What has actually become of the Bermuda Triangle?
The Bermuda Triangle, once infamous as a mysterious place where ships and planes disappeared without a trace, is now more of a relic from an era of maritime myths and unsolved mysteries. Located between the points of Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, it became famous through a combination of speculative reporting, folkloric lore and a touch of supernatural flair that peaked in 1970s pop culture. But what has actually become of the Bermuda Triangle now that scientific rationality has largely supplanted the supernatural?
From spectacular disappearances to scientific explanations
The Bermuda Triangle was popularised in particular by the writings of Charles Berlitz, whose books achieved bestseller status in the 1970s. Berlitz speculated about extraterrestrial influences and other paranormal activities as possible causes for the mysterious disappearance of ships and aeroplanes. These theories were further fuelled by a flood of media reports and other books that took a similarly speculative approach. But science has not been asleep since then. Research shows that many of the mysterious incidents in the Bermuda Triangle have natural explanations. Strong ocean currents, sudden storms, human error and even disorientating migrations caused by magnetic anomalies offer logical explanations for many of these so-called mysteries.
The influence of pop culture and the waning of interest
The fascination with the Bermuda Triangle is a prime example of how pop culture can distort scientific realities and build myths. From films to documentaries, theories of paranormal phenomena in the Triangle have been widely disseminated, creating a mixture of fear, fascination and entertainment.
However, with the passage of time and the advent of newer, more spectacular mysteries, interest in the Bermuda Triangle has waned. Modern satellite technology and improved communication techniques have also made it possible for ships and aeroplanes to navigate this region as safely as any other part of the world.
Rationality gains the upper hand
Today, oceanographers and scientists view the Bermuda Triangle no differently than any other part of the ocean. Accidents and disappearances in this region are no longer automatically seen as part of a supernatural pattern. Instead, they are investigated and usually explained using scientific methods.
The Bermuda Triangle thus serves as a lesson in how mysteries can arise from a combination of insufficient information, human tendency towards spectacular explanations and media dramatisation. In a world increasingly dominated by data and facts, the once dreaded triangle has lost much of its terror and now stands as a symbol of how far humanity has come in its understanding of the natural world.
Here is a chronological list of films and novels that feature the Bermuda Triangle:
Films
“Satan’s Triangle” (1975) – A TV film that explores the mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle with a supernatural twist.
“The Bermuda Triangle” (1978) – Directed by René Cardona Jr. The film is about passengers and crew members of a ship that gets caught up in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
“The Bermuda Depths” (1978) – Another TV film revolving around scientific research and mythical creatures in the Bermuda Triangle.
“Lost in the Bermuda Triangle” (1999) – A film about the disappearance of a person during a boat trip in the Bermuda Triangle.
“Bermuda Tentacles” (2014) – An action film in which the disappearance of Air Force One over the Bermuda Triangle leads to a rescue mission that awakens a monstrous threat.
“Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle” (TV Movie 1996) – After a strange storm in the Caribbean, a family is shipwrecked and finds itself on an island in the “27th dimension”.
Novels
“The Bermuda Triangle” (1973) – By Charles Berlitz, the book that was instrumental in popularising the Bermuda Triangle myth.
“The Sea of Monsters” – A novel by Rick Riordan, part of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, in which the Bermuda Triangle is depicted as the mythical site of Charybdis, one of the main locations of the plot.
These works (and others) show the diverse cultural reception of the Bermuda Triangle in literature and film, from serious attempts to explain the phenomenon to its use as a backdrop for fantastical stories. They reflect the fascination that the Bermuda Triangle still exerts for many, despite scientific explanations.
