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At the Edge of Mystery
 When you visit Clocktower Mall at Royal Naval Dockyard, you’ll see the “official tip of the Bermuda Triangle,” marked by a sculpture and plaque. Of course, there are no “official” boundaries of the infamous triangle that has allegedly claimed hundreds of ships and aircraft, and few scientists acknowledge its existence. So how did a stretch of ocean gain such a notorious reputation?
Strange occurrences in the Triangle — generally accepted to be between South Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda — can be traced back to Christopher Columbus. Weeks before “discovering” America in 1492, he made four log entries mentioning compass anomalies and unusually high seas despite very little wind.
Other well-known Triangle incidents are the disappearance of the USS Cyclops and its crew of 309 men in 1918 and the vanishing of U.S. Air Force Flight 19 in 1945 with five crewmen. These and many other mysterious occurrences have been popularised by conspiracy theorists since author Vincent Gaddis first coined the term “Bermuda Triangle” in a 1964 Argosy article, putting the blame on everything from time vortexes and UFOs to the lost city of Atlantis.
 However, the Triangle is more fiction than fact. Before modern navigational systems, it was impossible for sailors to know, for example, of an approaching hurricane. And the Gulf Stream that passes through the Bermuda Triangle quickly washes away any debris from a damaged vessel, making a capsized ship “disappear without a trace.” Other explanations have included German U-boats (the USS Cyclops sailed in the midst of WWI); rogue waves (spontaneous large waves that may sink entire ships); and simple human error (even Columbus may have misunderstood magnetic compass variations).
Whatever the case, the Bermuda Triangle remains yet another fascinating tale that, if nothing else, adds mystique to these islands.
Visit Royal Naval Dockyard at www.thewestend.bm.
Enjoy Bermuda's historic sites and attractions by booking your visit online now.
Interested in learning more about Bermuda history? Please see our History section.
Relax, enjoy, save and see Bermuda by bus. A blue or pink pole indicates bus stops. If the pole is topped with blue, the bus travels from Hamilton; if the pole is topped pink, the route is toward Hamilton.
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Make your Bermuda trip even more memorable with dolphins! Dolphin Quest offers fun, interactive dolphin encounter programs for all. Book your adventure today!
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Have a fun-filled vacation with a cycle from Oleander. If you can ride a bicycle, you can easily ride an Oleander scooter. See all of Bermuda...reserve one today!
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