Does the Bermuda Triangle really exist?

A triangle formed in the Atlantic Ocean with Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico as its vertices, the so-called "Bermuda Triangle" has become notorious for ships and aircraft that have disappeared with no apparent cause.

The notion took flight after World War II, when several writers seized on these disappearances to suggest mysterious forces at work, hinting that this might be the result of paranormal events or even the work of extra-terrestrial beings.

The mystery of Flight 19, a group of five torpedo bomber aircraft that disappeared without rhyme or reason in 1945, added fuel to the fantasy. In an article typical of the hype surrounding the triangle, one commentator suggested a US Navy board of inquiry stated that the aircraft of Flight 19 "flew off to Mars".

In fact the Bermuda Triangle is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, and therefore the number of ships and aircraft lost here is proportionate to the number lost anywhere else in the world.

This region frequently sees violent hurricanes, which also helps explain sudden and seemingly inexplicable losses of ships and planes.