In 1975 a librarian by the name of Larry Kusche published a book entitled The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved. In the book Kusche revealed that many of the strange accidents and disappearances reported in the Bermuda Triangle were not so “paranormal” after all. In many accounts, he discovered that when a writer had noted that a ship went down in calm waters, a raging storm had caused the ship to sink, or when other ships were reported to have mysteriously vanished, their remains had been found and the cause of the disaster explained.

Of course, Kusche’s theories have been debated and although others have claimed to solve the mysterious accidents and disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle, it can still to this day comfortably fit into the realm of unsolved mysteries.

The Bermuda Triangle or “devil’s triangle” is an imaginary triangle stretching from Norfolk to the island of Bermuda and back to Puerto Rico . The term “Bermuda Triangle” was first used in an article written for Argosy magazine in 1964. The author claimed that in this strange expanse of sea a number of planes and ships had disappeared without explanation. Although it was the first time the term was used, the mystery of the triangle was already known. Actually, as early as 1492, Christopher Columbus reported that while he sailed through the area, his compass went haywire and he spotted a ball of fire in the sky. This could easily be explained away as a meteor and the trouble with his compass as a discrepancy between true north and magnetic north that exists in the triangle.

Another famous encounter is the discovery of the abandoned ship Mary Celeste in 1892. There was no sign of the captain, his family, and the eight crew members or what happened to them. Save for one lifeboat, all the supplies had been left on the ship. It appeared that they had abandoned ship quickly, but why?

And the most famous of all strange occurences in the triangle: the disappearance of the five navy avenger bombers of Flight 19, is to this day blamed on the deadly triangle, but when the facts are laid out, the mystery isn’t so mysterious. All of the crewmen were inexperienced trainees except for the patrol leader Lt. Charles Taylor. Taylor’s compass malfunctioned during the flight and he chose to rely solely on navigating on landmarks below, but the brewing storm caused poor visibility, and he unknowingly led them farther into sea. The explanation is that the five planes ran out of gas and plunged into the sea, but to this day, the wreckage has never been found. Of course, these are just a few of the happenings in the infamous triangle. A detailed account of the disasters and disappearances can be found at: http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/.

So is this mystery really a mystery after all? The theories of the Bermuda Triangle range from sea monsters to UFO abductions. A few of the more sound theories contributing to the deadly phenomenon of the triangle are:

* The Bermuda Triangle is one of two places on earth that a magnetic compass points towards true north. Normally it points toward magnetic north. This compass variation between the two changes by as much as 20 degrees and if it is not compensated for, a navigator could find himself lost and in deep trouble.

* The Gulf Stream is swift and turbulent and can quickly erase any evidence of a disaster. This unpredictable weather pattern including sudden storms and water spouts can lead to trouble for captains and pilots.

* The strong currents over the many reefs in the triangle cause the topography to be in a constant state of flux in the triangle. Navigators may not be able to adjust to these hazards as swiftly.

* The triangle sits over an oceanic trench. Large amounts of gas are released to the surface that causes a vacuum-like effect and unstable waters that are unable to support a ship.

None of these theories are set in stone, and all of them have been debated in one way or another. Maybe the mystery of the triangle is a mystery, maybe it is not, but the many disappearances and accidents definitely leads the mind the wonder and wander, and isn’t that what makes life so interesting?