The Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example

The Bermuda Triangle is an area within the Atlantic Ocean, which has a mythical value as it is associated with the inexplicable disappearance of numerous vessels such as ships and airplanes passing through or over the area. It is also referred to as the Devil’s Triangle thereby showing the level of superstition associated with the area based on the fact that the devil is always associated with occurrence of atrocities and this name suggests that the Bermuda triangle is his territory. The name also emanates from the fact that the area is marked by a triangular shaped border which connects Bermuda to Miami and then to San Juan back to Bermuda (Quasar 26). It is believed that this section of the ocean is always busy with traffic, with commercial ships sailing through to places such as Europe, Caribbean and other ports in America while tourists fly over from Florida to Bermuda and other Islands in the vicinity and back using light airplanes. This section of the ocean is said to have numerous cases of strong currents, storms and hurricanes during certain times of the year and this has been termed as the real reason as to why notable disappearances of vessels have occurred especially before the advancement in communication technologies, which are important in acquiring real time information on the whereabouts of vessels cruising through the ocean or flying through the air (Eckert 36) However, this has not helped much in changing the mythical identity of Bermuda triangle. The earliest allegation in this area was in 1950 by one Edward Winkle, who reported that there were mysterious disappearances, which could not be explained in humanly possible terms. The disappearance of a navy aircraft, Flight 19, in 1945 is cited as one of the most important historical events, which have happened in the Bermuda triangle, though there are contradicting reports, which discredit the mystical theory. Apparently, the mariner airplane was supposed to conduct a training exercise coded “Navigation problem 1,” but it ended up disappearing without trace with 5 crew members on board. Interestingly, another aircraft from the naval base was dispatched to try and find the already missing flight 19 but it also disappeared with 13 crew members (Quasar 46). One may want to believe that such an occurrence is a mere coincidence but then, how is it possible that two aircrafts can disappear without any trace of debris and in the same locality unless there was abduction involved? In fact, there are theories, which suggest that this area is infested with aliens, who live beneath the ocean surface and who possesses supernatural powers to abduct even the largest of man’s creation as long as it is within the Bermuda triangle (Walker 22). These aliens are said to have more advancement in technology compared to that of normal human beings. Probably, they have always wanted to make it clear that the Bermuda triangle is their territory and therefore nothing and no one should have the guts to invade on their territory. Several other events of the same nature have occurred in Bermuda triangle for example the disappearance of USS Cyclops with approximately 300 crew members on board in 1918. This was a US navy ship, which according to reports, left for Baltimore on 4th march 1918 from Salvador only to disappear before reaching its destination (Walker 31). Up to date, there has been no official explanation on the fate of the ship but it is believed that it sunk within the Devil’s triangle, which mysteriously causes accidents to happen without leaving any trace even to confirm that indeed the victims were at that location. This event is documented as one of the largest disasters involving a US naval ship that got destroyed by other reasons other than in the course of a war. Some more theories on the possible reasons for disappearances explain that the Bermuda triangle has a lot of magnetism, which causes compasses to malfunction such that sailors end up loosing direction but however true that might be, it still leaves some of the questions unanswered. For example, how does it help to explain the alleged disappearance of flight 19, which went off ladder never to be seen again, or the case of the USS Cyclops? The Titanic was one of the biggest ships to ever sink in the deep seas but the remains of the ship were later traced. What could be the difference in finding all the vessels that have fallen victim to the Devil’s triangle? The answer lies in the fact that this area is unique in nature and supernatural powers are involved. It has also been said that chemical activities in the ocean have continued to release a lot of methane, which lowers the ability of water to support heavy vessels (Eckert 74). If this were the case, then, only ships would have been affected but not the airplanes. The mystery surrounding Bermuda triangle is also supported by the disappearance of the SS marine Sulphur Queen in 1963 (Walker 59). This is a ship, which, originally, was used for transporting oil but was later designated for ferrying Sulphur. However, the coast guard reports indicated that this ship was in a deplorable condition and some of its systems kept on failing from time to time and hence it was doomed to sink. However, writers continue to use it as an example while supporting their hypothesis due to the fact that its disappearance followed a list of other similar events, which remained to be puzzles since no concrete evidence was ever released to the public to conclude that it was due to a mechanical problem or human error. Despite this, critics of the belief in the Bermuda mystery insist that there is nothing special in the area since evidence brought forward by proponents does not have integrity as it is as a result of misrepresentation of facts (Quasar 66). Works Cited Eckert, Broad. Bermuda Shipwrecks. Prometheus Books, 2001 Quasar, Gian. Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth behind the Worlds Greatest Mystery. Ragged Mountain Press, 2005 Walker, Kathryn. Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Crabtree Pub Co, 2008 Read More