What, no aliens? Bermuda triangle mystery a case of rogue waves, experts think

The Bermuda triangle, a patch of the Atlantic ocean linked with the disappearance of ships and planes, has long given excitable imaginations fodder (Explanations have featured extraterrestrials and "time warps"). But according to reports, some scientists think the 'mystery' of the missing boats can be blamed on something simpler: Waves.

Yes, waves -- but not the friendly, beachside kind that tickles your bare toes and wrecks your sandcastles. We're talking about naturally-occurring "rogue waves".

LiveScience says there's nothing new about this idea, but points out that scientists from Britain "recently discussed the evidence for freak waves and other theories (including the role of human error) in a three-episode [Channel 5] documentary series "The Bermuda Triangle Enigma"."

The Bermuda triangle is located off the coast of Florida, and above Cuba. Dr Simon Boxall, an expert from the University of Southampton, told the Sun that a coming together of three storms in the region can produce "a potentially deadly formation of rogue waves".

But hold on a bit. Is the Bermuda Triangle mystery even....well, a mystery?

And when the World Wildlife Fund listed "key hotspot locations" in a 2013 report on shipping accidents, it mentioned regions including Southeast Asia and the east Mediterranean -- but not the Bermuda triangle.