triangle in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, is also known as the Devil's Triangle}}
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Since humankind began to sail the oceans, there have been stories of cursed waters where ships and people disappear. These disappearances were attributed to everything from vengeful [[deity|deities]], [[sea serpent]]s, even to the purported edge of the world, when people believed [[Earth]] was flat and a ship could fall off the edge. With the advent of modern sailing equipment and techniques, along with scientific understanding of the ocean, much of the maritime lore of earlier days faded away. A few areas remained that became designated as areas of [[paranormal]] activity, the most famous being the Bermuda Triangle.
  
:''"The land was first seen by a sailor (Rodrigo de Triana), although the Admiral at ten o'clock that evening standing on the quarter-deck saw a light, but so small a body that he could not affirm it to be land; calling to Pero Gutiérrez, groom of the King's wardrobe, he told him he saw a light, and bid him look that way, which he did and saw it; he did the same to Rodrigo Sánchez of Segovia, whom the King and Queen had sent with the squadron as comptroller, but he was unable to see it from his situation. The Admiral again perceived it once or twice, appearing like the light of a wax candle moving up and down, which some thought an indication of land. But the Admiral held it for certain that land was near..."''
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However, it is twentieth century authors who are responsible for publicizing paranormal activity in the Bermuda triangle; before books were written on the subject, there was no general understanding of a specific mysterious place in the ocean where people, planes, and ships disappeared. According to the Triangle authors, [[Christopher Columbus]] was the first person to document something strange in the Triangle, reporting that he and his crew observed "strange dancing lights on the horizon," flames in the sky, and at another point he wrote in his log about bizarre [[compass]] bearings in the area. Modern scholars checking the original log books have surmised that the lights he saw were the cooking fires of [[Taino]] natives in their [[canoe]]s or on the beach; the compass problems were the result of a false reading based on the movement of a star. The flames in the sky were undoubtedly falling meteors, which are easily seen while at sea.<ref>Strange and Paranormal Activity, [http://strangegr.tripod.com/strangeandparanormalactivities/id25.html Bermuda Triangle] (2001). Retrieved June 25, 2007.</ref>
  
Modern scholars checking the original log books have surmised that the lights he saw were the cooking fires of [[Taino]] natives in their canoes or on the beach; the compass problems were the result of a false reading based on the movement of a star. The flames in the sky were undoubtedly falling meteors, which are easily seen while at sea.[http://www.christopher-columbus.eu/logs.htm]
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While there probably were many occurrences after Columbus, it was not until the twentieth century that the [[legend]] became popular. The first article of any kind featuring the legend of the Triangle appeared in [[newspaper]]s, by E.V.W. Jones, on September 16, 1950, through the [[Associated Press]]. Two years later, ''Fate'' magazine published "Sea Mystery At Our Back Door," a short article by [[George X. Sand]] in the October 1952, issue covering the loss of several planes and ships, including the loss of [[Bermuda Triangle#Flight 19|Flight 19]], a group of five [[U.S. Navy]] [[TBM Avenger bombers]] on a training mission. Sand's article was the first to lay out the now-familiar triangular area where the losses took place. Flight 19 would be covered in the April 1962, issue of ''American Legion Magazine.'' The article was titled "The Lost Patrol," by Allen W. Eckert, and was the first to connect the supernatural to Flight 19, but it would take another author, [[Vincent Gaddis]], writing in the February 1964, ''Argosy Magazine'' to take Flight 19 together with other mysterious disappearances and place it under the umbrella of a new catchy name: "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle."<ref>Vincent H. Gaddis, [http://www.physics.smu.edu/~pseudo/BermudaTriangle/vincentgaddis.txt The Deadly Bermuda Triangle] (1964). Retrieved June 25, 2007. </ref> He would build on that article with a more detailed book, ''Invisible Horizons,'' the next year. Others would follow with their own works: John Wallace Spencer (''Limbo of the Lost,'' 1969); Charles Berlitz (''The Bermuda Triangle,'' 1974); Richard Winer (''The Devil's Triangle,'' 1974), and many others, all keeping to some of the same supernatural elements outlined by Eckert.<ref>L. Kirk Hagen, [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12789881_ITM Strange fish: The science fiction of Charles F. Berlitz, 1913-2003] (2004). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref>
  
The first article of any kind in which the legend of the Triangle began appeared in newspapers by E.V.W. Jones on [[September 16]], [[1950]], through the Associated Press.  Two years later, ''[[Fate (magazine)|Fate]]'' magazine published "Sea Mystery At Our Back Door", a short article by George X. Sand in the October 1952 issue covering the loss of several planes and ships, including the loss of [[Flight 19]], a group of five [[U.S. Navy]] [[TBM Avenger]] bombers on a training mission.  Sand's article was the first to lay out the now-familiar triangular area where the losses took place.  Flight 19 alone would be covered in the April 1962 issue of ''American Legion'' Magazine. The article was titled "The Lost Patrol", by Allen W. Eckert, and in his story it was claimed that the flight leader had been heard saying "We are entering white water, nothing seems right. We don't know where we are, the water is green, no white." It was also claimed that officials at the Navy board of inquiry stated that the planes "flew off to Mars." "The Lost Patrol" was the first to connect the supernatural to Flight 19, but it would take another author, Vincent Gaddis, writing in the February 1964 ''[[Argosy]]'' Magazine to take Flight 19 together with other mysterious disappearances and place it under the umbrella of a new catchy name: "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle"[http://www.physics.smu.edu/~pseudo/BermudaTriangle/vincentgaddis.txt]; he would build on that article with a more detailed book, ''Invisible Horizons,'' the next year. Others would follow with their own works: John Wallace Spencer (''Limbo of the Lost'', 1969); [[Charles Berlitz]] (''The Bermuda Triangle'', 1974); [[Richard Winer]] (''The Devil's Triangle'', 1974), and many others, all keeping to some of the same supernatural elements outlined by Eckert.[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12789881_ITM]
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==Incidents==
  
=== Kusche's      explanation ===
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There are hundreds of odd occurrences, recorded over many years, that are connected to the Triangle in one way or another. Some of these are historical inaccuracies, some nothing more than legends or hoaxes, while others are truly mysterious happenings.  
Lawrence David Kusche, a research librarian from [[Arizona State University]] and author of ''The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved'' (1975) has challenged this trend. Kusche'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 to the contrary. 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 which have sparked the Triangle's mysterious influence actually occurred well outside it. Often his research was surprisingly simple: he would go over period newspapers and see items like weather reports that were never mentioned in the stories.
 
  
Kusche came to several conclusions:
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=== ''Ellen Austin'' ===
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The ''Ellen Austin'' was a cargo ship that was sailing on a southern route from [[New York City]] to [[London]] in 1881, when it came across a deserted schooner, adrift in the sea. The captain of the ''Ellen Austin'' ordered a skeleton crew from his own ship to sail the schooner to London alongside the ''Ellen Austin''. However, the two ships were separated by a sudden, but brief storm and the schooner was never seen again. While this is a famous Triangle story, many have pointed to the inconsistencies that are evident when tracing the historic sources of the story.<ref>Gian J. Quasar, [http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/html/ellen_austin.html ''Ellen Austin''] (2006). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref>
  
* The number of ships and aircraft reported missing in the area was not significantly greater, proportionally speaking, than in any other part of the ocean.
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=== USS ''Cyclops'' ===
 
 
* In an area frequented by [[tropical storm]]s, the number of disappearances that did occur were, for the most part, neither disproportionate, unlikely, nor mysterious; furthermore, Berlitz and other writers would often fail to mention such storms.
 
 
 
* The numbers themselves had been exaggerated by sloppy research. A boat listed as missing would be reported, but its eventual (if belated) return to port may not be reported.
 
 
 
* Some disappearances had in fact, never happened. One plane crash was said to have taken place in 1937 off [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], in front of hundreds of witnesses; a check of the local papers revealed nothing.
 
 
 
Kusche concluded that:
 
:"The Legend of the Bermuda Triangle is a manufactured mystery... perpetuated by writers who either purposely or unknowingly made use of misconceptions, faulty reasoning, and sensationalism." (Epilogue, p. 277)
 
 
 
In recent years, however, several authors, most notably [[Gian J. Quasar]], have raised several 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; and in other examples openly claiming possibilities for foul weather for certain disappearances where it can be verified that none existed.<ref>http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/html/debunkery.html</ref>
 
 
 
===Other responses===
 
The 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. [[United States 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.
 
 
 
The Coast Guard is also officially skeptical of the Triangle, noting that they collect and publish, through their inquiries, much documentation[http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/moa/reportindexcas.htm] contradicting many of the incidents written about by the Triangle authors. In one such incident involving the 1972 explosion and sinking of the tanker ''[[V.A. Fogg]]'' in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], the Coast Guard photographed the wreck and recovered several bodies[http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/moa/boards/vafog.pdf], despite one Triangle author stating that all the bodies had vanished, with the exception of the captain, who was found sitting in his cabin at his desk, clutching a coffee cup (''Limbo of the Lost'' by John Wallace Spencer, 1973 edition).
 
 
 
Skeptical researchers, such as Ernest Taves and Barry Singer, have noted how mysteries and the paranormal are very popular and profitable. This has led to the production of vast amounts of material on topics such as the Bermuda Triangle. They were able to show that some of the pro-paranormal material is often misleading or not accurate, but its producers continue to market it. They have therefore claimed that the market is biased in favour of books, TV specials, etc. which support the Triangle mystery and against well-researched material if it espouses a skeptical viewpoint <ref>Taves, Ernest ''[[The Skeptical Inquirer]],'' 1978, 111(1), p.75-76; Singer, Barry ''[[The Humanist]],'' XXXIX (3), 1979, p.44-45</ref>.
 
 
 
== Natural explanations ==
 
===Methane hydrates===
 
{{main|Methane clathrate}}
 
[[Image:Gas hydrates 1996.jpg|right|thumbnail|300px|Worldwide distribution of confirmed or inferred offshore gas hydrate-bearing sediments, 1996.<br>Source: [[USGS]]]]
 
[[Image:Gulfstream1.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|False-color image of the Gulf Stream flowing north through the western Atlantic Ocean. (NASA)]]
 
[[Image:memphis1916.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|USS ''Memphis'' (CA-10) in 1916, hard aground in the Dominican Republic after an encounter with a freak wave. (U.S. Navy)]]
 
An explanation for some of the disappearances has focused on the presence of vast fields of [[methane]] hydrates on the [[continental shelves]].  Laboratory experiments carried out in Australia have proven that bubbles can, indeed, sink a scale model ship by decreasing the density of the water [http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/monash-news/2003/bubble.html]; any wreckage consequently rising to the surface would be rapidly dispersed by the [[Gulf Stream]].  It has been hypothesized that periodic methane [[eruption]]s 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.
 
 
 
Airplanes are also susceptible to any freak methane releases.  Methane also has the ability to cause a piston engine to stall when released into the atmosphere, even at an atmospheric concentration as low as 1%{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.  Furthermore, as methane is lighter than air, the [[altimeter]] of any airplane traveling through it would read that the airplane is higher than it really is, causing navigational problems. {{Fact|date=April 2007}}
 
 
 
A [[white 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.<ref>http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/hydrates/usgspubs.html</ref>  However, according to a USGS web page, no large releases of gas hydrates are believed to have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle for the past 15,000 years.[http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/hydrates/bermuda.html]
 
 
 
===Compass variations===
 
Compass problems are one of the cited phrases in many Triangle incidents; it is possible that people operating boats and aircraft looked at a compass that they felt was not pointing north, veered course to adjust, and got lost quickly.  The [[North Magnetic Pole]] is not the [[North Pole]]; rather it is the north end of the earth's magnetic field, and as such it is the natural end where the needle of a compass points.  The North Magnetic Pole also wanders.  In 1996 a Canadian expedition certified its location by [[magnetometer]] and [[theodolite]] at 78°35.7′N 104°11.9′W; in 2005 its position was 82.7° N 114.4° W, to the west of [[Ellesmere Island]].
 
 
 
The direction in which a compass needle points is known as magnetic north. In general, this is not exactly the direction of the North Magnetic Pole (or of any other consistent location). Instead, the compass aligns itself to the local geomagnetic field, which varies in a complex manner over the Earth's surface, as well as over time. The angular difference between magnetic north and true north (defined in reference to the Geographic North Pole), at any particular location on the Earth's surface, is called the [[magnetic declination]]. Most map coordinate systems are based on true north, and magnetic declination is often shown on map legends so that the direction of true north can be determined from north as indicated by a compass.
 
 
 
Magnetic declination has been measured in many countries, including the U.S. The line of zero declination in the U.S. runs from the North Magnetic Pole through Lake Superior and across the western panhandle of Florida. Along this line, true north is the same as magnetic north. West of the line of zero declination, a compass will give a reading that is east of true north. Conversely, east of the line of zero declination, a compass reading will be west of true north.  Since the North Magnetic Pole has been wandering toward the northwest, some twenty or more years ago the line of zero declination went through the Triangle, giving sailors and airmen a compass reading of true north instead of magnetic north. <ref> David Vernon in ''Skeptical - a Handbook of Pseudoscience and the Paranormal'', ed [[Donald Laycock]], [[David Vernon]], [[Colin Groves]], [[Simon Brown]], Imagecraft, Canberra, 1989, p14 </ref> A sailor not knowing the difference would sail off course without realizing it, ultimately resulting in a vanishing.
 
 
 
=== Hurricanes ===
 
[[Hurricanes]] are extremely powerful storms which are spawned in the Atlantic near the equator, and have historically been responsible for thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars in damage.  The sinking of [[Francisco de Bobadilla]]'s Spanish fleet in 1502 was the first recorded instance of a destructive hurricane.  In 1988, [[Hurricane Gilbert]], one of the most powerful hurricanes in history, set back Jamaica's economy by three years.  These storms have in the past caused a number of incidents related to the Triangle.
 
 
 
=== Gulf Stream ===
 
The [[Gulf Stream]] ocean current that flows out of the Gulf of Mexico, then north through the Florida Straits, and then on into the North Atlantic.  In essence, it is a river within an ocean, and like a river, it can and does carry floating objects with it.  A small plane making a water landing or a boat having engine trouble will be carried away from its reported position by the current, as happened to the cabin cruiser ''Witchcraft'' on [[December 22]], [[1967]], when it reported engine trouble near the Miami buoy marker one mile from shore, but was not there when a Coast Guard cutter arrived.
 
 
 
=== Freak waves ===
 
This explanation is not without foundation; one such [[Rogue wave (oceanography)|rogue wave]] wrecked the [[cruiser]] [[USS Memphis|USS ''Memphis'']] (CA-10) off the [[Dominican Republic]] on [[August 29]], [[1916]], killing 40 men. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tennessee_%28ACR-10%29]
 
 
 
==Acts of Man==
 
===Human error===
 
One of the most cited explanations in official inquiries as to the loss of any aircraft or vessel is human error.  Whether deliberate or accidental, humans have been known to make mistakes resulting in catastrophe, and losses within the Bermuda Triangle are no exception. For example, the Coast Guard cited a lack of proper training for the cleaning of volatile [[benzene]] residue as a reason for the loss of the tanker ''V.A. Fogg'' in 1972. Human stubbornness may have caused businessman Harvey Conover to lose his sailing yacht, the ''Revonoc'', as he sailed into the teeth of a storm south of Florida on [[January 1]], [[1958]].  It should be noted that many losses remain inconclusive due to the lack of wreckage which could be studied, a fact cited on many official reports.
 
 
 
===Deliberate acts of destruction===
 
This can fall into two categories: acts of war, and acts of piracy.  Records in enemy files have been checked for numerous losses; while many sinkings have been attributed to surface raiders or submarines during the [[World Wars]] and documented in the various command log books, many others which have been suspected as falling in that category have not been proven; it is suspected that the loss of USS ''Cyclops'' in 1918, as well as her sister ships ''Proteus'' and ''Nereus'' in [[World War II]], were attributed to submarines, but no such link has been found in the German records.
 
 
 
[[Piracy]], as defined by the taking of a ship or small boat on the high seas, is an act which continues to this day.  Famous pirates of the Caribbean include [[Edward Teach]] (Blackbeard) and [[Jean Lafitte]]. Lafitte is sometimes said to be a Triangle victim himself.
 
 
 
Another form of pirate operated on dry land. ''Bankers'' or ''[[Wrecking (shipwreck)|wreckers]]'' would shine a light on shore to misdirect ships, which would then founder on the shore; the wreckers would then help themselves to the cargo. It is possible that these wreckers also killed any crew who protested. [[Nags Head, North Carolina|Nags Head]], [[North Carolina]], was named for the wreckers' practice of hanging a lantern on the head of a hobbled horse as it walked along the beach.
 
 
 
== Popular theories ==
 
The following theories have been used in the past by the Triangle writers to explain a myriad of incidents:
 
 
 
=== Atlantis ===
 
An explanation for some of the disappearances pinned the blame on left-over technology from [[Atlantis]] &ndash; for example, the activation of a still-operable [[death ray]] weapon which sets itself off at random intervals and blasts the victims out of existence.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} 
 
 
 
Reputed psychic [[Edgar Cayce]] claimed that evidence for Atlantis would be discovered just off [[Bimini]] in 1968.  [[New Age|New Agers]] view the [[Bimini Road]] as either a road, wall, or pier meant to service ships bound for Atlantis from Central and South America, or a breakwater built to protect fishing boats. The wall may also have a natural origin.[http://www.mysterious-america.net/newunderwaterbim.html][http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guests/75.html] [http://www.csicop.org/si/2004-01/geologists-adventures.html]
 
 
 
=== UFOs ===
 
Theorists claim [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]]s captured ships and planes, taking them beyond our solar system.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}  This was given a boost when topics like [[Extra-sensory perception|ESP]], [[telekinesis]], [[clairvoyance]], and the like flowered in the middle-to-late 1960s, and was used as storylines for popular films like ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'' and ''[[The UFO Incident]]''.
 
 
 
=== Time warp ===
 
The proponents of this theory state that the many ships and planes entered a [[time warp]] to a different time or dimension on the other side, meaning that their crews could still be alive there, living new lives in another time period of the past or the future &ndash; or maybe even in a [[parallel universe]].{{Fact|date=April 2007}}  Usually, the ship or aircraft in the story enters this dimension by way of a cloud.  This has been a popular subject in television episodes of ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone]]''  and ''[[The X-Files]]'', as well as in movies and miniseries such as ''[[The Triangle (miniseries)|The Triangle]]'', ''[[The Philadelphia Experiment]]'', and ''[[Zipang (manga)]]''.
 
  
=== Anomalous phenomena ===
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The incident of the USS ''Cyclops'' resulted in the single largest loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy not related to combat. Under the command of [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[G. W. Worley]], the USS ''Cyclops'' went missing without a trace sometime after March 4, 1918, after departing the island of [[Barbados]].<ref>U.S. Navy History, [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c/cyclops.htm "USS Cyclops"] (2001). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref> The ship and 306 crew and passengers were never recovered. There is no strong evidence to support any particular reason for this event. Storms, capsizing, and [[World War I|enemy activity]] have all been suggested as explanations.
[[Charles Berlitz]], grandson of a distinguished linguist and author of various additional books on [[anomalous phenomena]], has kept in line with this extraordinary explanation, and attributed the losses in the Triangle to anomalous or unexplained forces.
 
  
==Famous incidents==
 
 
===Flight 19===
 
===Flight 19===
[[image:TBF (Avengers) flying in formation.jpg|right|200px|thumb|US Navy TBF Grumman Avenger flight, similar to Flight 19. This photo had been used by various Triangle authors to illustrate Flight 19 itself. (US Navy)]]
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[[image:TBF (Avengers) flying in formation.jpg|right|200px|thumb|US Navy TBF Grumman Avenger flight, similar to Flight 19. This photo had been used by various Triangle authors to illustrate Flight 19 itself. (US Navy)]]
{{Main|Flight 19}}
 
[[Flight 19]] was a training flight of [[TBM Avenger]] bombers that went missing on [[December 5]], [[1945]] while over the Atlantic. The impression is given that the flight encountered unusual phenomena and anomalous compass readings, and that the flight took place on a calm day under the leadership of an experienced pilot, Lt. [[Charles Carroll Taylor]]. Adding to the intrigue is that the Navy's report of the accident was ascribed to "causes or reasons unknown." It is believed that Charles Taylor's mother wanted to save Charles's reputation, so she made them write "reasons unknown" when actually Charles was 50 km NW from where he thought he was.
 
<ref name="the_disappearance_of_flight_19">http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/html/the_disappearance_of_flight_19.html</ref>
 
  
While the basic facts of this version of the story are essentially accurate, some important details are missing. The weather was becoming stormy by the end of the incident; only Lt. Taylor had any significant flying time, but he was not familiar with the south Florida area and had a history of getting lost in flight, having done so three times during [[World War II]], and being forced to ditch his planes twice into the water; and naval reports and written recordings of the conversations between Lt. Taylor and the other pilots of Flight 19 do not indicate magnetic problems. <ref name="the_disappearance_of_flight_19"/>
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Perhaps the most famous of all Bermuda Triangle stories is of Flight 19, a training flight of [[TBM Avenger]] bombers that went missing on December 5, 1945, while over the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]]. Under the leadership of an experienced pilot, Lt. [[Charles Carroll Taylor]], the routine bombing mission became anything but routine about an hour and half into the flight. Taylor radioed that his [[compass]] was not working and that he was lost. For almost ten hours, Taylor and his squadron attempted to fly north to find land, but for whatever reason could not. Eventually all radio communication was lost and search planes were sent out, one of which went missing as well.  
  
=== ''Mary Celeste'' ===
+
The incident was widely reported in the press, and is sometimes attributed to the genesis of the modern interest in the Bermuda Triangle. However, often left out of re-tellings are important facts—the weather became rough later in the day, and Taylor may have been confused about the origination of his flight and therefore did not realize that by flying North he was traveling deeper into the Atlantic.<ref>Lee Krystek, [http://www.unmuseum.org/triangle.htm The Un-Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle] (2006). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref>
The mysterious abandonment in 1872 of the ''[[Mary Celeste]]'' is often but inaccurately connected to the Triangle, the ship having been abandoned off the coast of Portugal.  Many theories have been put forth over the years to explain the abandonment, including alcohol fumes from the cargo and insurance fraud. The event is possibly confused with the sinking of a ship with a similar name, the ''Mari Celeste,'' off the coast of Bermuda on [[September 13]], [[1864]], which is mentioned in the book ''Bermuda Shipwrecks'' by Dan Berg.
 
  
=== ''Ellen Austin'' ===
+
===Douglas DC-3===
The ''Ellen Austin'' supposedly came across an abandoned derelict, placed on board a prize crew, and attempted to sail with it to New York in 1881. According to the stories, the derelict disappeared; others elaborating further that the derelict reappeared minus the prize crew, then disappeared again with a second prize crew on board.  A check of Lloyd's of London records proved the existence of the ''Meta'', built in 1854; in 1880 the ''Meta'' was renamed ''Ellen Austin''. There are no casualty listings for this vessel, or any vessel at that time, that would suggest a large number of missing men placed on board a derelict which later disappeared. [http://bermuda-triangle.org/html/ellen_austin.html]
+
On December 28, 1948, a [[Douglas DC-3]] aircraft, number NC16002, disappeared while on a flight from [[San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]], to [[Miami]], [[Florida]]. No trace of the aircraft or the 32 people on-board was ever found. From the documentation compiled by the Civil Aeronautics Board investigation, a possible key to the plane's disappearance was found, but barely touched upon by the Triangle writers: The plane's batteries were inspected and found to be low on charge, but ordered back into the plane without a recharge by the pilot while in San Juan. Whether or not this led to complete electrical failure will never be known. However, since piston-engined aircraft rely upon [[magneto]]s to provide electrical power and spark to their cylinders rather than batteries, this theory has been considered unlikely.<ref>Answers.com, [http://www.answers.com/topic/nc16002-disappearance-1 NC16002 disappearance] (2007). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref>
  
=== ''Teignmouth Electron'' ===
+
=== ''Star Tiger'' and ''Star Ariel'' ===
{{Main|Donald Crowhurst}}
 
[[image:electronabandoned.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Teignmouth Electron'', as she was on July 10, 1969.]]
 
[[Donald Crowhurst]] was a sailor competing in the [[Sunday Times Golden Globe Race]] of 1968-69. His boat, a [[trimaran]] named ''Teignmouth Electron'', left England on [[October 31]], [[1968]]; it was found abandoned south of the Azores on [[July 10]], [[1969]]. Most writers on the Triangle would stop there (only Winer elaborated on the facts), leaving out the evidence recovered from Crowhurst's logbooks which showed deception as to his position in the race and increasing irrationality.  His last entry was June 29; it was assumed he jumped over the side a short time later.
 
  
=== USS ''Cyclops'' ===
+
The [[Avro]] [[Tudor IV]] passenger aircraft ''Star Tiger'' and ''Star Ariel'' disappeared without trace en route to [[Bermuda]] and [[Jamaica]], respectively. ''Star Tiger'' was lost on January 30, 1948, on a flight from the [[Azores]] to Bermuda. ''Star Ariel'' was lost on January 17, 1949, on a flight from Bermuda to [[Kingston, Jamaica]]. Neither aircraft gave out a distress call; in fact, their last messages were routine and both had calm flying weather.
{{Main|USS Cyclops (AC-4)}}
 
The incident resulting in the single largest loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy not related to combat occurred when USS ''Cyclops'' under the command of [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[G. W. Worley]], went missing without a trace with a crew of 306 sometime after [[March 4]], [[1918]], after departing the island of [[Barbados]]. Although there is no strong evidence for any theory, storms, capsizing and [[World War I|enemy activity]] have all been suggested as explanations. <ref>http://website.lineone.net/~dmerrill/html/bermuda_triangle.html</ref> <ref>http://www.bermudacruises.net/bermuda-information/myths_folklore.htm</ref>
 
  
===Theodosia Burr Alston===
+
The Civil Air Ministry later issued a press release regarding the ''Star Tiger'' incident. The statement concluded:
{{Main|Theodosia Burr Alston}}
 
[[Theodosia Burr Alston]] was the daughter of former [[United States]] [[Vice-President]] [[Aaron Burr]]. Her disappearance has been cited at least once in relation to the Triangle, in ''The Bermuda Triangle'' by Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffrey (1975).  She was a passenger on board the ''Patriot'', which sailed from [[Charleston, South Carolina]] to [[New York, New York|New York City]] on [[December 30]], [[1812]], and was never heard from again. Both [[Piracy]] and the [[War of 1812]] have been posited as explanations, as well as a theory placing her in Texas, well outside the Triangle.
 
  
===The ''Spray''===
+
<blockquote>In closing this report it may truly be said that no more baffling problem has ever been presented for investigation. In the complete absence of any reliable evidence as to either the nature or the cause of the accident of ''Star Tiger,'' the Court has not been able to do more than suggest possibilities, none of which reaches the level even of probability. Into all activities which involve the co-operation of man and machine two elements enter of a very diverse character. There is an incalculable element of the human equation dependent upon imperfectly known factors; and there is the mechanical element subject to quite different laws. A breakdown may occur in either separately or in both in conjunction. Or some external cause may overwhelm both man and machine. What happened in this case will never be known and the fate of ''Star Tiger'' must remain an unsolved mystery.<ref>Gian J. Quasar, [http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/html/the_tudors.html The Tudors] (2006). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref></blockquote>
Captain [[Joshua Slocum|Joshua Slocum's]] skill as a mariner was beyond argument; he was the first man to sail around the world solo. In 1909, in his boat ''[[Spray (sailing vessel)|Spray]]'' he set out in a course to take him through the [[Caribbean]] to [[Venezuela]].  He disappeared; there was no evidence he was even in the Triangle when ''Spray'' was lost. It was assumed he was run down by a steamer or struck by a whale, the ''Spray'' being too sound a craft and Slocum too experienced a mariner for any other cause to be considered likely, and in 1924 he was declared legally dead. While a mystery, there is no known evidence for, or against, paranormal activity.
 
  
===''Carroll A. Deering''===
+
=== ''SS Marine Sulfur Queen'' ===
{{main|Carroll A. Deering}}
+
SS ''Marine Sulfur Queen,'' a [[T2 tanker]] converted from [[oil]] to [[sulfur]] carrier, was last heard from on February 4, 1963, with a crew of 39 near the [[Florida Keys]]. ''Marine Sulfur Queen'' was the first vessel mentioned in Vincent Gaddis' 1964 ''Argosy'' Magazine article, but he left it as having "sailed into the unknown," despite the Coast Guard report which not only documented the ship's badly-maintained history, but declared that it was an unseaworthy vessel that should never have gone to sea.<ref>Time, [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,896573,00.html The Queen With the Weak Back] (1963). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref>
[[image:deering2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Schooner ''Carroll A. Deering'', as seen from the [[Cape Lookout]] [[lightship]] on [[January 29]], [[1921]], two days before she was found deserted in North Carolina. (US Coast Guard)]]
 
A five-masted schooner built in 1919, the ''Carroll A. Deering'' was found hard aground and abandoned at Diamond Shoals, near [[Cape Hatteras]], [[North Carolina]] on [[January 31]], [[1921]]. Rumors and more at the time indicated the ''Deering'' was a victim of piracy, possibly connected with the illegal rum-running trade during [[Prohibition]], and possibly involving another ship, S.S. ''Hewitt'', which disappeared at roughly the same time. Just hours later, an unknown steamer sailed near the lightship along the track of the ''Deering'', and ignored all signals from the lightship. It is speculated that the ''Hewitt'' may have been this mystery ship, and possibly involved in the ''Deering'' crew's disappearance. [http://www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com/Deering/CADeeringHome.html]
 
  
===Douglas DC-3===
+
=== USS ''Scorpion'' ===
On [[December 28]], [[1948]], a [[Douglas DC-3]] aircraft, number [[NC16002 disappearance|NC16002]], disappeared while on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. No trace of the aircraft or the 32 people onboard was ever found. From the documentation compiled by the Civil Aeronautics Board investigation, a possible key to the plane's disappearance was found, but barely touched upon by the Triangle writers: the plane's batteries were inspected and found to be low on charge, but ordered back into the plane without a recharge by the pilot while in San Juan. Whether or not this led to complete electrical failure will never be known. However, since piston-engined aircraft rely upon magnetos to provide electrical power and spark to their cylinders rather than batteries, this theory is unlikely. [http://www.avsaf.org/reports/US/1948.12.28_AirborneTransport_DouglasDC-3.pdf#search=%22Airborne%20Transport%2C%20December%2028%2C%201948%2C%20Miami%2C%20Florida%22]
+
The nuclear-powered [[submarine]] USS ''Scorpion'' was lost on May 26, 1968, south of the [[Azores]] while in transit home to [[Norfolk, Virginia]], after a six-month deployment. The ''Scorpion'' has been picked up by numerous writers (including Berlitz, Spencer, and Thomas-Jeffery) as a Triangle victim over the years. The U.S. Navy believes that a malfunctioning [[torpedo]] contributed to her loss, while others theorize that it was destroyed by the [[Russia|Russian]]s in a secret confrontation.<ref>Ed Offley, [http://members.aol.com/bear317d/scorpion.htm "The USS Scorpion—Mystery of the Deep"] (1998). Retrieved May 19, 2007.</ref>
  
=== ''Star Tiger'' and ''Star Ariel'' ===
+
==Paranormal theories==
{{Main|Star Tiger and Star Ariel}}
+
The general mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle has led many to attribute [[paranormal]] phenomena as being responsible for all the disappearances. Some have suggested that the remains of the legendary civilization of [[Atlantis]] are located within the Bermuda Triangle's boundaries. It is believed that the Atlantians possessed superior technology that is still active and causes ships to sink and planes to crash. The discovery of rock formations called the "Bimini Road" is often cited as evidence of this theory.  
These [[Avro]] [[Tudor IV]] passenger aircraft disappeared without trace ''en route'' to Bermuda and Jamaica, respectively. ''Star Tiger'' was lost on [[January 30]], [[1948]] on a flight from the Azores to Bermuda.  ''Star Ariel'' was lost on [[January 17]], [[1949]], on a flight from Bermuda to [[Kingston, Jamaica]]. Neither aircraft gave out a distress call; in fact, their last messages were routine. A possible clue to their disappearance was found in the mountains of the [[Andes]] in 1998: the ''[[Star Dust (aeroplane)|Star Dust]]'', an Avro [[Lancastrian]] airliner run by the same airline, had disappeared on a flight from [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]], to [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]], [[Chile]] on [[August 2]], [[1947]]. The plane's remains were discovered at the melt end of a glacier, suggesting that either the crew did not pay attention to their instruments, suffered an instrument failure or did not allow for headwind effects from the [[jetstream]] on the way to Santiago when it hit a mountain peak, with the resulting avalanche burying the remains and incorporating it into the glacier. However, this is mere speculation with regard to the ''Star Tiger'' and ''Star Ariel'', pending the recovery of the aircraft. It should be noted that the ''Star Tiger'' was flying at a height of just 2,000 feet, which would have meant that if the plane was forced down, there would have been no time to send out a distress message.  It is also far too low for the jetstream or any other high-altitude wind to have any effect. [http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/html/the_tudors.html]
 
  
=== KC-135 Stratotankers ===
+
Another popular theory is that [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrials]] are abducting planes and ships, or that their activities are indirectly causing the disappearances. Others have suggested that the Bermuda Triangle area is an anomaly of [[space]] and [[time]] in which planes, ships, and people are sucked into a [[vortex]] that transports them to different times, and possibly even different dimensions.<ref> Kenneth F. Wright, [http://www.gravitywarpdrive.com/Bermuda_Triangle_Space-Time_Warps.htm#Vortex%20Kinesis Bermuda Triangle Time-Space Warps] (2000). Retrieved May 19, 2007. </ref>
On [[August 28]], [[1963]] a pair of [[U.S. Air Force]] [[KC-135 Stratotanker]] aircraft collided and crashed into the Atlantic.  The Triangle version (Winer, Berlitz, Gaddis) of this story specifies that they did collide and crash, but there were two distinct crash sites, separated by over 160 miles of water.  However, Kusche's research showed that the unclassified version of the Air Force investigation report stated that the debris field defining the second "crash site" was examined by a search and rescue ship, and found to be a mass of [[seaweed]] and [[driftwood]] tangled in an old [[buoy]].
 
  
=== ''SS Marine Sulphur Queen'' ===
+
While there are many well-intentioned people looking for paranormal explanations for the Bermuda Triangle, none of these theories are well supported by the evidence. Research into the alleged paranormal phenomena of the Bermuda Triangle is not taken very seriously, and is often not done within a legitimate academic setting. A further obstacle is the lack of contemporary disappearances and the difficulty of analyzing infrequent occurrences over a wide range of space and time.
{{Main|SS Marine Sulphur Queen}}
 
[[Image:msqboard.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|Shattered trailboard from ''Marine Sulphur Queen'', recovered near the Florida Keys, February 1963. (U.S. Coast Guard)]]
 
''SS Marine Sulphur Queen'', a [[T2 tanker]] converted from oil to [[sulfur]] carrier, was last heard from on [[February 4]], [[1963]] with a crew of 39 near the Florida Keys. ''Marine Sulphur Queen'' was the first vessel mentioned in Vincent Gaddis' 1964 ''Argosy'' Magazine article, but he left it as having "sailed into the unknown", despite the Coast Guard report which not only documented the ship's badly-maintained history, but declared that it was an unseaworthy vessel that should never have gone to sea. [http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/moa/boards/marsulqueen.pdf][http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,896573,00.html]
 
  
=== USS ''Scorpion'' ===
+
==Skeptics==
The nuclear-powered submarine [[USS Scorpion (SSN-589)|USS ''Scorpion'']] was lost south of the [[Azores]] while on a transit home to [[Norfolk, Virginia]] after a six-month deployment on [[May 26]], [[1968]]. The ''Scorpion'' had been picked up by numerous writers (Berlitz, Spencer, Thomas-Jeffery) as a Triangle victim over the years, despite the fact that it did not sink in the Bermuda Triangle; the U.S. Navy believes that a malfunctioning torpedo contributed to her loss, an event actually recorded on the [[SOSUS]] microphone network.
 
  
=== ''Raifuku Maru'' ===
+
There are many who discount anything mysterious happening at all in the Bermuda Triangle, offering a wide range of explanations for the many disappearances that have occurred. Most scientists look at the lack of any kind of evidence to suggest [[paranormal]] activities as the most compelling reason to dismiss such claims. The [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Coast Guard]], who operate consistently within the Bermuda Triangle, have noted the mysterious disappearances but are skeptical of any paranormal activity. Some researchers go so far as to suggest that the Bermuda Triangle is a manufactured story, a conglomerate of anecdotes and rumors that do not necessarily belong in the same category, only becoming so because of poorly researched literature and the increasing popularity of the supernatural during the twentieth century.  
One of the more famous incidents in the Triangle took place in 1921 (some say a few years later), when the Japanese vessel ''[[Raifuku Maru]]'' (sometimes misidentified as ''Raikuke Maru'') went down with all hands after sending a distress signal which allegedly said "Danger like dagger now. Come quick!", or "It's like a dagger, come quick!"  This has led writers to speculate on what the "dagger" was, with a [[waterspout]] being the likely candidate (Winer).  In reality the ship was nowhere near the Triangle, nor was the word "dagger" a part of the ship's distress call ("Now very danger.  Come quick."); having left Boston for Hamburg, Germany, on [[April 21]], [[1925]], she got caught in a severe storm and sank in the North Atlantic with all hands while another ship, [[RMS Homeric|RMS ''Homeric'']], attempted an unsuccessful rescue.
 
  
=== ''Connemara IV'' ===
+
Skeptics point to the fact that there are very plausible explanations for all the mysterious events claimed to have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle. [[Compass]] problems are one of the often cited phrases in many Triangle incidents. it is possible that inexperienced people operating boats and aircraft misread the compass, veered course to adjust, and became lost.  
A pleasure yacht found adrift in the Atlantic south of Bermuda on [[September 26]], [[1955]]; it is usually stated in the stories (Berlitz, Winer) that the crew vanished while the yacht survived being at sea during three hurricanes. The [[1955 Atlantic hurricane season]] lists only one storm coming near Bermuda towards the end of August, hurricane "Edith"; of the others, "Flora" was too far to the east, and "Katie" arrived after the yacht was recovered. It was confirmed that the ''Connemara IV'' was empty and in port when "Edith" may have caused the yacht to slip her moorings and drift out to sea.
 
  
==The Triangle authors==
+
[[Hurricane]]s, freak waves, and the strength of the [[Gulf Stream]] have all been cited as naturally occurring reasons for why ships and planes have been lost. It was not until the latter half of the twentieth century that technology supported searching the ocean's depths, but even so it is very difficult to locate a submerged craft. Finding planes and ships that disappeared many years ago, without specific coordinates, is comparable to the proverbial needle in a haystack.
The popular Triangle incidents cited above, apart from the official documentation, come from the following works. It should be noted that some incidents mentioned as having taken place within the Triangle are ''only'' found in these sources:
 
  
* ''Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery'' by [[Gian J. Quasar]], International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press (2003) ISBN 0-07-142640-X. (Reprinted in paperback (2005) ISBN 0-07-145217-6).
+
Human error, combined with natural phenomena, has been documented as the most common cause of a plane crash or ship wreck and therefore is the most compelling explanation for the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. This is supported by the fact that in recent years the number of lost ships and planes has gone down drastically as transportation technology has greatly improved.
*''The Bermuda Triangle'', Charles Berlitz (ISBN 0-385-04114-4).
 
*''The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved'' (1975). Lawrence David Kusche (ISBN 0-87975-971-2).
 
*''Limbo Of The Lost'', John Wallace Spencer (ISBN 0-686-10658-X).
 
*''The Evidence for the Bermuda Triangle'', (1984), David Group (ISBN 0-85030-413-X).
 
*''Bermuda Shipwrecks'', (2000), Daniel Berg(ISBN 0-9616167-4-1).
 
* ''The Devil's Triangle'', (1974), [[Richard Winer]] (ISBN 0553106880).
 
* ''The Devil's Triangle 2'' (1975), Richard Winer (ISBN 0553024647).
 
* ''The Bermuda Triangle'' (1975) by Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffrey (ISBN 0446599611).
 
  
For additional listings, including newspaper references used, see [[Bermuda Triangle source page]].
+
==The Bermuda Triangle in popular culture==
 +
The Bermuda Triangle has taken its place among the great mysteries in pop culture, having been linked with [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]], [[The New Age Movement]], and mysterious creatures such as [[Sasquatch|Bigfoot]] and the [[Loch Ness Monster]]. It is popular in literature, television, and films, often used as a portal device through which people are transported to other realms or times.
  
==See also==
+
==Footnotes==
* [[List of Bermuda Triangle incidents]]
+
<references/>
* [[The Bermuda Triangle in popular culture]]
 
* [[Bermuda Triangle source page]]
 
* [[Chuck Wakely Incident]]
 
* [[Devil's Sea]]
 
* [[Formosa Triangle]]
 
* [[Vile Vortices]]
 
* [[Sargasso Sea]]
 
* [[Atlantis]]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>
+
* Berg, Daniel. ''Bermuda Shipwrecks''. Aqua Explorers, 2000. ISBN 0961616741
 +
* Berlitz, Charles. ''The Bermuda Triangle''. G K Hall & Co., 1974. ISBN 0385041144
 +
* David Group. ''The Evidence for the Bermuda Triangle''. Sterling Pub Co Inc., 1984. ISBN 085030413X
 +
* Jeffrey, Adi-Kent Thomas. ''The Bermuda Triangle''. Warner, 1975. ISBN 0446599611
 +
* Kusche, Lawerence David. ''The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved''. Galahad, 2006.. ISBN 1578661560
 +
* Quasar, Gian J. ''Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery''. International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2003. ISBN 007142640X
 +
* Spencer, John Wallace. ''Limbo Of The Lost''. Phillips Publishing Company, 1973. ISBN 068610658X
 +
* Winer, Richard. ''The Devil's Triangle''. Bantam Books, 1974. ISBN 0553106880
 +
* Winer, Richard. ''The Devil's Triangle 2''. Bantam Books, 1975. ISBN 0553024647
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
*[http://www.franciscan-archive.org/columbus/opera/excerpts.html Excerpts from Christopher Columbus' Log]
+
All links retrieved January 20, 2022.
 +
 
 +
*[http://www.crystalinks.com/bermuda_triangle.html Bermuda Triangle] at Crystalinks.com
 +
*[http://www.franciscan-archive.org/columbus/opera/excerpts.html Excerpts from Christopher Columbus' Log]  
 
*[http://www.physics.smu.edu/~pseudo/BermudaTriangle/vincentgaddis.txt Text of Feb, 1964 Argosy Magazine article by Vincent Gaddis]
 
*[http://www.physics.smu.edu/~pseudo/BermudaTriangle/vincentgaddis.txt Text of Feb, 1964 Argosy Magazine article by Vincent Gaddis]
*[http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/moa/reportindexcas.htm United States Coast Guard database of selected reports and inquiries]
+
*[http://www.bogglingfacts.com/lists/bizarre/mysteries/10-weird-bermuda-triangle-facts-thatll-probably-shock-you/ 10 Weird Bermuda Triangle Facts That’ll Probably Shock You]
*[http://www.bermuda-triangle.org Website of historian & Bermuda Triangle researcher Gian Quasar]
 
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq8-1.htm U.S. Navy Historical Center Bermuda Triangle FAQ]
 
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq8-2.htm U.S. Navy Historical Center (Selective Bibliography)]
 
*[http://www.scifi.com/trianglesecrets/ ''The Bermuda Triangle: Startling New Secrets''], [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]] documentary (November 2005)
 
*[http://bermuda.lap.hu/ Bermuda Triangle & Bermuda links]
 
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq15-1.htm Navy Historical Center: The Loss Of Flight 19]
 
*[http://www.docksideconsultants.com/wavessup.html On losses of heavy ships at sea]
 
*[http://www.aquaexplorers.com/Bermuda_shipwrecks.htm Bermuda Shipwrecks]
 
*[http://uwex.us/wreckinfo.html Association of Underwater Explorers shipwreck listings page]
 
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/ Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
 
  
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[[Category:Geography]]
 
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[[Category:Psychology]]
{{Credits|Bermuda_Triangle|126202853|}}
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[[Category:Anthropology]]
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[[Category:Politics and social sciences]]

Revision as of 00:00, 21 January 2022

One version of the Bermuda Triangle area

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an area in the Atlantic Ocean where various disappearances of people and their aircraft and surface vessels have occurred. Some of the disappearances involve a level of mystery which is often popularly explained by a variety of theories beyond human error or acts of nature, attributed by some to the paranormal, a suspension of the laws of physics, or activity by extraterrestrial beings.

An abundance of documentation for most incidents suggests that the Bermuda Triangle is merely a sailors' legend, later embellished by professional writers. Popular interest in the idea continues, however, reflecting the irrepressible human yearning to fathom that which lies beyond the external, physical world and interact with the realms of the imagination and spirit.

The Triangle area

The legends of the Bermuda Triangle do not come from one primary source, but rather are a continuance of an older tradition of stories passed on orally before being written down. Consequently the reports are subject to any number of cultural perspectives, making it is impossible to pinpoint its exact dimensions. The most common representation is an isosceles triangle that stretches from Miami, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico; and the mid-Atlantic island of Bermuda, with most of the accidents concentrated along the southern boundary around the Bahamas and the Florida Straits. Another popular theory is that it is more of a trapezium covering the Straits of Florida, the Bahamas, and the entire Caribbean island area east to the Azores. Occasionally, the Gulf of Mexico is added under this theory.

Beyond the exact geographical boundaries, the general area of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico have been heavily-sailed shipping lanes since Christopher Columbus led the way for the European involvement of the New World. From colonial trade ships to the modern day, ships cross through the triangle waters daily for ports in the Americas and Europe, as well as the Caribbean Islands. Cruise ships are also plentiful, and pleasure craft regularly go back and forth between Florida and the islands. It is also a heavily flown route for commercial and private aircraft heading towards Florida, the Caribbean, and South America from points north.

The climate in that area of the ocean can be fairly extreme. The Gulf Stream ocean current flows through the Triangle after leaving the Gulf of Mexico. Sudden storms can and do appear, and in the summer to late fall, the occasional hurricane strikes the area. The combination of heavy maritime traffic and tempestuous weather makes it inevitable that vessels could founder in storms and be lost without a trace—especially before modern telecommunications, radar, and satellite technology arrived late in the twentieth century.

History of the Triangle story

Did you know?
The Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean, where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, is also known as the Devil's Triangle

Since humankind began to sail the oceans, there have been stories of cursed waters where ships and people disappear. These disappearances were attributed to everything from vengeful deities, sea serpents, even to the purported edge of the world, when people believed Earth was flat and a ship could fall off the edge. With the advent of modern sailing equipment and techniques, along with scientific understanding of the ocean, much of the maritime lore of earlier days faded away. A few areas remained that became designated as areas of paranormal activity, the most famous being the Bermuda Triangle.

However, it is twentieth century authors who are responsible for publicizing paranormal activity in the Bermuda triangle; before books were written on the subject, there was no general understanding of a specific mysterious place in the ocean where people, planes, and ships disappeared. According to the Triangle authors, Christopher Columbus was the first person to document something strange in the Triangle, reporting that he and his crew observed "strange dancing lights on the horizon," flames in the sky, and at another point he wrote in his log about bizarre compass bearings in the area. Modern scholars checking the original log books have surmised that the lights he saw were the cooking fires of Taino natives in their canoes or on the beach; the compass problems were the result of a false reading based on the movement of a star. The flames in the sky were undoubtedly falling meteors, which are easily seen while at sea.[1]

While there probably were many occurrences after Columbus, it was not until the twentieth century that the legend became popular. The first article of any kind featuring the legend of the Triangle appeared in newspapers, by E.V.W. Jones, on September 16, 1950, through the Associated Press. Two years later, Fate magazine published "Sea Mystery At Our Back Door," a short article by George X. Sand in the October 1952, issue covering the loss of several planes and ships, including the loss of Flight 19, a group of five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger bombers on a training mission. Sand's article was the first to lay out the now-familiar triangular area where the losses took place. Flight 19 would be covered in the April 1962, issue of American Legion Magazine. The article was titled "The Lost Patrol," by Allen W. Eckert, and was the first to connect the supernatural to Flight 19, but it would take another author, Vincent Gaddis, writing in the February 1964, Argosy Magazine to take Flight 19 together with other mysterious disappearances and place it under the umbrella of a new catchy name: "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle."[2] He would build on that article with a more detailed book, Invisible Horizons, the next year. Others would follow with their own works: John Wallace Spencer (Limbo of the Lost, 1969); Charles Berlitz (The Bermuda Triangle, 1974); Richard Winer (The Devil's Triangle, 1974), and many others, all keeping to some of the same supernatural elements outlined by Eckert.[3]

Incidents

There are hundreds of odd occurrences, recorded over many years, that are connected to the Triangle in one way or another. Some of these are historical inaccuracies, some nothing more than legends or hoaxes, while others are truly mysterious happenings.

Ellen Austin

The Ellen Austin was a cargo ship that was sailing on a southern route from New York City to London in 1881, when it came across a deserted schooner, adrift in the sea. The captain of the Ellen Austin ordered a skeleton crew from his own ship to sail the schooner to London alongside the Ellen Austin. However, the two ships were separated by a sudden, but brief storm and the schooner was never seen again. While this is a famous Triangle story, many have pointed to the inconsistencies that are evident when tracing the historic sources of the story.[4]

USS Cyclops

The incident of the USS Cyclops resulted in the single largest loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy not related to combat. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander G. W. Worley, the USS Cyclops went missing without a trace sometime after March 4, 1918, after departing the island of Barbados.[5] The ship and 306 crew and passengers were never recovered. There is no strong evidence to support any particular reason for this event. Storms, capsizing, and enemy activity have all been suggested as explanations.

Flight 19

US Navy TBF Grumman Avenger flight, similar to Flight 19. This photo had been used by various Triangle authors to illustrate Flight 19 itself. (US Navy)

Perhaps the most famous of all Bermuda Triangle stories is of Flight 19, a training flight of TBM Avenger bombers that went missing on December 5, 1945, while over the Atlantic. Under the leadership of an experienced pilot, Lt. Charles Carroll Taylor, the routine bombing mission became anything but routine about an hour and half into the flight. Taylor radioed that his compass was not working and that he was lost. For almost ten hours, Taylor and his squadron attempted to fly north to find land, but for whatever reason could not. Eventually all radio communication was lost and search planes were sent out, one of which went missing as well.

The incident was widely reported in the press, and is sometimes attributed to the genesis of the modern interest in the Bermuda Triangle. However, often left out of re-tellings are important facts—the weather became rough later in the day, and Taylor may have been confused about the origination of his flight and therefore did not realize that by flying North he was traveling deeper into the Atlantic.[6]

Douglas DC-3

On December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, number NC16002, disappeared while on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami, Florida. No trace of the aircraft or the 32 people on-board was ever found. From the documentation compiled by the Civil Aeronautics Board investigation, a possible key to the plane's disappearance was found, but barely touched upon by the Triangle writers: The plane's batteries were inspected and found to be low on charge, but ordered back into the plane without a recharge by the pilot while in San Juan. Whether or not this led to complete electrical failure will never be known. However, since piston-engined aircraft rely upon magnetos to provide electrical power and spark to their cylinders rather than batteries, this theory has been considered unlikely.[7]

Star Tiger and Star Ariel

The Avro Tudor IV passenger aircraft Star Tiger and Star Ariel disappeared without trace en route to Bermuda and Jamaica, respectively. Star Tiger was lost on January 30, 1948, on a flight from the Azores to Bermuda. Star Ariel was lost on January 17, 1949, on a flight from Bermuda to Kingston, Jamaica. Neither aircraft gave out a distress call; in fact, their last messages were routine and both had calm flying weather.

The Civil Air Ministry later issued a press release regarding the Star Tiger incident. The statement concluded:

In closing this report it may truly be said that no more baffling problem has ever been presented for investigation. In the complete absence of any reliable evidence as to either the nature or the cause of the accident of Star Tiger, the Court has not been able to do more than suggest possibilities, none of which reaches the level even of probability. Into all activities which involve the co-operation of man and machine two elements enter of a very diverse character. There is an incalculable element of the human equation dependent upon imperfectly known factors; and there is the mechanical element subject to quite different laws. A breakdown may occur in either separately or in both in conjunction. Or some external cause may overwhelm both man and machine. What happened in this case will never be known and the fate of Star Tiger must remain an unsolved mystery.[8]

SS Marine Sulfur Queen

SS Marine Sulfur Queen, a T2 tanker converted from oil to sulfur carrier, was last heard from on February 4, 1963, with a crew of 39 near the Florida Keys. Marine Sulfur Queen was the first vessel mentioned in Vincent Gaddis' 1964 Argosy Magazine article, but he left it as having "sailed into the unknown," despite the Coast Guard report which not only documented the ship's badly-maintained history, but declared that it was an unseaworthy vessel that should never have gone to sea.[9]

USS Scorpion

The nuclear-powered submarine USS Scorpion was lost on May 26, 1968, south of the Azores while in transit home to Norfolk, Virginia, after a six-month deployment. The Scorpion has been picked up by numerous writers (including Berlitz, Spencer, and Thomas-Jeffery) as a Triangle victim over the years. The U.S. Navy believes that a malfunctioning torpedo contributed to her loss, while others theorize that it was destroyed by the Russians in a secret confrontation.[10]

Paranormal theories

The general mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle has led many to attribute paranormal phenomena as being responsible for all the disappearances. Some have suggested that the remains of the legendary civilization of Atlantis are located within the Bermuda Triangle's boundaries. It is believed that the Atlantians possessed superior technology that is still active and causes ships to sink and planes to crash. The discovery of rock formations called the "Bimini Road" is often cited as evidence of this theory.

Another popular theory is that extraterrestrials are abducting planes and ships, or that their activities are indirectly causing the disappearances. Others have suggested that the Bermuda Triangle area is an anomaly of space and time in which planes, ships, and people are sucked into a vortex that transports them to different times, and possibly even different dimensions.[11]

While there are many well-intentioned people looking for paranormal explanations for the Bermuda Triangle, none of these theories are well supported by the evidence. Research into the alleged paranormal phenomena of the Bermuda Triangle is not taken very seriously, and is often not done within a legitimate academic setting. A further obstacle is the lack of contemporary disappearances and the difficulty of analyzing infrequent occurrences over a wide range of space and time.

Skeptics

There are many who discount anything mysterious happening at all in the Bermuda Triangle, offering a wide range of explanations for the many disappearances that have occurred. Most scientists look at the lack of any kind of evidence to suggest paranormal activities as the most compelling reason to dismiss such claims. The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, who operate consistently within the Bermuda Triangle, have noted the mysterious disappearances but are skeptical of any paranormal activity. Some researchers go so far as to suggest that the Bermuda Triangle is a manufactured story, a conglomerate of anecdotes and rumors that do not necessarily belong in the same category, only becoming so because of poorly researched literature and the increasing popularity of the supernatural during the twentieth century.

Skeptics point to the fact that there are very plausible explanations for all the mysterious events claimed to have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle. Compass problems are one of the often cited phrases in many Triangle incidents. it is possible that inexperienced people operating boats and aircraft misread the compass, veered course to adjust, and became lost.

Hurricanes, freak waves, and the strength of the Gulf Stream have all been cited as naturally occurring reasons for why ships and planes have been lost. It was not until the latter half of the twentieth century that technology supported searching the ocean's depths, but even so it is very difficult to locate a submerged craft. Finding planes and ships that disappeared many years ago, without specific coordinates, is comparable to the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Human error, combined with natural phenomena, has been documented as the most common cause of a plane crash or ship wreck and therefore is the most compelling explanation for the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. This is supported by the fact that in recent years the number of lost ships and planes has gone down drastically as transportation technology has greatly improved.

The Bermuda Triangle in popular culture

The Bermuda Triangle has taken its place among the great mysteries in pop culture, having been linked with aliens, The New Age Movement, and mysterious creatures such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. It is popular in literature, television, and films, often used as a portal device through which people are transported to other realms or times.

Footnotes

  1. Strange and Paranormal Activity, Bermuda Triangle (2001). Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  2. Vincent H. Gaddis, The Deadly Bermuda Triangle (1964). Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  3. L. Kirk Hagen, Strange fish: The science fiction of Charles F. Berlitz, 1913-2003 (2004). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  4. Gian J. Quasar, Ellen Austin (2006). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  5. U.S. Navy History, "USS Cyclops" (2001). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  6. Lee Krystek, The Un-Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle (2006). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  7. Answers.com, NC16002 disappearance (2007). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  8. Gian J. Quasar, The Tudors (2006). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  9. Time, The Queen With the Weak Back (1963). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  10. Ed Offley, "The USS Scorpion—Mystery of the Deep" (1998). Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  11. Kenneth F. Wright, Bermuda Triangle Time-Space Warps (2000). Retrieved May 19, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Berg, Daniel. Bermuda Shipwrecks. Aqua Explorers, 2000. ISBN 0961616741
  • Berlitz, Charles. The Bermuda Triangle. G K Hall & Co., 1974. ISBN 0385041144
  • David Group. The Evidence for the Bermuda Triangle. Sterling Pub Co Inc., 1984. ISBN 085030413X
  • Jeffrey, Adi-Kent Thomas. The Bermuda Triangle. Warner, 1975. ISBN 0446599611
  • Kusche, Lawerence David. The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved. Galahad, 2006.. ISBN 1578661560
  • Quasar, Gian J. Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery. International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2003. ISBN 007142640X
  • Spencer, John Wallace. Limbo Of The Lost. Phillips Publishing Company, 1973. ISBN 068610658X
  • Winer, Richard. The Devil's Triangle. Bantam Books, 1974. ISBN 0553106880
  • Winer, Richard. The Devil's Triangle 2. Bantam Books, 1975. ISBN 0553024647

External links

All links retrieved January 20, 2022.

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