What NOAA and the Navy say
Storms, currents, shallows, compasses and big waves.
How this site works. Every fact is in our own words and linked to its source, beside it. The pictures are our own drawings. We remember that real people died in these events, and we stick to the records.
NOAA says there is no evidence that mysterious disappearances happen more often in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, busy area of ocean. NOAA
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard say there are no supernatural explanations for disasters at sea: the forces of nature and human error are enough. NOAA
NOAA says environmental factors could explain many, if not most, of the disappearances. NOAA
Britannica says geophysical and environmental factors are the most likely cause. Britannica
Storms and hurricanes
Most Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes pass through the Bermuda Triangle, and before better weather forecasting they claimed many ships. NOAA
The Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream can cause rapid, sometimes violent, changes in the weather. NOAA
The Gulf Stream is a strong, warm ocean current in the western North Atlantic. NOAA, Gulf Stream
It flows north along the coast of Florida, turns east off North Carolina and heads northeast across the Atlantic. NOAA, Gulf Stream
Its average speed is 6.4 km/h (4 mph). NOAA, Gulf Stream It is fastest near the surface, typically up to about 9 km/h (5.6 mph). NOAA, Gulf Stream It slows to about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) as it widens to the north. NOAA, Gulf Stream
It carries more water than all the world’s rivers put together. NOAA, Gulf Stream
Shallow water
The many islands of the Caribbean create shallow waters that can be treacherous for ships. NOAA
Compasses
There is some evidence that in the Triangle a magnetic compass sometimes points to true north rather than magnetic north. NOAA
Does the agonic line make navigation harder?
One idea is that pilots failed to allow for the agonic line, where no compass correction is needed, and made serious navigation errors. Britannica
Kusche, a pilot, argues the opposite: where the difference between true and magnetic north is near zero, navigation is simpler, because adjusting for zero is easy. Skeptical Inquirer
Rogue waves
Another theory is rogue waves, which can reach up to 100 feet (30.5 metres). Storms from several directions can meet in the area, making them more likely. Britannica
The less likely ideas
Other ideas, NOAA says, are more scientific but lack evidence: methane gas bursting from the seabed, and disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field. NOAA
NOAA lists aliens, the lost continent of Atlantis and vortices into other dimensions among the “whimsical ideas”. NOAA
Britannica says some of the theories put forward have been fanciful. Britannica
Anywhere at sea
With foul weather or poor navigation, the ocean can be very deadly, and that is true all over the world. NOAA
Next: how the legend grew →