The Bermuda Triangle is just one of those long-standing mysteries that still boggles peoples’ minds. Although it is not as popular as it used to be, the Bermuda Triangle still holds a lot of intrigues, especially if you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean or Miami!
There are many theories as to why things go missing in the Bermuda Triangle, but upon taking a closer look, they turn out to be just so much speculation. Much of the time, the allegedly missing crafts were never in the area, to begin with, have actually been found, or have been sufficiently and reasonably explained. However, people love their bizarre and mysterious explanations, especially since some scientists have documented deviations from the norm in the area, as well as some interesting formations on the seabed.
So, for those who want to believe, here are some of the most popular theories.
Location of the Area
Before going further, let’s have a look at the area covered by the Bermuda Triangle. It is located off the Southeastern coast of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean, with its apexes in the vicinity of Bermuda, Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. It covers roughly 500,000 square miles. This area has been famed for mysterious disappearances since 1950 when an article about the region appeared in The Miami Herald. Below you’ll find some of the most popular explanations people have offered for the alleged disappearances.
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1. Human Error
No one likes to admit their mistakes… but even pilots and sailors are known to make one or two every now and then. The Bermuda Triangle’s tropical weather and crystal blue water make it a prime aviation stomping ground for everyone from veteran pilots and Navy sailors to amateurs looking to play around. There’s a lot of traffic in the area, and when you add in the turbulent weather patterns, swift currents and a landscape composed of a lot of similar-looking islands, it can be really easy to lose your way.
2. Magnetic Variation – Compass Malfunction
This theory, proposed by the Coast Guard over 30 years ago, states: “The majority of disappearances can be attributed to the area’s unique environmental features. First, the “Devil’s Triangle” is one of the two places on earth that a magnetic compass does point towards true north. Normally it points toward magnetic north. The difference between the two is known as compass variation. The number of variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one circumnavigates the earth. If this compass variation or error is not compensated for, a navigator could find himself far off course and in deep trouble.”
3. Electronic Fog or Time Wrap
This theory came into existence from a single incident. In 1970, Floridian pilot Bruce Gernon and his father were en route from Andros Island to Bimini Island in the Bahamas when they came across a strange cloud that they say grew exponentially before morphing into a tunnel. He flew into that rotating vortex, he says, only to emerge in a thick “electronic fog” with a white haze surrounding the plane.
His compass spun wildly and electrical sparks surrounded him. When the fog finally broke up, Gernon says he found himself miles away from where he expected to be – and much farther than he could have traveled in that time, leading him to believe that he had passed through a time travel tunnel.
4. Methane Gas Hydrates
One of the most interesting scientific theories for the disappearance of ships in the Triangle was proposed by an American geochemist, Dr. Richard McIver. According to McIver, there are pockets of trapped methane gas deep beneath the surface of the Bermuda Triangle, which are just waiting to be unlocked by seismic activity or underwater landslides. If unleashed, the theory goes, this methane gas could bubble to the surface, reducing the density of the water. Any ship in that patch of water would lose its buoyancy and sink perilously.
It gets worse: in theory, if enough of the flammable gas bubbled up to the surface and got high up into the air, it could potentially stall an airplane engine or even be ignited by an engine’s spark. It’s important to note that the Bermuda Triangle is far from the only place on the planet where methane hydrates exist – it’s not even the area with the highest concentration – but it is possible that these hydrates could pose a threat.
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5. UFOs
So this weird UFO theory is also important to know before your travel to Bermuda because if you get into trouble, you’ll have full right to blame aliens and their flying saucers. Although their motives are unclear, it has been suggested that aliens have chosen the Bermuda Triangle as a point at which to capture and abduct persons. Aside from the lack of evidence for this theory, we have to wonder why the aliens would take whole aircraft and ships, some of the considerable size.
Why not just abduct the occupants in the same way they are said to take people from their homes or in offices? Maybe the Bermuda triangle is their territory for their R&D Unit for Earth operations and when someone enters there, they get upset.
6. Submerged City of Atlantis
Some people believe that Atlantis once lay deep beneath the Bermuda Triangle, and argue that the remnants of the intense energy crystals that were once used to fuel the city are now interfering with airplane and ship electronics, causing them to go haywire. Dr. Ray Brown claims to have stumbled unto a pyramid-like structure with a smooth, mirror-like finish while scuba diving near the Bari Islands in the Bahamas in 1970.
Swimming inside, he found the interior to be completely free of coral and algae and illuminated by some unknown light source. In the center was a sculpture of human hands holding a four-inch crystal sphere, above which was suspended a red gem at the end of a brass rod.
A picture would definitely be worth a thousand words in this case.
