Could Clues in the Caribbean Sky Finally Solve the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle?

Why have so many ships and planes gone missing in the mysterious “Bermuda Triangle” over the years? Perhaps the explanation is floating in the skies above…

A new theory links ominous cloud formations in the Caribbean sky to numerous famous disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle over the years.

The Bermuda Triangle encompasses a triangular section of the Caribbean over the Atlantic Ocean. (Wikimedia Commons)

Meteorologists now suggest that these strange clouds may have created “air bombs” traveling at speeds of 170 mph that could easily overpower ships and airplanes. The odd, hexagonal-shaped clouds, termed “honeycomb clouds” are actually a regular occurrence at mid-latitudes, according to NASA. They often form over the Bahamas on the back side of a cyclone or low pressure system. Another name for them is “open cell cloud formations.”

During an episode of the Science Channel’s “What on Earth?”, Meteorologist Randy Cerveny suggested that the cloud formations could cause dangerous gusts of air. “These types of hexagonal shapes in the ocean are in essence air bombs,” he said. “They’re formed by what is called microbursts and they’re blasts of air.”

Dangerous winds and giant waves

According to Cerveny, the microbursts can create sea-surface winds reaching nearly 100 mph (161 km/h). In addition, they can generate gigantic ocean waves more than 40 feet (12 meters) high.

A diagram of giant waves. (Source: Weather Underground)

A similar phenomenon sometimes occurs in the North Sea. Radar images have revealed 100 mph wind gusts under cloud formations resembling those over the Bahamas.

However, other meteorologists have suggested that what has happened in the North Sea is not necessarily the same as what occurs over the Caribbean sky. Meteorologist Kevin Corriveau told NBC News that he can’t completely agree with the theory that the honeycomb formations are wreaking havoc in the Bermuda Triangle, for several reasons.

“When I look at a hexagonal cloud shape in the Bahamas, this is not the cloud signature of what a microburst looks like,” Corriveau said. “You would normally have one large to extremely large thunderstorm that wouldn’t have an opening in the middle.”

Corriveau believes that the strange clouds over the Caribbean sky form thanks to the way the small islands of the Bahamas heat the air.

Bermuda Triangle: a Caribbean Mystery solved?

Popular opinion is divided on whether the strange cloud formations are responsible for so many disappearances in the triangular area between Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Florida’s southern tip. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other “theories” that seek to explain why so many planes and ships have gone missing there.

Some say there is paranormal activity in “the Devil’s triangle”. Others say that the disappearances are due to extraterrestrials using the area as a sort of “harvest ground” for passing vessels. Most scientists, on the other hand, are adamant that there is nothing mysterious at all about the Bermuda triangle. They say that the reason why so many ships and planes have disappeared there is simply because it is an area with extremely high traffic. In fact, it’s one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Ships frequently pass through it on their way to the Caribbean islands, the Americas, and Europe. In addition, thousands of commercial planes fly over it each year. Cruise ships bring multitudes of passengers to various vacation destinations throughout the Caribbean.

In reality, most of the accidents in the Bermuda Triangle probably come down to human error and mechanical failure. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration even went as far as to say, “There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-traveled area of the ocean.” Furthermore, the Worldwide Fund for Nature published a list of the most dangerous ocean regions in 2013, but neither the Bermuda Triangle nor the Caribbean were among them.

That being said, it’s no mystery that the idea of a “haunted” triangle in the middle of the ocean has captivated the minds of millions of people around the world.

History of the Bermuda Triangle

Have you ever wondered who actually came up with the term “Bermuda Triangle?” Writer Vincent Gaddis first used the name in a 1964 issue of Argosy, a pulp magazine.

However, there are writings about strange happenings in the Devil’s Triangle dating back to Columbus’s first trip to the Americas in 1492. He wrote that a “great flame of fire” (probably a meteor) crashed into the sea one night, and that he saw a strange light in the distance a few weeks later. In addition, he reported that his compass was not giving accurate readings. This occurred most likely because there is a place in the triangle in which true north and magnetic north line up.

Another famous speculation is that William Shakespeare wrote his famous play “The Tempest” about a shipwreck in the Bermuda Triangle. However, there is no way to confirm whether this is true.

It wasn’t until the 1940s that people began to take a keen interest in reports of accidents and disappearances in this region. In March 1918, the USS Cyclops sank somewhere between Barbados and the Chesapeake Bay. It had over 300 men on board. Strangely, the vessel never sent out any distress calls. Search parties never found any wreckage.

When two of the Cyclops’s sister ships also vanished along the same route in 1941, public speculation began to tend toward the belief that there was something supernatural or sinister about the Bermuda Triangle.

In addition, there are numerous tales of lost ships and planes. Five navy bombers disappeared in 1945 after reporting that their compasses were malfunctioning. A search and rescue party sent after them also vanished. After searching for months and finding no wreckage, the Navy said it was “as if they had flown to Mars.”

The “Devil’s Triangle” today

Today, thousands of ships and planes pass through the Bermuda Triangle every year without difficulty. The Caribbean continues to be a booming tourist hub. Despite the various unexplained disappearances, most experts believe that theories about the “Devil’s Triangle” have been unnecessarily blown out of proportion. Nevertheless, it certainly makes for a good story!

Want to learn more about the Caribbean? Check out 10 Interesting Facts About the Caribbean Sea!

Main image source: ScienceAlert

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