The Devil’s Sea: Where Ships and Planes Vanish
The Bermuda Triangle, a 500,000–1.5 million square mile expanse between Miami (25.7617°N, 80.1918°W), Bermuda (32.3078°N, 64.7505°W), and San Juan (18.4655°N, 66.1057°W), is a graveyard of over 50 ships and 20 planes. From the USS Cyclops’ 306 lost souls in 1918 to Flight 19’s five bombers in 1945, vessels vanish without distress calls.
Glowing orbs, time slips, and eerie fogs haunt sailors’ logs, while 2025 X posts (@MarioNawfal) debate UFOs versus rogue waves. Is this sea cursed or just cruel?[1][2][3]
Origins: A Legend Born in Fear
In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed these waters, noting compasses spinning wildly and a “great flame of fire” crashing into the sea, possibly a meteor. Early sailors dubbed it the “Hoodoo Sea” for its sudden squalls. The name “Bermuda Triangle” emerged in 1964 from Vincent Gaddis’s Argosy article, amplified by Charles Berlitz’s 1974 book, selling 20 million copies with tales of Atlantis and aliens. Yet, NOAA insists it’s a high-traffic zone with normal losses, debunked by Larry Kusche in 1975.[4][5][6]
Famous Disappearances: Tales of the Lost
The Triangle’s chilling cases defy explanation. In 1800, the USS Pickering vanished in a storm, no trace. The 1881 Ellen Austin found a derelict schooner in the Sargasso Sea, its crew boarding only for it to vanish in fog—twice. In 1918, the USS Cyclops, a 542-ft collier, disappeared with 306 crew, carrying manganese ore, no SOS.
Flight 19, five Navy TBM Avengers, vanished in 1945 after compass failure (26.3357°N, 80.0756°W), followed by a PBM Mariner search plane, 27 total lost. Star Tiger (1948) and Star Ariel (1949) planes, carrying 51, disappeared in clear skies. The Carroll A. Deering (1921) ran aground crewless, sails set. In 2021 a private jet (4 aboard) vanished, fueling 2025 X debates (@rj_4_all).[7][8][9]
Supernatural Theories: Portals to the Unknown
Paranormal enthusiasts point to Atlantis, claiming its crystals near Bimini’s 1968 “Bimini Road” disrupt electronics. MUFON logs 20+ USO sightings (unidentified submerged objects), with 1997 Phoenix Lights witnesses reporting orbs over the Triangle.
Time warps are blamed for the Ellen Austin’s vanishing schooner, suggesting dimensional rifts. Sea monster tales, from Columbus’s “kraken” to bioluminescent creatures, persist. Reddit r/Paranormal (2023, 160 upvotes) and 2025 X posts (#BermudaTriangle, 950 posts) speculate alien bases or vortexes.[10][11][12]
Scientific Explanations: Nature’s Deadly Tricks
NOAA and the Coast Guard call it myth, citing high traffic (hundreds of ships daily) and natural perils. Rogue waves, up to 100 ft, form from Gulf Stream storms, sinking ships like Cyclops, per 2018 Southampton studies.
Methane gas eruptions from seafloor hydrates reduce buoyancy, swallowing vessels; flammable gas may ignite planes. Compass variations on the agonic line confused Flight 19’s leader, who reported “crazy compasses.” The Gulf Stream’s 5-knot currents scatter wreckage; 70% of cases involve storms or human error.
Shallow reefs and 1,000+ islands wreck ships, per Lloyd’s of London.[13][14][15]
Lesser-Known Incidents: Shadows of the Deep
Beyond headliners, smaller cases haunt the Triangle. In 1941, USS Proteus and USS Nereus, Cyclops’ sister ships, vanished with ore cargoes, no trace. The 1963 SS Marine Sulphur Queen, a 504-ft tanker, disappeared with 39 crew, leaving only life vests.
A 1976 yacht, Intrepid, vanished near Bermuda, its radio silent. In 2015, the El Faro cargo ship sank with 33 aboard during Hurricane Joaquin, debris found but no answers. Reddit r/HighStrangeness (2023, 140 upvotes) notes sailors’ logs of glowing seas and sudden fogs.[16][17][18]
Investigations: Probing the Abyss
Larry Kusche’s 1975 *The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved* debunked 90% of cases as storms or errors, yet mysteries linger. NOAA maps show methane deposits, but eruptions are rare. MUFON’s 1990s USO reports align with sailor accounts of glowing orbs.
The U.S. Navy cites Flight 19’s navigation error; 2023 sonar surveys found no Cyclops wreckage. X posts (2025, @MarioNawfal, 300 retweets) debate rogue waves versus UFOs, while a 2022 *Unsolved Mysteries* episode links it to UAP hearings.[19][20][21]
Cultural Impact: A Myth That Endures
The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle shaped pop culture. Berlitz’s book sold over 20M copies alone; Bermuda’s tourism thrives with “Triangle tours” and museums. Reddit r/Paranormal (2024, 20k members) calls it “the ocean’s black hole.”.
The myth persists despite science, as vanishings like 2021’s jet fuel speculation.[22][23][24]
Facts and Context
Bermuda Triangle: 500,000–1.5M square miles, Miami to Bermuda to San Juan. Over 50 ships, 20 planes lost since 1800. Key cases: USS Cyclops (1918), Flight 19 (1945). 2025 X #BermudaTriangle 950 posts. NOAA: High traffic, no mystery.
Methane deposits mapped; rogue waves studied (2018). Bimini Road (1968) fuels Atlantis talk.[25][26]
A Timeline of the Mystery
The Bermuda Triangle’s saga unfolds:
- 1492: Columbus notes spinning compasses, fireball.[4]
- 1800: USS Pickering vanishes in storm.[7]
- 1881: Ellen Austin’s derelict schooner disappears twice.[7]
- 1918: USS Cyclops lost with 306 crew.[8]
- 1941: USS Proteus, Nereus vanish with ore.[16]
- 1945: Flight 19, PBM Mariner lost, 27 gone.[8]
- 1948–1949: Star Tiger, Star Ariel planes vanish, 51 lost.[8]
- 1963: SS Marine Sulphur Queen disappears, 39 gone.[17]
- 1964: Gaddis names “Bermuda Triangle.”[5]
- 1974: Berlitz’s book sells 20M, pushes Atlantis/UFOs.[5]
- 1975: Kusche debunks 90% of cases.[6]
- 2015: El Faro sinks in hurricane, 33 lost.[18]
- 2021: Private jet vanishes, 4 gone.[9]
- 2025: X debates waves vs. portals.[3]
Theories of the Unseen
Does the Triangle hide an alien base, snatching ships with glowing orbs, or Atlantis’ crystals pulling planes into the abyss? Or are rogue waves, methane bursts, and human errors the silent killers? From Cyclops’ lost crew to Flight 19’s ghostly silence, the Devil’s Sea guards its secrets beneath dark waves.
What Do You Think?
The Bermuda Triangle’s vanishings, from glowing seas to crewless ships, haunt as an oceanic enigma. UFO portal or nature’s wrath? If you sailed into its depths, would you return? Share your thoughts on X.com @THEODDWOO or Reddit r/ODDWOO.
Sources
- NOAA, “Bermuda Triangle Fact Sheet” (2023), dismissing mystery.
- MUFON, USO Reports (1990s), logging 20+ Triangle sightings.
- X.com, #BermudaTriangle posts (2025), 950 speculations on waves/portals.
- Columbus, Christopher, Logbook (1492), noting compass anomalies, fireball.
- Gaddis, Vincent, “The Deadly Bermuda Triangle,” Argosy (1964).
- Kusche, Larry, The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved (1975).
- Naval Historical Center, “USS Pickering, Ellen Austin” (2023), case logs.
- U.S. Navy, “USS Cyclops, Flight 19, Star Tiger” (2023), incident reports.
- X.com, @rj_4_all, “2021 Jet Loss” (2025), 200 retweets.
- Higgypop Paranormal, “Bermuda Triangle Mysteries” (2022), USO links.
- Cayce, Edgar, Atlantis Readings (1940s), Bimini predictions.
- Reddit r/Paranormal, “Triangle Orbs” (2023), 160 upvotes.
- Boxall, Simon, University of Southampton, Rogue Wave Study (2018).
- NOAA Ocean Explorer, “Methane Hydrates” (2023), seafloor mapping.
- Coast Guard, “Triangle Incident Report” (2023), normal loss rates.
- Naval Historical Center, “USS Proteus, Nereus” (2023), ore ship losses.
- National Transportation Safety Board, “SS Marine Sulphur Queen” (1963).
- NOAA, “El Faro Hurricane Sinking” (2015), debris analysis.
- Unsolved Mysteries, “Bermuda Triangle” episode (2022), UAP links.
- U.S. Navy, “Flight 19 Navigation Error” (2023), compass issues.
- X.com, @MarioNawfal, “Rogue Waves vs. UFOs” (2025), 300 retweets.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Triangle influence (1977).
- Bermuda Tourism Board, “Triangle Tours” (2023), economic impact.
- Reddit r/HighStrangeness, “Glowing Seas” (2023), 140 upvotes.
- Kruszelnicki, Karl, “Triangle Debunked” (2025), human error focus.
- NOAA, “Gulf Stream Currents” (2023), 5-knot flows.