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The U.S. Board of Geographic
Names does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an official name
and does not maintain an official file on the area.
The
"Bermuda or Devil's Triangle" is an imaginary area
located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States,
which is noted for a high incidence of unexplained losses of
ships, small boats, and aircraft. The apexes of the triangle are
generally accepted to be Bermuda, Miami, Fla., and San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
In the past, extensive, but futile
Coast Guard searches prompted by search and rescue cases such as
the disappearances of an entire squadron of TBM Avengers shortly
after take off from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., or the traceless
sinking of USS Cyclops and Marine Sulphur Queen have lent credence
to the popular belief in the mystery and the supernatural
qualities of the "Bermuda Triangle." Countless
theories attempting to explain the many disappearances have been
offered throughout the history of the area. The most practical
seem to be environmental and those citing human error. The
majority of disappearances can be attributed to the area's unique
environmental features. First, the "Devil's Triangle" is
one of the two places on earth that a magnetic compass does point
towards true north. Normally it points toward magnetic north. The
difference between the two is known as compass variation. The
amount of variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one
circumnavigates the earth. If this compass variation or error is
not compensated for, a navigator could find himself far off course
and in deep trouble.
An area called the "Devil's
Sea" by Japanese and Filipino seamen, located off the east
coast of Japan, also exhibits the same magnetic characteristics.
It is also known for its mysterious disappearances.
Another environmental factor is the
character of the Gulf Stream. It is extremely swift and turbulent
and can quickly erase any evidence of a disaster. The
unpredictable Caribbean-Atlantic weather pattern also plays its
role. Sudden local thunder storms and water spouts often spell
disaster for pilots and mariners.
Finally, the topography of the ocean floor
varies from extensive shoals around the islands to some of the
deepest marine trenches in the world. With the interaction of the
strong currents over the many reefs the topography is in a state
of constant flux and development of new navigational hazards is
swift. Not to be under estimated is the human error factor. A
large number of pleasure boats travel the waters between Florida's
Gold Coast and the Bahamas. All too often, crossings are attempted
with too small a boat, insufficient knowledge of the area's
hazards, and a lack of good seamanship.
The Coast Guard, and most other
official sources are not impressed with supernatural explanations
of disasters at sea. It has been their experience that the
combined forces of nature and unpredictability of mankind outdo
even the most far fetched science fiction many times each year.
Sources: The U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters; the Naval
Historical Center; WorldAtlas.com
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