Bermuda Triangle
The twilight Zone, the Hoodoo Sea, The Limbo of the Lost, the Devil’s Triangle, The Magic Rhombus, The Port of Missing Ships, and The Triangle of Death are some of the names linked to Bermuda Triangle (Shumway and Rosenberg 4). An overview of these names already gives a perception of negativity, evil, and death; the perfect road to hell. However, this area cannot be found on standard maps since the United States Board of Geographic Names fails to identify Bermuda Triangle to be an official name, and thus lacks an official file for that area (Orr 23).The region also lies on large water mass area, and lacks markers or boundaries. Shumway and Rosenberg explain that it is estimated to be 500,000 square miles (1,295,000 square kilometers) although there are also varying estimates relating to its exact size to be 1,500,000 square miles(3,884,000 square kilometer in area (4).
The Bermuda triangle is believed to be located in the Atlantic Ocean bounded by vertices in Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, and is characterized by numerous reports of ships and planes disappearing. None of those on board sending distress calls has coupled all these disappearances but they go missing with no trace even after a series of rescue operations and research. There have been several explanations for the reasons of the mysterious disappearance with each writer seeking to give the best theory that would seem more persuasive. There are however reports of scientists among other people who believe Bermuda triangle is mythical. Gorman says that people are to blame for making mistakes when flying planes or piloting ships (20). Gorman is of the idea that despite the fact that numerous planes and ships have been said to have gone missing does not in way guarantee the alarm raised and citing ridiculous theories and myths.
According to history.com, reports of unexplained disappearances only caught the public’s attention in the 20th century (n.p). From then on, several writers have blamed the disappearances on aliens, Atlantis and sea monsters, time warps and gravitational fields. Some scientists have cited waterspouts, magnetic abnormalities, or massive outbreak of the gas methane from the floor of the ocean as the factors responsible for the massive disappearances. This paper focuses on analyzing the different theories given to explain the Bermuda Triangle.
Discussions
Bermuda triangle is majorly the popular tourist attractions in the world with the earliest account being that of Christopher Columbus having travelled through this place to the new world (Rosenberg 5). The eastern point is not far from the origin of most Atlantic Ocean Hurricanes and is the home of unique and unpredictable storms. A single storm in the triangular region can produce as much as ten inches of rain in a few hours. The Gulf Stream also runs through the triangle thus alters the water currents in the area and beneath the triangle lies some of the Atlantics deepest water that would go as much as 30,000 feet deep. Recently scientists discovered that an ocean current running hundreds of feet beneath the Gulf Stream in the opposite direction.
There also lies another odd reality concerning Bermuda triangle. Variation seen in various places in the world between the magnetic north and true north with a variance of 20 degrees is not seen in the Bermuda triangle. It is one of the only two places in the world where the true north and the magnetic north are perfectly aligned. The other spot is Sargasso Sea that is not so far from Bermuda triangle on the eastern side and south of the Gulf Stream in the middle of the Atlantic. Bermuda triangle is frequently linked to the Sargasso Sea and often considered the same thing often featuring in the same tales (Shumway and Rosenberg 8-9).
According to Shumway and Rosenberg, accounts of bizarre happenings have been reported that have taken place either near or close to the either the Bermuda Triangle or the Sargasso Sea. Christopher Columbus recorded the first incident during his travel to West Indies when noticed that the compass was acting strangely and gave inaccurate readings. At some point, he saw a great ball of fire shooting across the sky and crashing into the sea (10). Obringer says that about 100 planes and ships have been confirmed to be missing and more than 1,000 people dead (1). Very few types of wreckage have been found and in cases where there were survivors, they said that sudden storms caused them to abandon the ships (Gorman 18). Despite all these reports, the US Coast Guard asserts that the region does not possess an extraordinary amount of unpleasant incidents.
Zuchora-Walske says that the best launch to the curiosity of Bermuda triangle was Charles Berlits when he published a book elaborating his belief that something was specifically wrong with this area (49-50). He proposed unusual theories to explain the disappearances such as kidnappings, gravitational warps, magnetic aberrations and technology left over from ancient civilizations. It after his accounts that several other scientists have sought to explore this field even further in order to get answers to these bizarre happenings. Where these people could be disappearing to? Where do the vessels vanish into after a crash? Why are radio messages unsuccessful during distress calls?
The secrecy of Bermuda triangle started after the vanishing of five Navy Avengers in 1945. It gained momentum after a series of reporters and writers raise alarm over the mysterious disappearances that leave no trace around Florida and Puerto Rico. According to Quasar, there is a growing belief that there is something different in the triangle compared to other seas. The fact that planes and ships vanish in like manner there is little possibility that there are often caused by ordinary mishaps such as pilot error, vertigo, fuel exhaustion, getting lost, disorientation or natural disasters like tidal waves, cyclones or whirlpools (6).
The continuing encounters by pilots and shipmasters for more than one terrible moment with unexplained forces to causing radio dead spots, electronic drains, power blackouts and spontaneous compass malfunction with or without unusual fogs, hazes or luminous phenomena are contributing to the area growing reputation as a unique place on this earth (Quasar 6). This has therefore inspired some of the most innovative and unique theories.
Scientists against the idea that Bermuda triangle exists believe that there is nothing unusual about the Bermuda triangle. They attribute the disappearance to natural disasters. They point out the presence of waves and hurricanes, the Gulf Stream or an underwater volcano or underwater earthquakes or bubbles of gas in the water that cause boats and ship to sink. They believe that all the stories we hear about the Bermuda are just made up or imaginary (Reading Horizons 55).
According to Lakes, if this place was hazardous, then all commercial and recreational craft would be forbidden to traverse these waters. He says that all if all the disappearances were plotted on a map, very few of those cases reported would be accurately located around the Bermuda Triangle. He refers to Bermuda triangle as a myth. He terms the proponents of the Bermuda triangle such as Charles Berlitz to be misleading the public in a subject matter that is science fiction considering that the area is heavily travelled in the world (2).
Atlantis Theories
One theory to explain the disappearances around the Bermuda Triangle is that of the Atlantis (StealthSkater 4). It is believed that area was once covered by Atlantis continent, which was destroyed, and it sank to the ocean floor. The ruined temples now play host to a multitude of underwater creatures and the great Atlantean fire crystals, which were once responsible for providing much of the power and energy in Atlantis, and still exist. These fire crystals are the ones that emit strong energy beams into the universe. It is believed that when the destruction of the continent happened some of the fire crystals were partly damaged thus the reason why they project there energy rays at random. This theory promotes the idea that each fire crystal was about 20 feet and 8 feet wide. There were previously erected in a series of three therefore creating a vortex of astronomical energy and very high power magnitude. Occasionally the force fields emitted by the damaged fire crystals are very powerful thus energy ship or plane that navigate around its area of influence disintegrates and thereby transformed into pure energy.
Black Hole or time warp theory
Scientists that claim that many of the planes and ships that were lost within the Bermuda triangle were transported into a Black Hole or time warp advance another theory. This is due to the fact that there have been few instances in which the lost ships or disappeared planes have returned. According to Stealth Skater, The crewmembers that had been on board have been reported to be insane, incoherent, and babbling wild stories (5). It is explained that in such instances the force field of the Atlantean fire crystals were not so strong to alter these people and objects into total disintegration. For this reason, the people were mentally disoriented. This scenario is equated to that of a patient having taken an overdose from a shock treatment to the brain. It is said that the mental disorientation is not enough to kill those people but enough to totally alter the brain structure thus resulting to insanity. These crewmembers have related hallucinations thoughts of fear of unknown an unexplainable horrors, which their minds could not explain or cope.
Natural, geological, or hydrological theory
According to Radford, there is another theory that explains these disappearances to be natural, geological or hydrological (n.p). It is believed that probably flammable methane gas consumes these ships since it exists in huge amounts underneath the sea. This theory asserts that an electric spark set fire to an enormous bubble of methane gas that surfaced close to a ship or a plane making them to sink with no trace. Many other scientists who believe that methane gas exists naturally worldwide but an incident like that has never been recorded before, why only around the Bermuda triangle, however criticize this theory?
Another theory is that of the sudden rogue tidal waves or mysterious geomagnetic anomaly that would create navigational problems thus confuse pilots and making them to sink beneath the ocean. This theory is also criticized on grounds that professional pilots are trained to navigate even when they lose electronic navigation (Radford n.p). Other critics have also argued on grounds that the Bermuda area is largely toured area thus the reason why more ships will sink here than in less travelled areas.
UFO sightings theory
Obringer highlights another theory that explains the Bermuda triangle area to be characterized by UFO sightings thus the explanations for disappearances (6). The theory also suggests that Bermuda Triangle is an entry point to other planets. This theory suggests that any ships or planes navigating around this area get lost after they are swallowed up into other planets thus the reason why they are never found thereafter. It is believed that Bermuda triangle is the origin of the Atlantis including its technologies. It had many modern day technologies such as a death ray weapon, which was destroyed. The sudden disappearances are associated to the technologies that are capable of swallowing up ships, boats and planes around. Some people also say that the people who lived here were alien in race and originated from the Pleiades star cluster and probably could be the ones responsible for the lives of those lost at the Bermuda Triangle.
The theory of the Atlantis was earlier on advanced by Cayce was as he had predicted that there would be a discovery of the western edge of Atlantis near the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas and later on researchers found a road of stones in 1968 (Obringer 6). Previous archeologists who had studied the site known as Bimini Road concluded that it was naturally occurring. Reports from recent research and investigation indicate that the stones were shaped and placed there as a wall. According to Obringer, the findings of a possible underwater city near Cuba propel the proponents of the Atlantis idea. (6)
Weather patterns and topography theory
Another theory is that of the weather patterns and topography. Research has showed that region is vulnerable to aggressive storms and weather. These short and intense storms build up, dissipate, and go up quickly undetected by a satellite (Obringer 9). The presence of waterspouts that would destroy an approaching plane or ship is also common here. The topography of its underwater could also explain the disappearances since it proceed from an inclined continental shelf to a tremendously deep drop off. The biggest ditches around the world are located in Bermuda triangle thus the reason why the ships and planes that sink are never found. Rudolph explains that the ocean features of the Atlantic Ocean at this point make it difficult for any traces to be found (27). The Gulf Stream is also said to be swift and turbulent thus causing challenges during navigation particularly for the inexpert sailors. Some reports have stated the Gulf Stream to be moving as fast as 5mph in some areas.
Methane Gas Theory
The Methane Gas Theory could also explain the Bermuda Triangle. Methane gas is said to be as a result of many dying and decomposing organisms in the seabed. The residue has bacteria that generates the methane that builds up as strong methane ice referred to as gas hydrates. The ice layer is seen to be responsible for trapping the methane gas thus the potential energy source. Seconds after the methane gas raptures, it gushes and explodes on the surface unexpectedly. The theory explains that if there is a ship around the area of blowout the water underneath it become less dense thus making it to sink. Planes flying overhead could also catch fire (Obringer 9).
Theory of the magnetic
Moreover, the theory of the magnetic variation is also raised to explain the mysterious disappearances. The fact that the magnetic north and the true north at the Bermuda triangle are the same often derails the pilots and sailors thus leading them far off course and in deep trouble. The theory of magnetic vortices promoted by Ivan Sanderson is based on the strange sea and sky phenomena, mechanical and instrument malfunctions and mysterious disappearances. It stated that the tremendous hot and cold currents crossing the most active zones would create the electromagnetic gymnastics that affected the ships and planes (n.p).
Space and time warp theory
Another theory is that of the space and time warp. This theory explains that there is an occasional space-time warp at the Bermuda triangle in that ships and planes that are in this area during this time are normally get lost in it. This is given as the reason as to why there is normally no trace for the remains of those disappearing. They are believed to disappear to another place and time, another dimension (Wagner n.p).
From the above discussion, it is evident that despite the numerous theories to explain either the inexistence or reality of Bermuda Triangle, it is difficult to ultimately select one as the best theory. Each one of them has its own pros and cons. However, some theories hold more water compared to others. For example, the theory of the magnetic variation is not fully convincing to explain exactly how a ship or plane would get lost without trace. If at all the sailors and pilots lose direction around this area, then they should probably be found somewhere else during the rescue operation. It would be ignorant of us to assume that the loss of direction by these sailors means that they totally get lost magically.
The theory of the space and time warp is not adequate in explaining how the survivors make it if at all these ships are consumed by into another world. If that is so how then do this survivors make their way out? It is also on record that the survivors cite thunderous storms; there have not been any record so far where survivors claim to have come from a different world. The theory of the methane gas is argued in a slightly convincing manner but still does not give us the ultimate reason why this only occurs in Bermuda Triangle. Other large water bodies have methane gas but do not record the same cases recorded here. The theory of the natural disaster highlighting the storms and deep seas make sense but not to completion. This is due to fact that it does not explain why radio messages become unsuccessful immediately after one sends a distress call. It also does not explain how a water sprout would affect a plane flying several meters in the sky.
The alien and Atlantis theory holds more weight because there exists credible evidence underneath the sea of an ancient town. It could also be used to explain the reason why there exists no trace of all the victims probably because they transform into alien beings and those who survive are often of unsound mind. As much as this theory sounds mythical, it subtly explains and gives answers to many of the questions raised regarding the Bermuda Triangle.
Works Cited
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Stealthskater.com. “The Bermuda Triangle Truth”. 20 Nov. 2001. Web. 23 April 2015
Stephen Wagner. “Top Theories for the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle”. About Entertainment. Web 23 April 2015