Lost in the Bermuda Triangle: Tales of the Unknown

Imagine tracing a line on a map that connects Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Miami, and back to Bermuda. This line outlines the infamous Bermuda Triangle, known for its mysterious reputation of swallowing ships and aircraft over the centuries. However, there's a new enigma emerging in this already mysterious place, something lurking beneath the deep waters and leaving peculiar clues of its existence.

As you descend into the depths in a submarine, the pressure intensifies, reaching over 1400 PSI, like the weight of a grand piano compressing your body from all sides. Finally, you arrive at your destination, on the lookout for the elusive creature. In the black void, a bright green glow appears in the distance, growing larger as it approaches. Behold, the creature responsible for the strange circular markings found on various marine animals: the cookie cutter shark.

Don't be fooled by its small size, as this parasitic creature attaches itself to larger marine animals using its serrated teeth. With a single bite, it fills its belly and then detaches, leaving behind a cookie-shaped mark as evidence of its presence. Even submarines are not safe from these bold little predators. The risk of a shark damaging the submarine prompts you to continue your journey to discover other peculiar creatures lurking within the Bermuda Triangle.

At greater depths, you encounter the extraordinary dragon fish, which produces light in the infrared range, invisible to most other fish. This unique ability grants the dragon fish an advantage in capturing prey that cannot detect its light. Another fascinating creature you encounter is the vampire squid, with the largest eyes in proportion to its body size. When threatened, it curls its arms around its body, giving it a distinct appearance.

Beware of the terrifying bobbit worm, buried in the seafloor with only a small part of its body exposed. Equipped with pincer-like mouthparts, it waits for prey to come within reach. With lightning-fast speed, it launches forward, grabbing its prey and injecting venom before pulling it into its burrow for a feast.

Venturing deeper into the Bermuda Triangle, you discover the Tongue of the Ocean, one of its deepest trenches. Here, tiger sharks roam, recognizable by their darker gray tiger stripes. As the second-largest predatory shark species after the great white, tiger sharks have a voracious appetite, preying on marine mammals, smaller sharks, stingrays, and green turtles. The age of a tiger shark can be determined by observing the fading stripes, with more pronounced stripes indicating a younger shark.

While pondering the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, you stumble upon the curious story of the SS Cotopaxi. This ship vanished in 1925 while traveling from Charleston, South Carolina, to Havana, Cuba. Years later, a wreck was discovered 40 miles off the coast of Saint Augustine, Florida. Specialists eventually confirmed that this wreck was indeed the missing SS Cotopaxi, despite its location outside the Bermuda Triangle.

Speaking of the Bermuda Triangle, it is worth noting that it is not an officially recognized location on any world map. The exact boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle have been subject to speculation, with approximations ranging between 500,000 and 1.5 million square miles. The term "Bermuda Triangle" was coined by American author Vincent Hayes Gaddis in 1964 to describe a triangular region believed to have caused the mysterious disappearance of numerous ships and planes.

Determining the exact number of lost ships and planes within the Bermuda Triangle is challenging since some have vanished without a trace, their wreckage never recovered. The legends surrounding the Bermuda Triangle date back to the 15th century, including accounts from Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Over time, various incidents, such as the disappearance of Flight 19 in 1945, contributed to the legends and mystery associated with the area.