Florida

Bermuda

Jamaica

Bahamas

HaitiDominicanRepublic

PuertoRico

VirginIslands

Atlantic OceanGulf ofMexico

Cuba

One of the best-known disappearances in this triangle is the U.S.S. Cyclops. This navy supply ship vanished in 1918. Radio contact was lost, and no trace of the ship was ever found. In 1963 a tanker called the Marine Sulphur Queen went down with no warning, although not without a trace. A single life preserver was found. The legend was established even earlier. During the Revolutionary War, an American ship, the Saratoga, was lost in this same area.

It’s not only ships that have vanished in the Bermuda Triangle. In 1945, a training squadron

You may have heard the tales about ships and planes that disappear mysteriously in this area, lost without a trace. Maybe someone’s told you that insurance companies charge more for ships that sail through this part of the Atlantic Ocean. Or you may have watched a television show about how compasses go crazy and radios stop working here. Some have blamed mysterious whirlpools, others point to UFOs and alien kidnappings, while still others argue that the “Bermuda Triangle” is the site of the lost ancient city of Atlantis, which continues to claim victims.

The Bermuda Triangle is an imaginary region in the north Atlantic. It does not appear on maps, but its boundaries usually are considered to be the areas between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. What happened in this area that helped create the legend of supernatural powers at work in the ocean?

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Torpedo bombers like this one were lost in the Bermuda Triangle.

unpredictable and extreme changes in weather. Most Atlantic hurricanes enter the Bermuda Triangle. The many small islands in this are also a danger. Unknown shallow areas near islands can cause ships to run aground and sink.

Why have so many ships and planes left no trace? Scientists point to several reasons. The ocean floor in this part of the world contains many deep areas, or trenches. A ship could sink into an especially deep one and never be located. The sandy ocean floor also shifts, and the changes could quickly cover a wreck.

People seem to enjoy mysteries. When scientific explanations are not well understood, some people turn to exciting supernatural causes. In fact, there is no evidence that shows mysterious disappearances occur in the Bermuda Triangle more often than in other parts of the oceans. The Bermuda Triangle, however, continues to provide thrills and chills.

of five torpedo bombers flew into the Triangle. Radio contact was lost, and the five planes disappeared. No traces were ever found. In addition, one of the search planes looking for the bombers vanished.

What is going on? Are the shipwrecks and plane crashes the result of supernatural forces, or can they be explained by natural causes? Scary stories about the Bermuda Triangle attract a lot of attention and cause goose bumps, but what do scientists say? They have identified some possible reasons for the disappearances. The Bermuda Triangle lies in a powerful ocean current known as the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream can cause

DID YOUKNOW?

Oceanography is the scientific study of oceans, including ocean floors, life forms in the oceans, and the movement and chemical makeup of ocean waters.

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