Some writers have claimed that inexplicably high numbers of boats, ships, and aircraft have disappeared in an area off southeast Florida called the Bermuda Triangle. The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is sometimes defined as the triangle formed by Melbourne, Florida, the Bermuda Islands, and Puerto Rico. The boundaries of the triangle vary greatly among writers depending on which disappearances they want to include. Many paranormal explanations are given for these disappearances, ranging from extraterrestrial abduction to movement into another dimension.
No paranormal explanations need be invoked to account for the disappearances. When the circumstances of each "mysterious" disappearance are researched, ordinary explanations are found. For example, the famous Lost Flight 19, five U.S. Army Air Corps Avenger Torpedo planes lost on December 5, 1945, in the area, is explained by poor weather, limited experience, and primitive navigation equipment which caused the group to become disoriented and fly seaward rather than back toward land. Studies have shown that no more unexplained disappearances of craft occur in the area called the Bermuda Triangle than in any other comparable ocean area.
Sensationalizing authors and media coverage that did not include skeptical investigation were responsible for the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.
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