A scientist has claimed to have solved the mystery surrounding The Bermuda Triangle. Oceanographer Dr Simon Boxall, from the University of Southampton, believes that he and his team have uncovered the secret behind the mysterious stretch of ocean in the north Atlantic Ocean. The area has long been blamed for a series of unexplained events including missing ships, deadly wrecks and paranormal activity.
Located between the southernmost tip of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the island of Bermuda to the north, the area has generated endless speculation and fascination throughout the years, but Dr Boxall believes he can now provide answers. The triangle has been responsible for the disappearance of more than 50 ships and 20 airplanes, with mentions of it dating back all the way to the time of Christopher Columbus who wrote in his log diaries about erratic compass readings, strange lights in the distance and patches of white water on his first voyage to “the New World” in 1492.
Dr Boxall believes that unexplained disappearances of vessels can be explained by the presence of “rogue waves” in the region.
He told the Channel 5 documentary series, The Bermuda Triangle Enigma: “There are storms to the south and north, which come together.
“And if there are additional ones from Florida, it can be a potentially deadly formation of rogue waves.
“They are steep, they are high – we’ve measured waves in excess of 30 metres.”
He added that passing ships caught by such large waves could be extremely vulnerable to being suspended between the waves peaks, potentially leading to it snapping in two.
He added: “The bigger the ship, the more damage is done.”
Dr Boxall’s team re-created the intense surges of the 30 metre waves by using indoor simulators.
They rebuilt a model of the USS Cyclops, an American carrier that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918 claiming the lives of 309 people.
He said: “If you can imagine a rogue waves with peaks at either end, there’s nothing below the boat, so it snaps in two. If it happens, it can sink in two to three minutes.”
Some however have cast doubts on Dr Boxall’s claims of solving the mystery and even the idea that there is a mystery to solve in the first place.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said previously: “There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-travelled area of the ocean.”
They added: “Environmental considerations could explain many, if not most, of the disappearances. The large number of islands in the Caribbean Sea creates many areas of shallow water that can be treacherous to ship navigation.”
