WhereIsAtlas · Geography

The Bermuda Triangle

The 'Devil's Triangle' in the western North Atlantic — famous for vanished ships and planes, explained by science

Unknown — The Bermuda Triangle is a loosely defined region in the western North Atlantic bounded roughly by Miami, Puerto Rico and Bermuda, once famous for supposedly mysterious ship and aircraft disappearances. Investigations have found no statistically unusual rate of loss — the 'mystery' is largely a matter of legend and dangerous geography.

The Bermuda Triangle, also called the 'Devil's Triangle,' is an imaginary triangular region in the western North Atlantic, bounded roughly by Miami (Florida), San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Bermuda. It spans hundreds of thousands of square miles and was popularized in the mid-20th century as a place where ships and aircraft inexplicably disappear.

The legend grew in the 1940s and 1950s, fueled by reports of ships and planes lost in the area — most famously the disappearance of Flight 19, a group of US Navy bombers that vanished during a training flight in 1945. The area became a staple of mystery lore, with theories ranging from natural anomalies to the supernatural.

However, investigations by coast guards, insurers and researchers have found no evidence that the Bermuda Triangle is any more dangerous than other heavily traveled parts of the ocean. The region is genuinely hazardous — with busy shipping lanes, severe weather, the Puerto Rico Trench and strong currents — but the 'mystery' is largely a narrative built on selective reporting and ignored statistics.

Quick facts

Region
Western North Atlantic
Vertices
Miami, San Juan, Bermuda
Famous for
Alleged disappearances of ships and aircraft
Iconic case
Flight 19 (1945)
The legend
Popularized mid-20th century
The reality
No unusual rate of loss; dangerous but normal geography

Sources

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