The stretch of ocean between Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and Florida—popularly known as the Bermuda Triangle—has long been the subject of myth and speculation. For decades, reports of planes vanishing mid-flight and ships sinking without a trace have fuelled supernatural theories, ranging from wormholes to extraterrestrial abductions. Nicknamed the “graveyard of the Atlantic,” the area spans roughly 700,000 square kilometres and remains one of the most enduring maritime mysteries.
However, recent scientific perspectives suggest that the enigma is far less otherworldly. Oceanographer Dr. Simon Boxall of the University of Southampton argues that the disappearances can be explained by the phenomenon of rogue waves—massive walls of water that can reach over 30 metres (100 feet) in height. In a Channel 5 documentary, The Bermuda Triangle Enigma, Boxall notes that such waves are powerful enough to sink large vessels within minutes. He cites the case of the USS Cyclops, a 165-metre U.S. Navy cargo ship that vanished in 1918 with 306 crew members on board. Despite extensive searches, no wreckage was ever recovered—an incident Boxall attributes to a rogue wave strike.
Other experts take a more pragmatic stance. Australian scientist Karl Kruszelnicki dismisses supernatural explanations, pointing instead to human error, mechanical failure, and environmental conditions as the most plausible causes. He emphasizes the region’s proximity to major shipping and flight routes, noting that statistically, the rate of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle is not higher than in other heavily trafficked areas of the world.
Kruszelnicki also revisits the infamous case of Flight 19, a squadron of five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers that disappeared in 1945. Radio transcripts reveal navigational errors, failing instruments, worsening weather, and growing confusion among the pilots as night fell. Despite the pilots’ training and experience, all 14 crew members were lost, reinforcing the argument that human and environmental factors played a far greater role than any paranormal force.
In short, while the Bermuda Triangle continues to capture the public imagination, scientific explanations—rogue waves, navigational errors, and natural hazards—appear to provide far more convincing answers than the long-standing myths of alien abductions and interdimensional gateways.
