The boundaries of the Triangle
vary with the author; some stating its shape is akin to a trapezium covering
the Straits of Florida, the Bahamas, and the entire Caribbean island area east
to the Azores; others add to it the Gulf of Mexico. The more familiar,
triangular boundary in most written works has as its points Miami, Florida; San
Juan, Puerto Rico; and the mid-Atlantic island of Bermuda, with most of the
accidents concentrated along the southern boundary around the Bahamas and the
Florida Straits.
The area is one of the most
heavily-sailed shipping lanes in the world, with ships crossing through it
daily for ports in the Americas and Europe, as well as the Caribbean Islands.
Cruise ships are also plentiful, and pleasure craft regularly go back and forth
between Florida and the islands. It is also a heavily flown route for
commercial and private aircraft heading towards Florida, the Caribbean, and South
America from points north.
The Gulf Stream ocean current
flows through the Triangle after leaving the Gulf of Mexico; its current of
five to six knots may have played a part in a number of disappearances. Sudden
storms can and do appear, and in the summer to late fall the occasional hurricane
strikes the area. The combination of heavy maritime traffic and tempestuous
weather makes it inevitable that vessels could founder in storms and be lost
without a trace — especially before improved telecommunications, radar, and
satellite technology arrived late in the 20th century.
