The Dragon 's Triangle

n recent years much has been written about the Bermuda Triangle and the mysterious phenomena associated with it. Most of us are aware that the Bermuda Triangle is a triangular shaped area of ocean stretching from the Straits of Florida, north-east to Bermuda, south to Lesser Antilles and then back to Florida.

Less known, on the other side of the world, there exists a similar area of ocean known as the Dragon’s Triangle. The Dragon’s Triangle follows a line from Western Japan, north of Tokyo, to a point in the Pacific at approximate latitude of 145 degrees east. It turns west south west, past the Bonin Islands, then down to Guam and Yap, west towards Taiwan, before heading back to Japan in a north north easterly direction.

Both areas share stories of missing maritime vessels and aircraft, reports of malfunctioning navigational and communication equipment and tales of drifting, crewless ghost ships.



The Dragon’s Triangle in particular, bears testament to an ever-changing seascape. Islands and lands masses have formed and disappeared literally overnight through volcanic activity and seaquakes. Records reveal islands charted by experienced navigators, and documented as having been visited; yet years later no trace of these places could be found!

Another common factor is the existence of agonic lines - lines of no magnetic variation, along which the magnetic needle points directly north and south. The principle agonic line in the Western Hemisphere runs directly through the Bermuda triangle, whilst the principle agonic line in the Eastern Hemisphere runs through the Dragon’s triangle. Which in both cases often leads to extreme compass deviation in the surrounding area. For over a thousand years, possibly longer, the Japanese and their neighbours have recorded strange occurrences and disappearances. Ancient records tell of restless dragons surfacing from the depths, and taking unfortunate mariners back to their underground lairs. Legends dating back to c.1000Bc tell of underwater palaces inhabited by dragons and of a great slumbering dragon which lived in the cavern beneath the sea.

However, it wasn’t until the late 1960’s that western attention was drawn to this eastern phenomenon, and connections made with the Bermuda Triangle. Despite frequent coverage in the Japanese media of disappearances, reports rarely made the international press. Language barriers and racist attitudes may have a lot to do with this. One wonders how well known the Bermuda Triangle might have been if it wasn’t situated off the coast of the United States?

In ancient times such happenings were explained by the interventions of gods, demons and mythical creatures. Today, the fate of the missing craft and crews remains a mystery; although many explanations have been suggested. These include, alien abduction, the disappearance into a “black hole” or gateway to another dimension, time or parallel universe. The destruction and disappearance without trace by extreme natural phenomena. Falling prey to covert military or scientific experimentation or abduction by “unfriendly forces”. Even elaborate insurance fraud has been suggested; whereby ships end up in breakers yards and are reported missing in the triangle!

Whatever the answer, the Dragon’s Triangle, along with it’s Bermudan equivalent, remains one of the world’s best kept secrets. Perhaps the answer lies with the great slumbering dragon.