Probably everyone heard about the mysterious and dangerous Bermuda Triangle, including preschool children. This topic is very “promoted” in popular culture: hundreds of books and articles have been written about the numerous dangers associated with the Bermuda marine area, a lot of documentaries and feature films have been shot, etc.
And even at the beginning of the last century, no one had a clue about this “amazing phenomenon”. Yes, ships have long been sinking here, but, firstly, this area has been very busy for almost five centuries in terms of shipping, and secondly, in fact, wooden sailing ships often sank to other parts of the ocean that differ unstable weather.
In fact, this stretch in the Atlantic Ocean between Miami, Puerto Rico and Bermuda, having an area of about 1 million km², received the status of an unsolvable mystery and supernatural phenomenon only in the early 1970s.
It was at this time that Charles Berlitz's book came out, in which he vividly and interestingly described the most “mystical” stories of the unexplained disappearances of modern ships and aircraft in the area.
The "sensation" was immediately picked up by numerous journalists, and it was from this that the hype around the Bermuda Triangle began.
By the way, the “unofficial name” of the region where the compass allegedly does not work, the clock goes backwards, suddenly huge funnels and 30-meter waves, etc. appear out of nowhere, invented back in 1964 by Vincent Gaddis, who published in the magazine, dedicated to the most inexplicable phenomena, the article "Deadly Bermuda Triangle." (For some reason, then this topic did not arouse interest).
Since then, serious scientists and amateurs (and simply “fans of the Bermuda Triangle”) have put forward many hypotheses that more or less plausibly and adequately explain the causes of the phenomena occurring there. Here are just 10 of them:
10. The human factor
A very significant number of researchers who have ever been interested in the topic of the Bermuda Triangle and the “anomalous” number of ships and aircraft disappearing here are sure that more than 90% of such cases occurred due to the banal “human factor”.
Have you ever seen photos of Bermuda? This is the real paradise on Earth! It has a warm tropical climate, clear sea, sandy beaches scattered over more than 180 picturesque islands (from a height similar to twins).
Naturally, in these parts it is always full of tourists, including very non-poor, sailing here on their own yachts and flying in private jets.
And they do not want to know that, in fact, in this region the weather is very changeable, and that any ship (sea or air) must follow the route and strictly follow the instructions of the dispatchers.
They simply ignore security measures, often go to sea in a storm, and as a result wander between the islands without the possibility of refueling.
9. Difficult weather (and natural) conditions
And now in more detail about weather and other conditions in the Bermuda Triangle. More or less experienced captains and pilots are aware that this region is very difficult to navigate: there are a huge number of reefs and shallows, air and water currents, storms, cyclones and hurricanes rage on this rather large territory for more than 80 days a year.
Therefore, it is not surprising that reports of regular disasters or searches for missing ships and aircraft come from here quite regularly.
Local weather "excesses" are explained quite simply: it is over this region that huge warm and cold air masses collide, generating powerful whirlwinds and tornadoes.
Moreover, all this is aggravated by the fast and warm Gulf Stream, often generating dense fogs and easily knocking small vessels off course due to the speed of its flow alone.
By the way, in addition to the Gulf Stream, other currents periodically arise in the Bermuda region - irregular ones, the direction of which is sometimes difficult to predict. And if a ship or plane crashes here, then it can be carried very far in a short time, which often makes the search for debris useless.
8. The compass indicates true, not magnetic north
Yes, indeed, in the region of the Bermuda Triangle, the compass often behaves "inappropriately", pointing not to magnetic, but to the geographical (true) north. And the deviation between them is, for a minute, more than 700 miles (or about 1300 km).
Experienced sailors and pilots, of course, take this into account. And in fact, this magnetic anomaly is not unique: in some parts of the Gobi Desert (and not only there!), Natural deposits of magnetic ore create the same “special effects” with the compass arrow.
In the case of Bermuda, the cause of magnetic deviations is the high seismic activity in this region, which generates unstable electric fields and, accordingly, magnetic disturbances. As a result, navigation systems begin to "go crazy", and ships (and aircraft) deviate from the course.
7. Atlantis
And here are a few more fantastic (if not crazy) theories that explain the “mystical” phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle. One of them is based on the fact that the legendary Atlantis was (and sank) in this area.
The adherents of this hypothesis are sure that the Atlanteans were very advanced in terms of "energy" - they supposedly invented special powerful crystals that can accumulate and convert solar energy.
The Atlanteans themselves died, but their great invention still works somewhere on the ocean floor. And these very amazing crystals are the cause of the malfunctioning of modern navigation devices and the occurring disasters.
6. UFOs or aliens
Another hmm ... a very eccentric theory - the aliens are to blame. Somewhere there, in the depths of the ocean in the Bermuda area, there is an alien ship (or even a whole UFO base!).
The “Alien” who settled there study both us earthlings and our technologies. That's why they “steal” from time to time airplanes and ships, together with crews.
And sometimes human technology simply accidentally falls into portals to other worlds that regularly open directly into the sea so that aliens can move into their dimension and back (at the same time sending fresh “trophies” and experimental earthlings “to their homeland”).
5. Secret tests of the US government
The third fantastic hypothesis: the "devilry" taking place in the Bermuda Triangle is the result of experiments by the US government. Yeah ... It turns out that many Americans (and residents of neighboring countries) have a low opinion of the "ethics" of scientific methods of their own government.
It is known that somewhere here a completely official (but, of course, secret) Atlantic Center for Underwater Testing and Assessment (AUTEC) works. In fact, he is "rolling in" the latest American submarines, sonars, etc. Hmm ... Although, for sure - and some kind of underwater weapon ...
But no one guarantees that other, much more dangerous experiments are not performed in AUTEC! Maybe, for example, some alien technologies are experiencing here? Why not? Remember Roswell and persistent rumors that they studied the crashed UFO.
Or here's another story with the destroyer Eldridge, which the US Navy allegedly made invisible in October 1943 and moved tens of kilometers in a few seconds. And all those terrible stories about the suddenly arising infrasound waves that drive the crews of ships and planes crazy? It's all for a reason ...
4. "Funnels of time"
But this theory is in many respects in contact with the two previous ones. Its essence is that in the Bermuda Triangle there are either temporary loops, or something like temporary funnels.
Failing into them, ships and planes, as a result, find themselves in the same place, but at a different time or, conversely, manage to overcome huge distances in a matter of minutes. Allegedly, the reason for this is the “curvature” of time and space.
Why in this area? Because (see paragraphs 6 and 5) this is either the work of the aliens living somewhere on the underwater base, or else it is the result of the experiments of the American government that slightly “broke” space-time in the Bermuda area.
3. Methane hydrate
And here is a much more plausible (hmm ... although not completely ...) theory. As we mentioned above, seismic activity is high in the Bermuda area. Deep at the bottom there is a large number of cracks resulting from the activities of underwater volcanoes. And from them methane is still actively rising, dissolving in sea water and forming, respectively, methane hydrate.
But from time to time, small bubbles of methane (and with it the hydrogen sulfide, resulting from the decay of algae, which in these parts are not just a lot, but a lot) gather in much more impressive bubbles. And these bubbles, merging into one huge gas ball, begin to rise to the surface.
Imagine a situation: a ship is sailing, the weather is excellent, the sun is shining with might and main, visibility is excellent, no one expects any danger. And then, right under the ship, a gas bubble bursts, and it falls into the resulting crater instantly, without having time to send a distress signal. And if the vessel manages to pass along the edge of the funnel, then there is no one to save it anyway, - the crew suffocated in pairs of methane.
“What about airplanes?” - you ask. “They're flying high above the water!” “And about the same!” - the supporters of this theory will answer you. A burst methane bubble throws gas (which has a density less than air) high up.
And the plane flying at this time just above it can simply crash into this rarefied “air hole”. Or methane, in contact with a hot engine, will simply explode, smashing the plane to shreds.
2. Pirates
Here, too, it would seem to be a fairly robust version - the pirates drown ships in the Bermuda Triangle area. If we were talking about the XVII-XVIII century, then no one would have doubted it. Yes, then the pirates felt very comfortable here.
But nowadays, with the modern equipment of both civilian and (even more so!) Military courts, well armed and having excellent communications. It is unlikely ... And, by the way, how then to explain the disappearance of aircraft?
1. Comet
And, finally, the most (in our opinion) grandiose theory. About 11 thousand years ago, exactly in the Bermuda region, a tailed space wanderer - a comet - fell. Yes, not just a comet, but some special one, completely electromagnetic.
Since then, it has been lying somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, continuing to emit all kinds of radiation, which make navigational instruments of ships and aircraft “rage”. Beauty is not a hypothesis! One wants to say: “How do you like that, Elon Musk?”