Both on land and in the sea, there are a number of strange places that often defy logic. These locations have become synonymous with mystery due to the legend of ghost ships drifting without their crew. The Devil’s Sea is one such place.
Although the Bermuda triangle is widely regarded as one of the world’s most perplexing places, several other areas are just as enigmatic.
In the seas across the world, one of these sailors’ nightmares is known as the Devil’s Sea or Devil’s Triangle. The Devil’s Sea (Ma-no Umi in Japanese) is one of the twelve Vile Vortices located around the globe near Japan’s coast in the Pacific Ocean.
Vortices are formations that grow up out of the ocean around an island or continent, such as those found on a lee shore. They’re created when air pressure is high enough to cause water to form a whirlpool.
Vortices have several shapes and sizes depending on the intensity of the planet’s electromagnetic waves and other factors. A vortice forms in areas where the pull of the planet’s magnetic radiation is stronger than anywhere else, hence its name.
Location of the Devil’s Sea
The triangle is located in the Miyake, a Japanese island that is around 100 kilometers south of Tokyo. However, the Devil’s Sea’s precise position is debatable because several accounts give varying distances to the region.
It is said to be 110 kilometers from Japan’s east coast region. Other claims are that it is located near Iwo Jima, a Japanese Volcano Island that is almost 1,200 kilometers away. Because the Devil’s Sea isn’t on the map proper, its actual size and perimeter are unknown.
It’s also known as the Pacific Bermuda Triangle. It was named accordingly because it sits in the area’s position that is exactly opposite to the Bermuda Triangle. It also shares similarities in the “paranormal happenings” of the region with that of the Bermuda Triangle.
The region’s notorious reputation has been established for decades and even centuries if some records are to be believed.
The Devil’s Triangle has been in news for several decades due to unexplained vanishings of ships. According to legend, the waters of the triangle are notoriously dangerous and have caused even the strongest vessels to disappear, along with their crews.
Notable Events in the Devil’s Sea
The fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan, attempted to invade Japan in 1274 and 1281 AD. However, on both occasions he lost his vessels and crew members in this area. Approximately 40,000 people total in the triangular area surrounding Japan due to typhoons.
Even after Kublai Khan and his troops gave up their plan to invade Japan, the Japanese considered it was God who sent the typhoons to save them from their foes. The divers and marine archaeologists later confirmed the presence of further Mongol fleets in the area, strengthening the truth behind the legend.
In the early 1800s, a reportedly ghostly woman was seen sailing in the Devil’s sea on a vessel. It is said that the boat looked like contemporary Japanese incense-burning equipment. The ship’s destination and identity, however, are still unknown.
Several fishing boats and over five military ships were lost in the ocean between Miyake Island and Iwo Jima during this period.
Due to the discoveries, Japan dispatched a research vessel called Kaio Maru No.5 in 1952 to look for the lost ships that had been reported as having vanished without a trace in the Dragon’s Triangle.
However, the vessels with 31 crew members aboard were met a similar fate to those that previously sailed to the Devil’s Sea. The wreck of the Kaio Maru No.5 was later recovered, but the crew members’ whereabouts are still unknown.
Following the occurrence, the Japanese government effectively designated this region hazardous for marine journeys and trade. Furthermore, as a consequence of this unanticipated event, all efforts to discover the truth behind the enigma were abandoned completely.
How this Extrasensory Myth Began
To begin with, the name “Dragon Sea” is derived from a Chinese fable about dragons that live beneath the water’s surface. According to these stories, dragons lurking under the sea ambush passing boats in order to satisfy their appetite. These fables date back to before the Christian era – or AD 1000 BC.
With their focus on mythical creatures like dragons and sea goats, these stories have had a big influence on future legendary and mysterious tales.
The Japanese word “Ma-No Umi,” which means “the Sea of the Devil,” was originally created by Japanese people years ago when stories about supernatural events in the sea were popularized.
From ancient times, the Japanese have been afraid to enter this region of the sea, owing to its reputedly haunted qualities.
Other explanations for the Devil’s Sea Enigma
As the legends surrounding the Devil’s Sea propagated, researchers sought to explain its mysteries in a variety of ways. Efforts were also made to determine the veracity of the so-called supernatural occurrence.
Scholars such as Ivan Sanderson have hypothesized that the turbulent waters are due to the interaction of hot and cold water currents. These currents apparently create electromagnetic disruptions which ‘trap’ nearby vessels.
One hypothesis claims that subsea volcanoes in the vicinity might be to blame for dragon sightings. These eruptions could have started such accidents, which would explain why sailors’ stories recount dragons sucking ships and crews into the ocean’s depths.
According to marine experts, the islands in the region frequently vanish suddenly. New ones emerge at the same rate owing to undersea volcanoes and seismic activities.
Another scientific study found that the events commonly associated with the Bermuda Triangle are actually caused by an environmental phenomenon. The research team argued that there are high levels of methane hydrates present on the seafloor in this area.
When methane hydrates gas or methane clathrates explode, they form bubbles on the water surface as the ice-like deposits separate from the bottom of the ocean. These activities can interrupt buoyancy and also destroy a vessel without even leaving a trace.
The Devils’ Triangle Book
In 1989, American writer and paranormal activity theorist Charles Berlitz wrote a book called The Dragon’s Triangle. In it, he detailed the research he had done on the paranormal activities in the area. According to Berlitz, five Japanese military vessels have gotten lost in this triangle due to its ‘evil’ nature. This resulted in the death of more than 700 people.
Later, Larry Kusche published a book in 1994 titled The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved. This debunked Charles’ claims that the Devil’s Sea is a mythical location rife with paranormal occurrences. In his book, Kusche rejected Japanese military ship disappearances as proof of the existence of the Devil’s Sea. Instead claiming they were fishing boats that had vanished.
In Kusche’s book, he claims that the research ship sent by the Japanese was smaller than previously thought. It only had a crew of 31 people rather than the 100 claimed by Charles. Moreover, it was wrecked as opposed to disappearing completely.
He contended that an undersea volcano had wrecked the research vessel in 1952 September. However, a few years ago, the Japanese retrieved the wreckage which disproved Charles’s theory.
The Pacific Bermuda Triangle has been the source of numerous speculations. Even though there is scientific proof and a legendary aura surrounding this oceanic area, its enigmatic quality endures, this triangle in the pacific remains an enigma.
