Tourism is undeniably one of the world’s largest industries, and in parallel with its enormous growth is the rise in popularity of new and unusual forms of travel (Gębarowski, 2019). Although people have long been attracted to places of historical tragedy and catastrophe, the concept of Dark tourism, a phenomenon which encompasses “the act of travel to sites associated with death, suffering and the seemingly macabre” (Stone, 2006, p. 146) has only recently been accepted as valuable economically, culturally and educationally within contemporary society (Light, 2017). In fact, the creation and consumption by visitors of authentic and commodified Dark tourism sites that were once considered niche is becoming one of the most developing branches of tourism and a significantly practiced cultural activity over the past several years (Gębarowski, 2019). Concurrently, there is evidence of a greater willingness and desire on the part of tourists to visit these somber attractions, such as cemeteries, battlefields, and other sites of human atrocities, assassinations, incarcerations, genocide, disasters or infamous deaths. This growing demand has often been linked to experience marketing and new movements towards the pursuit of activities offering unique and unforgettable experiences to tourists (Gębarowski, 2019). This trend has engendered an increase in the retail provision of such attractions, but with an enormous variance in the presentation of these Dark tourism sites has come a number of associated ethical and moral issues including commercialization, glorification, exploitation and misinformation in the marketing practices of tourist providers and the risk of passive tourist behaviour (Light, 2017). While many traditional tourist destinations have a growing Dark tourism focus, one such country that proves to be championing this movement in terms of the range and validity of offered attractions is Bermuda.
The small island’s illustrious tourism industry boasts picturesque pink-sand beaches, clear turquoise waters, vibrantly colourful neighbourhoods, a unique assortment of cultures, and a diverse topography ideal for aquatic adventures (Bermuda Tourism Authority, 2020). However, beyond these scenic elements considered central to the country’s allure are a number of dark historical events comprising many of Bermuda’s most visited tourist attractions, including fortifications, cemeteries, shipwrecks, hauntings, and witchcraft. It is precisely the stark juxtaposition between these sublime connotations of relaxation and the adjective dark past which make for such a fascinating island vacation. Although eerie at times, Dark tourism undoubtedly has the ability to allow us to learn from the worst of human history, spawning an entirely new meaning beyond the innately voyeuristic activity often affiliated with travel (Robinson, 2016). Arguably, the island’s most distinctive feature and one deeply rooted in its very identity is the fact that it is located in the area of the North Atlantic Ocean between Miami, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda in which countless ships, planes, and people are alleged to have vanished inexplicably – with the most well-known incidents being Flight 19 and the Mary Celeste (Colarossi, 2020). This mysterious concept has been popularized in popular media and influential literature throughout history, fuelling the vastly different assumptions unjustly associated with the island which have served to encourage visits from tourist groups possessing varied travel motivations. In such, insights about this topic were gained through an in-country case study designed to collect contrasting perspectives from first-hand experiences gathered through multiple interactions with tourists and locals. Along with extensive secondary research, this paper intends to explore the history of the Bermuda Triangle, the scientific and mythological theories behind the mysterious phenomenon, the influence of modern media in the global portrayal of the Bermuda Triangle, as well as the ways in which the mysterious and often tragic occurrences associated with the island have been marketed to serve its tourism industry.
History of Bermuda and Origin of the Mythical Triangle
Common knowledge surrounding the seemingly mythical island is often focused on the existence of the Triangle, with little familiarity for the actual history of Bermuda as a nation. In fact, prior to the commencement of this in-country case study, many respondents interrogated on the island chose to comment on the superstition associated with the region of water’s notoriously dark status. The scattering of low-lying Atlantic islands has long been riddled with mysticism and query, even before its initial discovery in 1503 by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez (Craven, 1990). Originally, Christopher Columbus wrote about the island during his voyage to the New World in 1492, reporting strange lights in the distance, erratic compass readings, and a flame of fire crashing into the sea (History, 2010). These unusual events, coupled with the shallow area of sea in no proximity to nearby land, caused much speculation for Columbus and his crew of sailors. Even before its popularization in Western culture as a “prodigious and enchanted place,” (Jarvis, 2010, p. 13), sailors passing by coined Bermuda the “Isle of Devils” upon hearing the calls of indigenous cahow birds, the squeals of wild pigs left by the early Spaniards on shore, and the stormy weather (History, 2010). This dangerous stretch of ocean recounted by sailors as a windless expanse of water replete with vessel remnants and debris is now known as the area of water between Bermuda and the Caribbean, officially called the Sargasso Sea (Jarvis, 2019). The first ship to be wrecked on Bermuda’s land by the treacherous surrounding rings of coral reef was the British Sea Venture in 1609, heading to Jamestown, Virginia (Craven, 1990). Allegedly, a great storm was attributed for the shipwreck that left over five hundred travellers stranded on the island for 9 months. Although the majority of passengers managed to continue their journey towards the final destination, three of the survivors decided to stay back (Craven, 1990). This eventually led to the country’s settlement as a British territory in 1612, with the Town of St. George proving the oldest continually inhabited English town in the Americas (Craven, 1990). The Sea Venture’s notorious shipwreck has been recounted in fictional narratives throughout history, even believed to have inspired Shakespeare’s acclaimed tale of shipwreck and sorcery, The Tempest (Lefroy, 1981).
The countless tales of unexplainable ship and aircraft disappearances which have taken place in the deadly waters of the Atlantic Ocean’s triangular shaped territory aren’t the only thing that’s dark about Bermuda’s past (Cochran-Smith, 2003). Because of its mid-Atlantic location ideal for transit, this mysterious path of water was also once attributed as the “Triangular Trade Route” as it carried vessels filled with African men, women, and children to the Americas, as well as Brazil, other southern countries, and Bermuda (Emert, 1995). By the end of the 17th Century, British and French slavers dominated the Atlantic routes, moving an estimated four-million African slaves to plantations, mines and factories (Emert, 1995). The commerce of slaves along this passage of sea – as well as the influx of immigrants from Portugal and the West Indies – has contributed to much of Bermuda’s racial and cultural diversity. Many of the island’s residents today proudly trace their roots back to these bloodlines, and in such, Bermuda is actively focused on commemorating the stories of those “who were forcibly transported across the sea to a New World, bereft of nearly all material evidence of their past cultures and identities,” (Harris, 2019, p.20). It is assumed that many ships that were wrecked on the shores of Bermuda’s reefs throughout history were slavers, or carried a number of items associated with the slave trade. Sites such as the African Diaspora Heritage Trail or the Lost at Sea memorial installed in St David’s island show the effort on behalf of tourism providers to honour the history associated with the Bermuda Triangle.
Disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle and Accompanying Theories
The Bermuda Triangle happens to be one of the most heavily traveled sailing lanes in the world, with ships crossing through it daily towards the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean Islands. Cruise ships pass back and forth between Florida and the Islands, often making stops at Bermuda’s Dockyards and commercial and private aircrafts regularly fly its route. As such a high-traffic area, one can infer that there is a heighted risk for complications, but in actuality, the number of disappearances is not strikingly greater than in any other especially frequented parts of the ocean (Weisberger, 2016). In the last 500 years, at least 50 recorded ships and 20 aircrafts have been lost in the Triangle, most without leaving behind any trace of wreckage (Weisberger, 2016). However, in comparing these numbers to the 1,231 ships lost globally from 2006 to 2015 (Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Safety & Shipping Review, 2016) and the 325 missing aircraft lost globally from 1930 to 2016 (Aviation Safety Network, 2016), it becomes clear that the real mystery may just be inescapable human error.
Out of all tales of death and despair experienced in the Bermuda Triangle, a couple in particular stand out amongst the rest as especially perplexing: Flight 19 and the Mary Celeste. In December 1945, five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers carrying 14 men disappeared on what is now known as Flight 19 (Weisberger, 2016). According to the legend, the aircraft and all crew members took off from Fort Lauderdale to conduct a routine bombing practice, but apparently got lost after the flight leader’s compass malfunctioned soon into the flight. As a response to the numerous distress signals received, another plane was sent out that same day but was never heard from again, alongside a total of 27 men. As the Bermuda Triangle legend grew increasingly prominent throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Flight 19 became one of the most familiar instances of mysterious disappearances. The Mary Celeste met a similar fate in another incident widely related to the Bermuda’s Triangle mysterious allure, although not as directly connected. In fact, the legend of this 282-ton brigantine found floating and abandoned in 1872 was actually found off the coast of Portugal (Pruitt, 2015). The ghost ship is often fictionalized in notable literature and is a popular account for which theorists attempt to interpret, along with other dark disappearances such as the USS Cyclops or the Ellen Austin.
The many strange disappearances said to have taken place in the Triangle have been attributed theories ranging from scientific to mythological, the latter offering piracy, sorcery, alien abductions, wormholes, sea monsters, paranormal activity, complex military cover-ups, and even the lost city of Atlantis as possible explanations (BUEI, 2015). Although the Ocean contains a wide number of unsolved mysteries beyond the Bermuda Triangle, there does exist some rational explanations for the many maritime disasters that have occurred in this region. The most apparent answers have been linked to extreme weather conditions including hurricanes, rogue waves, and sea tornadoes, human error as a result of low situational awareness, or magnetic anomalies in the magnetic field on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor proven to confuse compasses (Weisberger, 2016). Most recently, theorists have begun suggesting methane hydrates as the most logical reason for these freakish disappearances, with rapidly shifting tectonic plates and changes in pressure or temperature causing the release of methane gas trapped in the ocean floor (Howard, 2016). These massive eruptions of methane bubbles can disrupt currents and displace water around a ship, leading it to eventually sink. In the case of aircrafts, highly flammable methane can rise into the air and cause turbulence, or in extreme situations, starve the vehicle’s oxygen supply causing the engine to explode (Gruy, 1998). Regardless of the validity of certain theories presented, the irrefutable reality of the Bermuda Triangle as a collective illusion immortalized across media and folklore that so many of us have chosen to accept continues to prosper. There is no single answer ascertained to explain this enigma, and with the vast misunderstandings that continue to permeate all discussions surrounding the ocean as a powerful force of nature, this fascination with the Bermuda Triangle doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon.