Most people have heard of the mysterious Bermuda
Triangle in the west of the North Atlantic. But did you know that there’s also a similarly
deadly region in the Pacific, known as the Devil’s Sea? Located off Japan’s coast in the world’s
biggest ocean this area has swallowed up ships and aircraft both in the past as well as much
more recently. But why does this happen and how? Let’s find out in this episode of the Infographics
Show, Nine Ships Lost in Perfect Weather. To the Japanese the area is known as the Mo-no
Umi, or literally the Sea of the Devil. Alternatively, it is also referred to as the
Dragon’s Triangle or the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific. The exact coordinates of where it is seem
to be somewhat open to debate; however, the rough location remains the same. Most claim it is a triangle with a top point
near Tokyo, Japan, with its left corner hitting the Philippines, and its right reaching just
short of the Mariana Trench. It spans a good portion of the Philippine
Sea. If you were to make a horizontal line from
its center around the globe, on the opposite side of the world you would pass right through
the heart of the Atlantic’s Bermuda Triangle. Many believe this is no coincidence. Beyond its ability to seemingly swallow up
boats and planes whole, it is also where people claim to have experienced many strange things. Some have seen ghost ships set sail, UFOs
fly among the clouds, or monsters deftly navigate its waters. It is where others have witnessed mysterious
inconsistencies with the passing of time and the functioning of electronic devices. Could it also be where Amelia Earhart met
her end? According to some conspiracy theorists, this
is exactly what happened. Though others hypothesize that she was both
captured and killed by the Japanese. Of course, the position of the US government
is that she simply crashed somewhere unknown at sea. To add yet further to the Devil’s Triangle’s
mystery, some suggest it could be the site of The Lost City of Atlantis. As it is impossible to explore what lies beneath,
we’ll never know if this is the case. These and many other strange things have been
associated with the lethal waters that go back thousands of years. There are tales of 13 century attempts at
Mongol attacks on Japan acting on orders of the grandson of Genghis Kahn. They tried two such invasions in both 1274
and 1281 AD. Unfortunately, to get to their target area
they had to first navigate the Devil’s Sea. Typhoon storms ended up battering the fleets
on both occasions, and the second one was especially strong. This threw off the attacks and led to celebrations
among the Japanese population. Shattered remains of water-logged ships from
the Mongolian fleet still rest on the ocean’s bottom. It’s estimated that around 40,000 men were
lost along with their ships to the sea. This was followed by several sightings of
a single lady on a ship sailing along the Dragon’s Triangle all alone. What she was doing or what vessel she sailed
have never been determined with any certainty. Her ship was unusual as it was described as
the shape of a box used to hold incense, unlike the design of other ships common to the area. Beyond this strange sight, many claimed to
have glimpsed strange lights that shone out from above the waves. Mysterious events only continued in the 1940s
and 1950s. During these ten years several ships who entered
the Devil’s Sea area were never heard from again. 20 submarines from World War II similarly
disappeared. Specifically, the stretch between the Miyake
and Iwo Jima islands seemed to be particularly deadly. Some who navigated the treacherous waters
of the Devil’s Triangle and survived claimed that the weather would change suddenly and
drastically, without an obvious cause or warning. They have mentioned devastating rogue waves
coming out of nowhere or strong maelstroms mercilessly spinning in the waters of the
sea. In addition to this, Toksiaki Lang, who flew
over the area during battle with the US in the Second World War, claimed to have glimpsed
a long serpent-like monster with wings gliding through the water. There were more unusual tales from during
the war. A pilot in a Kawanishi HK-8 plane who was
looking for signs of the Americans approaching radioed in to the military base on the mainland. After mentioning that the sky was opening
up communication was lost and never continued. Some wonder if some higher power claimed him
or a portal had opened up to another dimension. Nothing will ever be known for certain. Between the years of 1950 and 1954 alone,
as many as nine ships equipped with radios and sailing in calm seas went missing. Only one had called for help. Noticing a troubling trend midway through
this time, Japan decided to investigate. It dispatched a research ship, the Kaio Maru
No.5 to take a closer look. Sadly, the vessel became yet another statistic. While the ship was found none of the remains
of those manning the vessel ever were. It is estimated between 1952 and 1954 five
Japanese vessels sank or vanished and more than 700 people died in a Devil’s Sea location. However, after the loss of Kaio Maru No.5
Japan had already terminated all open investigations into the region. They knew if they revisited the area exactly
what would happen. And sure enough, their fears were soon proven
true with the continued loss of their citizen’s vessels as well as those of others. This was despite the fact that the Japanese
government had issued an official warning about the dangers. It’s clear that many tragic things have
happened at the Devil’s Triangle. What’s less clear is why. A theory that has largely been debunked is
that, like the Bermuda Triangle, it is one of the world’s twelve Vile Vortices. This term was first given by a biologist known
as Ivan T. Sanderson who classified each of these places around the globe as the site
of strange electromagnetic activity. He also referred to them as the world’s
graveyards and it’s not hard to see why. Sanderson believed that they are caused by
combinations of hot and cold air and water currents that met in these specific locations. According to his calculations, this happened
in a type of pattern. When he drew lines to connect the Vile Vortices
of the world, they formed a 20-faced polyhedron. Because of these unusual events, it would
throw off the function of navigation instruments, as well as other things. Pilot Tetsuzan Naito would attest to this. According to some sources, he had been flying
over Miyake Island when his instruments went haywire for a full 15 minutes. Then, alarmingly, his engine started sputtering. Further, he claims, after all this had happened,
he was temporarily surrounded by a strange green glow. Interestingly, green haze has also been reported
in the sky above the waters of the Bermuda Triangle. To continue with Sander’s theories, remember
that the 12 Vile Vortices were, he believed, a convergence of Earth’s power that caused
strange electromagnetic activity. For this reason, he claimed a vile vortex
could not only lead to things disappearing or strange instrument function, but paranormal
activity or gateways to different dimensions. Pilot Takeo Tada flying over the area in 1971
seemingly supported this. He claimed it was a nice, though cloudy day
when he saw a flying orange saucer appear before him. As it was traveling rather slowly, he was
able to observe it closely before it vanished into a cloud. However, afraid of ridicule, he didn’t share
this story until decades had passed. Those who are less inclined to believe in
the world’s intersecting power grid and Sander’s ideas, may be pleased that there
are also other more logical explanations. The Miyake-jima and Iwo-jima islands, or area
with much strange activity and disappearances, are near the Izu-Bonin volcanic arc, with
actively erupting volcanoes. In fact, in ancient times the Chinese believed
that all problems in the area stemmed from dragons beneath the waters of the Devil’s
Triangle with a hunger that they satisfied by feasting on entire ships. It may be that what they mistook for a fire
breathing dragon was really an underwater eruption that had breached the surface. Researcher Larry Kushe is said to have found
proof that the wreck of the Japanese investigating ship was actually caused by a volcano known
as Myojin-sho erupting. Volcano activity could also lead to earthquakes
and thunder and lightning storms, which would make sailing overhead quite dangerous. There is additional evidence of continual
underwater movement and explosions that can be seen from far above. The shifting of tectonic plates either lift
land up or bring it down. This is why the area near Iwo Jima has continually
forming and then quickly disappearing landmasses or islands. Of course, there is the apparently bottomless
Mariana Trench nearby with unknown if any effects but probably only adds further instability
to the area. Some also believe methane gas from the seabed
below could have journeyed to the surface with disastrous consequences. In fact, some theorize this could sink a ship
and leave behind little if any evidence. This is because it causes problems with buoyancy
as it is difficult to float on a bubbling sea. In fact, an NBC news article updated in 2003
describes the odorless gas as first being solid in pressurized conditions but turning
to gas as it breaks free and drifts upward. This could then potentially lead to a gigantic
bubble which could easily overtake a ship. However, if far enough away or, surprisingly,
right above such a bubble a vessel remains safe. Through experiments scientists have found
that it is when ships are near the edge of the trough that forms that they would be in
trouble. Lots and lots of it. Of course, Larry Kusche, who proposed the
volcanic activity theory, also claims that the tales of the damage The Devil’s Triangle
has wrought to those in the air and sea have been exaggerated. In his belief, many of the ships that vanished
there actually went down in different locations entirely. And, as we just described, those who did vanish
in the Devil’s Sea, Kusche believed, were victims of multiple natural phenomena, nothing
other worldly, inexplicable, or strange. Further, taking vessels into the open sea
is known to be dangerous. Many navigate the ocean’s waters and it
is almost inevitable that for some reason or other ships would eventually flounder and
sink. So, while all of these ideas of dragons, portals,
or aliens are fun to consider, there are really any of several logical reasons for each disaster. Of course, it could also be a combination
of all of these theories, a little UFO and portal activity mixed with the actions of
bubbles and volcanoes. Tell us, what’s your take on the many nautical
and in-flight tragedies that took place near the Devil’s Sea? Is there a simple explanation or is it truly
a mystery? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to check out our other video
called 50 Facts About Bermuda Triangle! Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t
forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!
