The Bermuda Triangle

The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle has long captivated the public's imagination. Since 1945, approximately one hundred ships and twenty aircraft have vanished within this region. Theories abound: some invoke extraterrestrial interference, while others suggest paranormal phenomena. But what is the actual explanation?

Consider the case of December 5, 1945. On that day, Flight 19, comprising five bomber planes, took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a routine training exercise. Leading the mission was Lieutenant Charles Taylor, a 28-year-old experienced pilot, accompanied by fourteen trainee pilots. Initially, all seemed well: the weather was favorable, and the team was in high spirits.

However, the situation rapidly deteriorated. As the planes flew over the Atlantic, they encountered an unexpected vortex. Violent winds and a sudden storm engulfed them. Crucial navigational instruments began to malfunction. Shortly thereafter, Fort Lauderdale base lost all radar contact with Flight 19. In his final radio message, a panicked Lieutenant Taylor stated, "It looks like we are entering white water. We're completely lost."

In response to this alarming situation, the U.S. Navy immediately dispatched two rescue seaplanes. One exploded mid-flight, while the other safely returned to base. Despite weeks of intensive search efforts involving dozens of men and aircraft, no trace was found. The five bomber planes and the missing seaplane, along with the 27 people on board, remain unaccounted for.

The event made headlines, and one question persisted: "What happened to Flight 19?" The military could provide no satisfactory explanation. The official investigation merely faulted Charles Taylor for poor decision-making in a crisis situation.

The story of Flight 19 and its mysterious disappearance in what is now known as the Bermuda Triangle faded into obscurity for nearly two decades. It wasn't until 1964 that American journalist Vincent Gaddis reignited the case. Intrigued by the unexplained disappearances, he conducted his own investigation and found that Flight 19 was not the only entity to have vanished in this geographical area. Indeed, this region, forming a triangle between Bermuda, Miami, and Puerto Rico, has been the site of over 100 disappearances at sea and in the air over the last century.

This is not a new phenomenon. Christopher Columbus himself noted compass anomalies while sailing through this region. Gaddis was convinced that this was no coincidence. According to him, this area, spanning approximately one million square kilometers, is exceedingly perilous. He was the first to coin the term "Bermuda Triangle," thereby marking the beginning of one of the 20th century's greatest enigmas.

This enigma has fueled the imaginations of many, including Charles Berlitz, an American writer fascinated by paranormal phenomena. In 1974, he published "The Bermuda Triangle," a book compiling survivor accounts of disasters occurring in this mysterious zone. Berlitz posited a daring theory: the presence of a submerged stone pyramid in the depths of this region. According to him, this pyramid could be a relic of a 12,000-year-old civilization and might exert some form of attraction on ships and aircraft, leading them to their doom.

Interest in the Bermuda Triangle peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, largely due to Berlitz's book. This fascination even prompted Jacques Mayol, the renowned free-diver whose story is told in the film "The Big Blue," to dive in the region to verify Berlitz's theories. Unfortunately, he found nothing conclusive.

Other hypotheses, increasingly extravagant, also emerged. Some suggested an underwater portal leading to another dimension, or even a giant sea monster capable of swallowing ships. The most popular theory remains that of extraterrestrial beings residing in the ocean depths.

In response to this fervor, the U.S. government intervened. An investigative commission was dispatched in the 1970s to study the disappearances. Their conclusion was unequivocal: the disappearances could be attributed to meteorological phenomena or technical issues. They specifically cited tropical cyclones and "bombs," sudden and violent storms that can occur in winter.

However, these explanations were insufficient to solve the mystery of Flight 19, which disappeared in December 1945. Meteorologists then proposed another avenue: the Gulf Stream, the warm current that traverses the Bermuda Triangle, could interact with cold waters and cold air masses in winter to create extreme weather conditions.

More recent theories suggest magnetic explanations. The presence of magnetite-rich volcanic rock beneath the ocean floor could disrupt navigational instruments. Another hypothesis, emerging in 2015, points to methane. Pockets of this gas could be released from the seabed, altering water density and intoxicating aircraft pilots.

Despite these theories, the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle endures. Scientists have yet to find a definitive explanation that garners consensus. What is certain is that this area continues to fascinate and intrigue, and it has likely not yet revealed all its secrets.