The Bermuda Triangle

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of ships and airplanes have disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean in a small area known by numerous names, such as: The Devil's Triangle, Limbs of the Lost, Sea of Confusion, Zone of Twilight, and Port of the Lost Ships. But its most common name, which strikes fear in the heart of many, is the Bermuda Triangle.

  • Background Information

    • Disappearances

  • Muggle Side of the Story

    • Oceanic Gases

  • Wizarding Explanation

    • The Bermuda Dragons

    • Malfunctioning Portkey 1

    • Malfunctioning Portkey 2


Image shows map or Bermuda Triangle.

Background Information


Although there are a few slight differences when people report the location of the Bermuda Triangle, generally speaking we are looking at an area of water in the Atlantic Ocean with Bermuda, Miami, and Puerto Rico at its points. There were 300 tiny islands that were discovered in 1515 by Juan de Bermudez. They were in the middle of the Triangle, though it wasn't known as the Bermuda Triangle at the time. The islands had drinking water, lots of food, and was the perfect location to make a refuge or provisioning base for ships.


However, despite the advantages these islands had, Europeans scorned them less than a century later. The sailors of Queen Elizabeth avoided them deliberately. It was said that the islands were haunted by demons.


Disappearances

Image shows ship from the 1800's.

  • The modern history of the Bermuda Triangle begins with the disappearance of the Pickering, an American boat in 1800.

  • In 1854, a British ship called the Bleated, which was sailing towards Jamaica vanished.

  • In 1866, a Swedish ship traveled into the Triangle, and was never heard from again.

  • In 1868, the Viego a Spanish trading vessel disappeared.

  • In 1880, the Atalanta, a British training ship, disappeared with more than 290 officers and crew members.

  • Miramon, an Italian ship vanished in 1884

The list goes on and on, and is still being added to. It was in 1945, when five American bombers disappeared that this area of the Atlantic Ocean became famous. Just a few short years later, a writer named Vincent Gaddis coined the term 'Bermuda Triangle'.

It wasn't just ships that were disappearing. In January 1948, the Tiger Star, a British plane sent the message, "Excellent weather conditions. Will arrive in the next hour." But the plane never arrived. In December of the same year, a Douglas DC3 disappeared between Puerto Rico and Florida. The pilot had transmitted, "We are approaching the airport. We see the lights of Miami. All is well. Awaiting instructions for landing." The control tower of Miami never heard back from the DC3, and it was never found, despite having disappeared close to the coast where the water depth is no more than 6 metres!


During the 20th century, at least 100 disappearances inside the Bermuda Triangle were recorded.

Muggle Side of the Story

Image shows aircraft from the 1840's.

Muggles have attempted to explain the disappearances in the Triangle for years; everything from UFOs, black holes, or other dimensions, weapons or machines from Atlantis.


Oceanic Gases

Image shows ocean gases.

A theory brought forward by Muggle scientists that could explain the disappearances of the ships and planes, are the oceanic gases. on the continental shelf, at a depth of 500 metres (1640 feet), with temperatures lower than 5 degrees Celsius (41F), methane hydrate remains stable. But when the sea-beds split up, large quantities of the methane hydrate escape. As it reaches the surface, the water starts bubbling. A ship could be in trouble with the boiling water! It can lose its buoyancy and sink, or even capsize.

What about the planes? When the methane hydrate reaches to the water's surface, the gas (which is lighter than air) rises in the atmosphere. If the engine of the plane comes into contact with the methane, the gas ignites and the plane explodes.


Wizarding Explanation


While we wizards know it isn't oceanic gases, we're still conducting our own research into what may be the cause of the Bermuda Triangle. We have narrowed it down to three theories though.

The Bermuda Dragons


In the middle of the Bermuda Triangle there is an Unplottable island. This island was the home of an ancient dragon reserve; this we know for a fact. What we don't know is if there are any dragons left here. See, not even the bravest wizards will go there to study the dragons. They are a breed far worse than the Hungarian Horntail, Peruvian Vipertooth, and Chinese Fireball put together.

Image shows dragon breathing fire.

It is believed that when anything gets close enough to the island, the dragons go out in force and devour any humans they find; and they find them all thanks to their heightened sense of smell and cunningness. While wizards have done their best to hide the island, even make it disappear completely, the efforts have been for naught. All it would take is for some foolhardy Muggle to get a little too close... and all that work disappears - along with the Muggle.


Malfunctioning Portkey 1


The Bermuda Triangle was a crossroad where wizards and witches used to go through when they Disapparated and Apparated. Because it was used so frequently, the dimension between the worlds became very thin and got out of control. Now innocent Muggles can be magically transported to places when they encounter the Bermuda Triangle.


The Ministry of Magic is trying to get control of the situation, but it is difficult when Muggles frequently have to have their memories obliviated, so that they don't remember anything about the Wizarding world or apparating. When articles appear in the Muggle news, most of their people don't believe it, because there is no physical proof.


Malfunctioning Portkey 2

Image shows satellite image of a hurricane.

The area contained in the Bermuda Triangle has been bewitched to be a giant portkey from ancient times. Nowadays, we all know that portkeys are enchanted objects, which when touched transport a person to a predetermined location. But in ancient times an unknown wizard decided to make an experiment and transform an area into a portkey rather than an object. The experiment was done to ultimately make travel by sea and air easier and faster, however it was forgotten that Muggles often pass through that area.


When they decided to destroy the charm, it was discovered that too much magic had been used to transform the area into a portkey and it was impossible to cast another spell to break the first due to the risk of the area collapsing with that much magic around it. Instead it was easier for them to put a team of obliviators near the Triangle to wipe the memory of any Muggles that go near the Bermuda Triangle.

Click here to go to the assignment!