Exploring the Enigmatic Dragon’s Triangle – Pacific’s Very Own Bermuda Triangle

If Bermuda Triangle’s spookiness prevents you from voyaging across the Atlantic, there is every reason to avoid the Pacific too. The deadly Dragon’s Triangle has so far claimed enough lives and ships to repel voyagers.

There are many eerie places and phenomena in the world, which cannot be explained through logic and science. How would you explain the disappearances of massive vessels in a particular area of the sea? Where science fails to explain, legends are created. The same is the case with the Dragon’s Triangle, which is also called the Devil’s Sea.

Devil’s Sea is nothing short of a sailor’s nightmare. Many fear sailing around the Pacific even if the triangle isn’t in their ship’s proximity. The reason behind this fear is that the site has been the sole cause of countless deaths, disappearances, and accidents.

The Bermuda Triangle and Dragon’s Triangle share sharp similarities. Both have remained quite consistent in consuming ships, aircraft, and crews. Also, both have managed to remain unsolved mysteries to date. Let’s dig deeper and find out more about the enigma that is the Devil’s Sea.

Devil’s Sea or Dragon’s Triangle Geographic Location:

Located closer to the Japanese coast in the Pacific, the Devil’s Sea is among the 12 deadliest whirlpools in the world. Wondering what is a whirlpool? In technical terms, a whirlpool is called vortex and dangerous whirlpools are called Vile Vortex (Vortices). Vortices are areas where the earth’s electromagnetic waves are much stronger than anywhere else. Out of the 12, 5 vile vortices are situated below the equator, on the same latitude. The other five are situated above the equator on the same latitude. Remaining two vortices are located at the north and south poles. All the 12 vile vortices are claimed to be the main areas where the planet’s strongest magnetic anomalies occur. The Dragon’s Triangle is located above the equator. It is exactly in opposite alignment of the Bermuda Triangle, its counterpart in the Atlantic Ocean.

Geographically, the Devil’s Sea is situated around a Japanese Island called Miyake. Miyake lies around 100 kilometers from the southern part of Japan’s capital, Tokyo. It must be noted that the sea’s precise location is still disputed. Various reports cite different location and distance. Some claim it to be about 110km far-off Japan’s east coast region. Other reports state that it falls into the vicinity of a Japanese Volcano Island Iwo Jima. This island is about 1,200 km away from the Japanese coast.

The Devil’s Sea is officially not a part of the map, which is why its accurate size and perimeters are yet unclear. What’s clear is that it is located in the Pacific Ocean, between the Island of Bonin and the coast of Japan. The area also covers a bigger chunk of the Philippine Sea. The Devil’s Sea is nicknamed the Dragon’s Triangle because it is a triangular shaped region.

Origin of the Legend of the Devil’s Sea/Dragon’s Triangle:

There are many names and nicknames associated with the Devil’s Sea. Apart from the most famous Dragon’s Triangle, the sea is called Taiwan Triangle or Formosa, and the Pacific Bermuda Triangle.

You must be wondering why it has been named the Dragon’s Triangle. There is actually an ancient story (originated in 1000BCE) behind the association of dragon with the Devil’s Sea. According to ancient Chinese fables, there was a dragon that lived under the waters, exactly where the Devil’s Sea is located. This dragon had an insatiable hunger, which he satisfied by consuming vessels, ships and of course, sailors and seamen. The dragon attacked sailing vessels quite frequently because he got hungry too often. That’s how people started associating the site with the dragon. Hence, the name Dragon’s Triangle originated.

Now let’s find out why it is called the Devil’s Sea. In the Japanese language, the location is referred to as Ma-No Umi. The term has been created by Japanese natives probably hundreds of years ago. The reason they named the location as the Devil’s Sea is that it was believed to be home to sea monsters. People believed that those terrifying, underwater sea monsters are consuming the ships. The site was linked with the Devil because even the largest, strongest, and most resilient vessels were easily consumed by the sea. So, people started believing that the devil resides here. That’s how the Dragon’s Triangle got the name the Devil’s Sea.

Legend has it that the Devil’s Sea monsters are so notorious that they can make even the strongest of vessels vanish without any trace. They consume the ships as a whole, taking along the crewmen on board. There is another interesting story linked with the sea. The legend is called Utsuro-Bune in Japan and the vessel that lady was sailing in is called Kou-Hako.

In the early 1800s, many sailors claimed to have seen a mysterious, somewhat mythical lady sailing all alone in the Devil’s Sea. Her vessel, as per the story, was identical to traditional Japanese incense burning equipment. It is believed that the lady wasn’t a Japanese native and looked like a foreigner. Her physical features were quite different from those of the Japanese. Fishermen, who identified that lady, brought her back to the inland area to investigate. However, she couldn’t speak Japanese. Feeling surprised and startled, people began suspecting her as not human but an extraterrestrial being. Some believed her to be an interdimensional being. Where was the lady heading to? Why was she sailing alone? And most importantly, who was she? These questions still remain unanswered.

Notable Events have Occurred in the Devil’s Sea

There are although many stories and incidents associated with the Devil’s Sea that explain its notoriety. But, some are very famous and have been confirmed by scientists and marine archaeologists to have actually occurred. The following are the most notable events in the Devil’s Sea:

Kublai Khan’s Ill-fated Expedition to Invade Japan:

One of the most widely known incidents associated with the ill repute of the Devil’s Sea is that of the famous Chinese conqueror Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan ruled the Yuan Dynasty back in the 1200s. The grandson of the Great Genghis Khan and fifth Great Khan of the mighty Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan tried to cross the Devil’s Sea twice. He wanted to make inroads into Japan in order to conquer it and make it part of his Empire. The inauspicious meetings between the Devil’s Sea and Kublai Khan occurred in 1274 and 1281 AD respectively. However, both the attempts of Khan were unsuccessful and disastrous, to be honest.

Japanese should actually thank the Devil’s Sea for preventing the great Khan from invading their land. The sea stayed true to its perception as the Devil’s Sea and prevented the fleet of Kublai Khan from making it to the shore. In fact, Khan tried twice to reach Japan via the Devil’s Sea but was met with severe typhoons both the times. In these two attempts, he lost all of his vessels and around 40,000 crewmen on board those vessels.

So, the triangular region acted as a savior for the Japanese back then. Feeling discouraged after the loss of so many of his men, Kublai Khan abandoned his plans of invading Japan. The Japanese started believing that God has sent those typhoons to protect them. The incident cannot be discredited as a mere myth because marine archaeologists did discover remains of the Mongol Fleets. These remains were discovered where the Devil’s Sea is located.

The Cryptic Vanishing of Kaio Maru:

Kaio Maru No. 5 is the name of a Japanese research ship. It would be better to refer to it as the unlucky research ship because it was sent to investigate the Devil’s Sea and never returned. Reportedly, between the 1940s and 50s, the Devil’s Sea claimed many ships and people. The number of disappearances of vessels and sailors reached an unprecedented peak. The vanished vessels also included more than five military ships.

All the disappearances were noted in a particular region, between Iwo Jima and Miyake Island. The Japanese authorities were baffled. After all, the public needed answers from them about the disappearance of so many ships within a few years. So, Japanese government decided to investigate the matter. In 1952, a research ship Kaio Maru No. 5 was sent to the Devil’s Sea to check out why all those ships went missing. There were in total 13 crewmen on board. Being true to its reputation of eeriness, the Devil’s Sea consumed this vessel as well. The ship and all of the crew members on board met the same fate as those it went to investigate. It sank on 24^th September 1952. Kaio Maru No. 5’s wreckage was discovered after some time. But, the remains or the whereabouts of the people were never found.

It was due to the cryptic vanishing of the Kaio Maru that the Japanese government declared the area unsafe. It was regarded as hazardous for sailing, marine travels, and good transportation. After the Kaio Maru incident, all efforts to identify the facts behind vanished ships were aborted for good.

How Does Science Explain the Dragon’s Triangle (Devil’s Sea) Phenomenon?

Disappearances of so many maritime ships and aircraft and other mysterious events have occurred in the same region. Naturally, scientific experts are keen on exposing the reality behind the strange sequence of events. Here are the key explanations provided by scientists to explain why ships and people disappear in the Devil’s Sea.

Violent Weather:

Many researchers claim that the primary cause of the enigma surrounding the Devil’s Sea is the weather. The region is prone to sudden, unexpected and very violent weather changes. It is also claimed that numerous random oceanic phenomena also occur here occasionally. Such as the rogue waves, maelstroms and ocean swells, etc.

According to a book authored by Charles Berlitz in 1989, about 700 people vanished in the Devil’s Sea between 1952 and 1954. This is a startling figure indeed. Later in 1995, another author Larry Kusche claimed that it is the weather that is leading sailors to death. He also commented that the vessels that went in the sea were actually fish boats. Kusche wrote that the Triangle region is a very active part of the Earth. This area is particularly prone to many tectonic phenomena and weather fluctuations.

What About the Dragon with The Insatiable Hunger?

The Bonin Islands or the Ogasawara Islands form the southeastern strip of the Dragon’s Triangle. For centuries, people have believed that this particular area has been concealing a fearsome dragon. But according to oceanographers, there is an underwater volcano that explodes from time to time. The unfortunate Kaio Maru is also claimed to have been the victim of this volcano. Research reveals that due to the volcano underneath, the water at the surface gets too hot. Due to this, the water loses its buoyancy, which is mandatory for ships to move forward. Therefore, when Kaio Maru reached the sea, it immediately sank. The crew could not get an opportunity to escape.

So, we can assume that ancient Chinese legend isn’t wrong. Back then people might not have much knowledge about volcanoes. Therefore, the volcanic explosions were regarded as the product of a ruthless, fire-breathing dragon. However, volcanologists are still not convinced with the underwater volcano explanation themselves. They opine that it is not possible for an underwater volcano to sink ships almost immediately.

Being one of the 12 Vile Vortices:

As mentioned above, the Dragon’s Triangle is one of the 12 vile vortices on the Earth. According to biologist Ivan T. Sanderson from Scotland, these are sites of strongest electromagnetic abnormalities. The name Vile Vortices was, in fact, created by Sanderson. The infamous Bermuda Triangle is situated in a region that is one of the 12 vile vortices. So, Sanderson claims that the electromagnetic anomalies result in mixing of hot and cold currents. This mixing occurs exactly at the point where the triangle is located. Due to this effect, navigational instruments installed in the ships/vessels start malfunctioning. Perhaps, that’s why ships and even planes disappear when crossing this area.

Methane Hydrates?

Scientists also claim that the abnormalities observed around the Devil’s Sea could be a result of the presence of methane hydrates. These hydrates are present on the seabed. Also called methane clathrates, when these explode, bubbles form on the water surface. The bubbles are just like little ice-deposits, which get separated from the ocean’s bottom and surface at the top. Due to this activity, the water buoyancy is interrupted and leads to the destruction of a vessel.

Final Thoughts:

The Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific is still an intriguing and unexplainable phenomenon. Despite various attempts from researchers, oceanographers, scientists, and explorers it still remains a mystery. Theorists are unable to determine the main cause behind disappearances of so many vessels, aircraft, and sailors. Also, volcanologists are themselves doubtful about the authenticity of the presence of a volcano under the sea. So, what we can assume is that in this world, there are certain phenomena that are beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Some mysteries are better left unexplored if finding answers leads to deaths and disappearances.

Featured Image Credit: Google Earth