The Bermuda Triangle: What We Know (and Don’t Know)
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Hashim Sheikh
- . May 18, 2022
- . Update: May 19, 2022 1:34 pm
The Bermuda Triangle: What is known:
The Bermuda Triangle is a region of the North Atlantic Ocean generally defined by the United States’ southern coast, Bermuda, and the Greater Antilles’ islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico).
It’s exact limits are a point of contention. The overall size is estimated to be between 500,000 and 1,510,000 square miles (1,300,000 and 3,900,000 square kilometers). The region has an approximately triangular shape to all appearances. The Bermuda Triangle is not included on any world maps, and the United States Board on Geographic Names does not recognise it as an official Atlantic Ocean area.
Although there have been accounts of inexplicable phenomena in the area from the mid-nineteenth century, the term “Bermuda Triangle” was not coined until 1964. In a pulp magazine story by Vincent Gaddis, the word was originally used to describe a triangle zone “that has annihilated hundreds of ships and planes without a trace.”
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The Bermuda Triangle, despite its notoriety, does not have a high rate of disappearances. The Bermuda Triangle does not have a higher rate of disappearances than any other comparable location of the Atlantic Ocean. At least two incidents involving US military craft occurred in the region. The collier USS Cyclops vanished inside the Bermuda Triangle in March 1918, en way from Brazil to Baltimore, Maryland.
There was no reason for its disappearance, and no wreckage was discovered. A squadron of bombers (dubbed Flight 19) led by American Lieut. Charles Carroll Taylor vanished in the airspace above the Bermuda Triangle 27 years later. No explanation was given, and no wreckage was discovered, as was the case with the Cyclops incident.
In his best-selling book The Bermuda Triangle, Charles Berlitz popularised the legend of the Bermuda Triangle (1974). Berlitz stated in the book that the fabled lost island of Atlantis was responsible for the disappearances.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) undertook a comprehensive assessment of maritime shipping lanes in 2013 and concluded that the Bermuda Triangle is not among the top ten most dangerous bodies of water for shipping.
The Bermuda Triangle sees a lot of travel every day, both by water and by air. One of the most heavily frequented shipping lanes in the world is the Bermuda Triangle.
What is not known about the Bermuda Triangle:
It’s impossible to say how many ships and planes have vanished in the Bermuda Triangle. Around 50 ships and 20 aeroplanes is the most prevalent estimate. The debris of several ships and planes reported missing in the area has yet to be found. It’s unclear whether disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle were caused by human error or natural disasters.
