Bermuda Triangle
The legend of the Bermuda Triangle probably started some time around 1945, when a squadron of five Navy Avenger airplanes disappeared on a training flight out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Soon, the masses were wondering: Was something amiss in the triangle-shaped stretch of ocean between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico? Today, we've all heard of the Bermuda Triangle. And over the years, a whole host of theories, from the wacky to the reasonable, have cropped up to explain its disappearances.
1: Human error/Pilot disorientation
Look, no one likes to admit they make mistakes...but we all do it, and pilots and sailors are no exception.
The Bermuda Triangle's tropical weather and crystal blue water make it prime aviation stomping ground for everyone from veteran pilots to Navy sailors to amateurs looking to play around.
There's a lot of traffic in the area, and when you add in the turbulent weather patterns, swift currents and a landscape composed of a lot of similar-looking islands, it can be really easy to lose one's way. Once you're a little way off, it's only a few more wrong turns until you're really far askew: far, far away from a place to refuel or wait out tough weather.
In short, you're a disaster just waiting to happen … and, judging from the Triangle's history, you're not alone.
2: Crazy weather patterns
This theory about crazy weather isn't actually so crazy at all.
The tropical skies over the Bermuda Triangle are prone to intense, severe storms as warm and cold air masses collide over the ocean. Seriously, it IS kind of smack in the middle of hurricane alley.
Add to that the swift-moving Gulf Stream that cuts right through the Triangle, and you've got some very difficult territory for both ships and planes. To add another level of mystery to the legend, just take the underwater terrain: It's rugged and deep, and is home to the Puerto Rico trench, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean.
Good luck finding anything that does wreck in that region.
Soon, the masses were wondering: Was something amiss in the triangle-shaped stretch of ocean between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico? Today, we've all heard of the Bermuda Triangle. And over the years, a whole host of theories, from the wacky to the reasonable, have cropped up to explain its disappearances.
1: Human error/Pilot disorientation
Look, no one likes to admit they make mistakes...but we all do it, and pilots and sailors are no exception.
The Bermuda Triangle's tropical weather and crystal blue water make it prime aviation stomping ground for everyone from veteran pilots to Navy sailors to amateurs looking to play around.
There's a lot of traffic in the area, and when you add in the turbulent weather patterns, swift currents and a landscape composed of a lot of similar-looking islands, it can be really easy to lose one's way. Once you're a little way off, it's only a few more wrong turns until you're really far askew: far, far away from a place to refuel or wait out tough weather.
In short, you're a disaster just waiting to happen … and, judging from the Triangle's history, you're not alone.
2: Crazy weather patterns
This theory about crazy weather isn't actually so crazy at all.
The tropical skies over the Bermuda Triangle are prone to intense, severe storms as warm and cold air masses collide over the ocean. Seriously, it IS kind of smack in the middle of hurricane alley.
Add to that the swift-moving Gulf Stream that cuts right through the Triangle, and you've got some very difficult territory for both ships and planes. To add another level of mystery to the legend, just take the underwater terrain: It's rugged and deep, and is home to the Puerto Rico trench, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean.
Good luck finding anything that does wreck in that region.