The Bermuda Triangle quiz, and myth or fact
Test yourself. Every answer comes with its source.
How to play. Pick an answer and the fact behind it appears, with a link to where it comes from. Without JavaScript, open “Show the answer” under each question.
The case-file quiz
1 Vincent Gaddis drew the Triangle between Florida, Bermuda and…
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Puerto Rico. Vincent Gaddis, who popularised the name, described it as a line from Florida to Bermuda, another from Bermuda to Puerto Rico, and a third back to Florida through the Bahamas. Skeptical Inquirer
2 Does the U.S. Board on Geographic Names recognise “Bermuda Triangle” as an official name?
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No. There are no official maps of its boundaries, and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names doesn’t recognise “Bermuda Triangle” as an official name. NOAA
3 What does NOAA say about disappearances in the Triangle?
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There is no evidence they happen more often than in other busy ocean areas. 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
4 What is the Gulf Stream’s average speed?
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6.4 km/h. Its average speed is 6.4 km/h (4 mph). NOAA, Gulf Stream
5 On what date did Flight 19 take off?
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5 December 1945. Shortly after 2pm on 5 December 1945, five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers left Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a routine navigation training flight. US Navy history (NHHC)
6 How many men were aboard the five Avengers of Flight 19?
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14. The five planes carried 14 men: six Navy and eight Marines. NHHC H-Gram
7 Where did the flight instructor think he was?
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Over the Florida Keys. At about 15:40 Taylor radioed that both his compasses were out and he was sure he was over the Florida Keys. NHHC H-Gram
8 What were all five planes missing before take-off?
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Their 24-hour clocks. All five planes were missing their 24-hour clocks, a commonly pilfered item; pilots were supposed to have wristwatches. NHHC H-Gram
9 Where did USS Cyclops make her last known call?
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Barbados. She left Rio de Janeiro on 16 February 1918, called at Barbados on 3 and 4 March, and was never heard from again. DANFS
10 Who gave the Triangle its catchy name in a 1964 magazine article?
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Vincent H. Gaddis. The catchy name came from Vincent H. Gaddis, in an article called “The Deadly Bermuda Triangle” in Argosy magazine in February 1964. Skeptical Inquirer
11 Who wrote The Bermuda Triangle Mystery—Solved in 1975?
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Larry Kusche. In 1975 the librarian and pilot Larry Kusche published The Bermuda Triangle Mystery—Solved. Skeptical Inquirer
12 Who first mentioned the Sargasso Sea?
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Christopher Columbus. The Sargasso Sea surrounds Bermuda. Columbus was the first to mention it, crossing it on his first voyage in 1492. Britannica
Myth or fact?
Eight statements. Some are true, some are myths.
1 The Bermuda Triangle has official boundaries on government maps.
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Myth. There are no official maps of its boundaries, and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names doesn’t recognise “Bermuda Triangle” as an official name. NOAA
2 Most Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes pass through the Triangle.
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Fact. Most Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes pass through the Bermuda Triangle, and before better weather forecasting they claimed many ships. NOAA
3 Flight 19 was a combat patrol.
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Myth. It is often called the “Lost Patrol”, but Flight 19 was a routine training mission. NHHC H-Gram
4 A search plane was also lost looking for Flight 19.
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Fact. Fourteen men were lost on Flight 19 and 13 more on the flying boat sent to search for them: 27 in all. US Navy history (NHHC)
5 Roughly half the “unsolved” Triangle mysteries happened far away from it.
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Fact. Larry Kusche found that roughly half of the so-called unsolved mysteries happened far from the Triangle, some thousands of miles away. Skeptical Inquirer
6 The dramatic “white water” radio messages come from the official Navy record.
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Myth. Kusche traced fictionalised, dramatised radio messages back to a 1962 American Legion Magazine article by Allan W. Eckert; later writers attributed them to Flight 19. Skeptical Inquirer The Navy’s historian says numerous accounts have embellished the story, and sticks to the official record. NHHC H-Gram
7 The Gulf Stream carries more water than all the world’s rivers combined.
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Fact. It carries more water than all the world’s rivers put together. NOAA, Gulf Stream
8 Ships disappear more often in the Triangle than anywhere else.
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Myth. 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