Has the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle been solved?

Experts say some of the mysterious disappearances could have been caused by giant 100ft 'rogue waves'

From sub- sea pyramids to hexagonal clouds and alien bases, scientists and conspiracy theorists alike have drummed up every imaginable scenario over the years to explain the mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.

The region, which covers a patch of sea between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, is thought to have claimed dozens of ships and planes in the last century alone, and hundreds of lives.

Now, researchers say rogue waves upto 100ft high could be to blame. Experts at the University of Southampton believe the mystery can be explained by a natural phenomenon known as 'rogue waves.'

Researchers re- created the monster water surges for Channel 5 documentary ' The Bermuda Triangle Enigma.'

Rogue waves are exceptionally powerful and dangerous, and can reach heights of up to 30 metres. The rogue waves are often referred to by scientists as 'extreme storm waves'.

The Southampton research team built a model of the USS Cyclops, a huge vessel which went missing in the triangle in 1918 claiming 300 lives. And because of its sheer size and flat base, it does not take long before the model is overcome with water during the simulation.

The Cyclops was a coal-carrying ship used to ferry fuel to American warships during World War One, and was on its way from Bahia, in Salvador, to Baltimore when it vanished in 1918. No wreckage from the 542ft vessel has ever been found, nor has any trace of the 306 crew and passengers it was carrying at the time.

While in theory it could have disappeared anywhere between Bahia and Baltimore, not necessarily in the Triangle, supporters of the theory argue that the lack of a distress call from the vessel means it met with a supernatural end. The 309 killed on board the Cyclops remains the single biggest loss of life in US Naval history not involving combat.

Dr. Simon Boxall, an ocean and earth scientist, says that infamous area in the Atlantic can see three massive storms coming together from different directions – the perfect conditions for a rogue wave. Boxall believes such a surge in water could snap a boat, such as the Cyclops, in two. "There are storms to the south and north, which come together," he told the show. And if there are additional ones from Florida, it can be a potentially deadly formation of rogue waves. They are steep, they are high – we’ve measured waves in excess of 30 metres.

Scientist in Australia previously said a ' simple' explanation was behind the phenomena – human error. Speaking to News. com. au, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki reiterated what many experts, including the US Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have insisted over the years.

Rather than being a region where supernatural or even unusual environmental forces may be at play, posing a threat to travelers, he says the Bermuda Triangle is unremarkable in the number of disappearances it's seen. 'According to Lloyds of London and the US coast guard, the number of planes that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis,' Kruszelnicki told News. com. au. ' It is close to the equator, near a wealthy part of the world, America, therefore you have a lot of traffic.'

Kruszelnicki points to a historic example – the disappearance of the five US TBM Avenger Torpedo Bombers from Flight 19 in 1945, followed by the subsequent disappearance of the seaplane that was sent out to find them. No evidence of the wreckage or crew have ever been found. But, despite claims that mysterious circumstances may have been behind this, and other disappearances, Kruszelnicki notes that the radio transcripts from that night show that multiple junior pilots recommended flying toward the west. The pilot, Lieutenant Charles Taylor, instead flew east. He also notes that the search plane did not go missing, it was actually 'seen to blow up.' 'There was one experienced guy, the rest were inexperienced,' Kruszelnicki told News. com. au, suggesting the pilot was to blame. ' It wasn't fine weather, there were 15 meter waves.'

Over the years, scientists around the world have offered similar insight on the disappearances observed in the region, also known as the Devil's Triangle. The US Coast Guard even refers to it as a 'mythical geographic area.'

' The Coast Guard does not recognize the existence of the so-called Bermuda Triangle as a geographic area of specific hazard to ships or planes,' according to the USCG website.

'In a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, there has been nothing discovered that would indicate that casualties were the result of anything other than physical causes. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.'

Similarly, the NOAA says the phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle mirrors that in other parts of the world with the same degree of air and sea traffic.

'The ocean has always been a mysterious place to humans, and when foul weather or poor navigation is involved, it can be a very deadly place,' according to the NOAA. ' This is true all over the world. There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-traveled area of the ocean.'