From a lost city to vanishing vessels, today we look at Strange Things About The Bermuda
Triangle...
Number 11.
Unofficial
The Bermuda Triangle is also known as Hurricane Alley or the Devil's Triangle.
However, despite the fact that it is a well-known area, the Bermuda Triangle isn't marked on
maps.
Puerto Rico, the southern tip of Florida, and the island of Bermuda are the triangle's
three points, making it a total of about one million square miles even though there is
no officially defined region.
The area found inside of these points is the infamous location where things seem to go
awry.
But, this part of the ocean is still not an official place regarding ownership and isn't
recognized by the National Ocean Service.
The U.S. Coast Guard states, "It has been our experience that the combined forces of
nature and the unpredictability of mankind outdo science-fiction stories many times each
year," regarding the theories and speculations surrounding the Bermuda Triangle.
Part of the reason the government doesn't want to identify the area formally is to avoid
reassuring the apparent myths that come with it.
Number 10.
First Recognized
Although the Bermuda Triangle's alleged existence had already been noted by this time, it didn't
yet have a name until Vincent Gaddis coined it in 1964.
He wrote about the strange region in Argosy magazine and even pointed out the triangle's
three points.
Other writers increased the Bermuda Triangle's total area and changed the location of these
sites.
Gaddis wrote about the paranormal happenings within the Bermuda Triangle and said that
planes and ships had disappeared with no explanation as to how or why; because of this, his writing
was criticized by people who didn't believe the stories were supernatural.
Approximately seventy-five planes and hundreds of boats have gone down in the region, and
no confirmed explanation has revealed the cause, which has sparked the development of
speculations over time.
Number 9.
Christopher Columbus
Even though the seemingly supernatural aspects of the Bermuda Triangle weren't often written
about until the mid-1900s, there were still some weird things happening in this place
far before.
When Christopher Columbus was sailing to the New World in 1492, he recalled some interesting
phenomena in the area.
He described seeing a considerable flame crashing into the ocean, which people generally believe
was most likely a meteor.
Columbus also reported that he experienced strange compass readings, which brings us
to the next strange fact about the Bermuda Triangle.
Number 8.
Crazy Compass
There's no denying that some things have been a bit out of the ordinary concerning the Bermuda
Triangle.
It's pretty well-known at this point that compasses work a little differently in the
area than they do everywhere else… or they used to, at least.
We even mentioned that Columbus experienced this while traveling through.
According to various sources, compasses only point to "true north" in this and one other
region.
True north is the Geographic North pole, and Magnetic North refers to the shifting magnetism
of the Earth.
A compass needle is attracted to the Magnetic North.
When true north and Magnetic North line up, it's called the agonic line.
However, with the agonic line changing along with the magnetic field, it eventually moved
out of the Bermuda Triangle area.
So, although the "weirdness" seemed to be caused by this region once upon a time, these
theories have been proven incorrect.
Number 7.
Gaseous
There are a wide variety of theories that people have made while trying to understand
the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.
One question is "Why do so many ships disappear?"
Well, some speculations suggest that it could be due to methane gas.
For instance, there were significant sinkholes discovered in Siberia, and no explanation
for them was initially given.
But, an article in Nature suggested that gases trapped in the permafrost could explode and
cause the crater to form.
They even tested the air at the bottom of these holes, which had high concentrations
of methane gas.
So, they took this discovery and applied the idea to the Bermuda Triangle.
Some people believe that these gases could be stored under the ocean and once they explode,
could cause any ship above to sink.
There is no proof of this happening yet.
However, the science behind it is somewhat plausible.
A geophysicist from the University of Alaska Fairbanks stated, "It is very probable that
the similar sinkholes in the ocean were produced [as a result] of decomposing gas hydrates."
However, it would take a lot of methane gas release to cause this to happen.
Apparently, the last time this would've been possible was about twenty thousand years ago
in the previous ice age.
Number 6.
Skylights
Some of the strangest things people have noticed in the Bermuda Triangle area are lights in
the sky.
We already discussed the flaming ball Christopher Columbus spotted, but he also saw other luminous
things during his travels here.
He wrote in his log in October 1492, "...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 Gutierrez, 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…
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 not near…"
Some theories suggest that the lights he saw and others continue to spot could be written
off as ball lightning.
This phenomenon shows up in spherical light forms, which could be very large.
It is unexplained and can last for a lot longer than regular lightning strikes.
Number 5.
UFO
Although the strange lights in the sky can be explained to a certain degree by lightning
and other things, there have been supposed UFO sightings within the Bermuda Triangle
as well.
Some passengers on a cruise ship sailing through the area saw a strange aircraft hovering for
a pretty long time before eventually disappearing into the clouds.
More recently, Express reported that an explorer named Darrell Miklos found a peculiar "series
of structures" that he thinks "came from another world" deep underneath the Bermuda Triangle.
Miklos referred to the formation as a "spaceship" and noted that it had fifteen curious "protrusions"
on its surface.
The explorer also stated, "It was a formation unlike anything I've ever seen related to
shipwreck material, it was too big for that."
He stated that he wants to "remain neutral" until there is more proof for this theory.
But, who knows, there might be some extraterrestrial remains lying in the deep.
Number 4.
Storms
Another explanation concerning why the Bermuda Triangle seems to cause disappearances and
supernatural phenomena could merely be the storms that form in the area.
Hurricanes and other severe weather are prevalent in this region.
Plus, they develop very quickly.
LiveScience notes that vessels traveling through the Bermuda Triangle in the past would be
more susceptible to these sudden change in weather than our ships are today.
They also state that "thunderstorms called meso-meteorological storms" can pop out of
nowhere and result in significant waves and disturb communication between boats.
Plus, LiveScience points out that anybody in the water after a wreck would be quickly
taken care of by barracuda and sharks.
Number 3.
Atlantis
Some people not only believe in the Bermuda Triangle's mythical powers, but they also
think that the lost city of Atlantis is located at the bottom of the ocean in that area.
The island of Atlantis was originally written about by Plato, who described it as a naval
power.
However, it wasn't until the nineteenth century that people began believing that Atlantis
could be a legitimate place.
In 1882, Ignatius Donnelly wrote about a continent that sunk in the same location that Plato
placed the lost civilization.
Future writers, such as Charles Berlitz, decided to build on Donnelly's theory.
In the 1970s, he declared that Atlantis was indeed a continent and had sunk in the Bermuda
Triangle area.
As the mystery continued to develop over the years, people began coming up with more hypotheses.
According to the Daily Star, some people think that Atlantis has energy crystals that produced
power for the city and that they are still so strong they can sink ships.
Number 2.
Flight 19
In December 1945, the group of planes called "Flight 19" took off from the Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida Naval Air Station.
Most of the men had spent about three hundred hours in the air and seemed well-prepared
for their goal, which consisted of bombing runs at Hens and Chicken Shoals and a flight
over Grand Bahama Island.
However, things didn't work out.
Their leader, Pilot and Lieutenant Charles C. Taylor, noticed that his compass seemed
to be on the fritz and their aircraft were flying the wrong way.
Then, things got worse when a storm blew in.
A pilot in their group stated over the radio, "I don't know where we are…
We must have got lost after that last turn."
Lieutenant Taylor also said, "Both my compasses are out and I'm trying to find Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida…
I'm over land, but it's broken.
I'm sure I'm in the Keys, but I don't know how far down."
They're thought to have run out of fuel and crashed in the Bermuda Triangle.
The planes and men were never discovered.
Number 1.
USS Cyclops
In March 1918, the USS Cyclops, the Navy's largest ship at the time, disappeared in the
Bermuda Triangle while traveling from the West Indies to Maryland.
It was about five hundred fifty feet in length and had three hundred six people on board.
During this time, the vessel was transporting a significant amount of manganese ore, a dense
metal element.
The last message ever sent from the ship was, "Weather Fair, All Well."
However, it's safe to say that this didn't stand true.
During its nine-day course, it vanished; there wasn't even a call for help.
Santa Fe Magazine wrote, "She just disappeared as though some gigantic monster of the sea
had grabbed her, men and all, and sent her into the depths of the ocean…"
The United States Navy said, "The disappearance of this ship has been one of the most baffling
mysteries in the annals of the Navy, all attempts to locate her having proved unsuccessful."