From extinct airplanes to haunted “ghost ships”, the Bermuda triangle is a point where some of the most bizarre phenomena on the planet have been recorded.

Located between Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda and long shipwreck history in the area has powered countless supernatural theories.

But now, a scientist claims that he has finally been able to solve the mystery with exactly what was going on there.

Oceanographer Dr. Simon Boxol, of the University of Southampton, argues that the real explanation has nothing to do with UFO or gates.

Instead, it attributes disappearances to giant, unpredictable waves that can reach twice as high as up to 30 meters. According to him, a large ship that would be trapped in such a wave could sink in just minutes.

The creepy reputation for unexplained phenomena in the Bermuda triangle was reinforced in 1918, when USS Cyclops, a US ship carrying charcoal to World War I, disappeared there with a crew of 306 people.

The ship was lost without emitting a danger signal and never found a trace of it.

The mysterious disappearance fueled dozens of conspiracy theories.

Dr. Boxol, however, argues that the most likely cause was the appearance of such a aforementioned wave.

In a documentary by Channel 5 (“The Bermuda Triangle Enigma”), he explains that this maritime area is a “hot zone” for such waves, since thunderstorms from the North and South meet with additional weather fronts from Florida, creating extremely dangerous conditions.

Together with his team, Boxol made a model of USS Cyclops and found that its level bottom and huge size made it vulnerable: a steep wave could “lift” it and break it in the middle.

Is it really a “devil’s triangle”?

In fact, many experts see no mystery about the area.

Organizations such as the US National Oceanography and Atmospheric Service) and London’s Lloyd’s insurance note that wreckage or air accident rates in the triangle do not exceed the global average.

They believe that the incidents are completely explained.

Statistics show that the loss of ships and aircraft in the triangle are no more than other busy marine areas. As NOAA notes, the risks are resulting from the fact that the area has shallow water, thunderstorms and difficult navigation.

The triangle of Bermuda, then, can still fascinate with its legends – but science shows that behind them is a simple, though relentless, power of nature.