10 Devil's Graveyards Where 'Funny Things Happen'

In 1972, Scottish biologist Ivan T. Sanderson described a new geography of the globe: "energy planetary grid" , based on twelve "nasty whirlwinds" or “devil’s graveyards” where “funny things happen.” The Bermuda Triangle was at the top of his list. According to Sanderson, hot and cold air and ocean currents in this and other regions create electromagnetic anomalies that eventually cause ships and planes to fail.

There are six vortices in the Northern Hemisphere and six in the Southern, mostly lying in the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The only two that do not are the North and South Poles, but Sanderson himself was dismissive of them.

Although the theory seems strange, it didn't just come out of nowhere. In fact, it was part of a broader parallel "science" . In fact, he appears to have relied on copies of two "ancient" maps, the Piri Reis and Buache, found in 1929 but dated (allegedly as copies of earlier versions) to 1523 and 1737 respectively. They had a geometry similar to Sanderson's, as well as a detailed study of Antarctica that was impossible before 1958 . In turn, Sanderson's theory inspired many others - for example, three Soviet scientists who added 50 more sites to his list .

Okay, so that's it. Weird But as alternative science and history grow in popularity, you may hear a lot more about it. Agree with him or not, here's a rundown of his ten devilish graveyards, listed in the order he found them.

10. 26.57 N 76.80 W (Bermuda Triangle)

Known for its stormy, unpredictable weather conditions and disappearing ships and planes, the Bermuda Triangle is the most studied place on this list. That's what got Sanderson thinking. Although the official line, which refuses to even acknowledge the existence of the Bermuda Triangle, says there are no more disappearances there than anywhere else, there is many strange . For example, true north and magnetic north sometimes coincide in the region. It is also the source of many hurricanes, and while much of it is shallow, the areas around Puerto Rico are the deepest in the entire Atlantic. In any case, Sanderson was referring to only one incident: Flight 19.

On December 5, 1945, five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers disappeared without a trace shortly after takeoff from Fort Lauderdale. The pilots were allegedly able to communicate with each other for a time, and could be heard wondering where they were and why the ocean looked different. A Martin PBM sailor sent to search for the missing plane also disappeared — within 15 minutes, Sanderson said.

Despite the fact that Larry Kusche "debunked" , Flight 19 was nearly two decades before the words "Bermuda Triangle" entered common usage. An even earlier incident in March 1918 resulted in the unexplained (to this day) disappearance of the naval collier USS Cyclops, the wreckage of which has never been found.

9. 26.57 N 139.2 E (Devil's Sea)

The next place that caught Sanderson's attention was off the east coast of Japan. Also known as Formosa or Snake Triangle The Devil's Sea is located at the intersection of three ocean ridges. Like the Bermuda Triangle, it was allegedly the site of numerous disappearances, which Sanderson attributed to hot and cold currents.

The most famous was the research vessel No. 5 Kaiyo Maru, which disappeared in September 1953 along with 31 crew members. But, as Skeptoid points out , since it was in close proximity to an erupting underwater volcano - and debris from the wreck was found - it's not such a mystery.

At the same time, other ships, including military and fishing vessels, also disappeared. For example, Sanderson was surprised when, having appeared on The Dick Cavett Show, to discuss his theories with skeptic Arthur Godfrey, the latter shared with their stories . These included first-hand reports of instrument failures while flying over the region.

8. 26.57 s. w. 4.8 z. d. (Algerian Sahara)

In Tindouf, Algeria, on the edge of a sea of dunes, lies the next devil's cemetery on the list. This mineral-rich oasis , associated with the "mysterious the disappearance of planes "over the Sahara" is a wintering ground for many birds.

The specific location varies depending on the source, most frequently mentioned El Eglab (300 km to the south-east) and the mysterious Djedars - Algerian pyramids or megaliths (1400 km to the north-east). However, given the size of the Bermuda Triangle ( not less than 805,000 sq. km ), it actually makes sense.

In fact, Sanderson's interest in the region was initially sparked by reports of the disappearance of two submarines and four small vessels in the Mediterranean Sea — not in the Sahara, but off the northern coast of the country.

7. 26.57 N 67.20 E (Pakistan)

Shortly after the discovery of the Algerian "vortex", Sanderson received a letter stating that disappear over Afghanistan planes with gold . Some of the gold was found, but there was no trace of the planes. Of course, since this is the Afghan-Pakistani border, it is hardly suitable for "The X-Files" . But what was surprising was that the sender of the letter had no idea that Sanderson was pursuing this matter. Needless to say, this coincidence led Sanderson to his next devil's graveyard.

Situated on the Sindh-Baluchistan border north of Karachi, Pakistan, the area where he settled is not too far south (about 100 kilometers as the crow flies) of Mohenjo-Daro, the ancient capital of the Indus Valley Civilization. Although he did not mention it in his article, the “lost city” — clearly once luxurious and powerful, despite its lack of palaces or temples — remains a mystery for archaeologists . We still don’t know who lived there and why they lived there around 1900 BC. disappeared Presumably, were also found in the city airplane models .

However, apart from its proximity to Mohenjo-Daro, this place was chosen mainly because it fit Sanderson's emerging planetary grid pattern. Interestingly, it is also linked by a fault line to the Algerian devils' graveyard.

6. 26.57 N 148.80 W (Hamakulia Volcano, Hawaii)

Links to "Hamakulia Volcano" appear exclusively in articles about Sanderson. It doesn't exist in the real world. In fact, there is no known volcano in the coordinates of this nasty vortex. However, after identifying four sites along the 26.57°N longitude line, separated by 72°, the next one had to be here.

Allegedly disappeared over this area aircraft . Arthur Godfrey from The Dick Cavett Show once told Sanderson , that an experimental flight he was supposed to be on but missed disappeared while he was tracking it on radar. And a pilot flying a plane full of passengers over the area said he lost contact for 560 kilometers. When contact finally returned, he was shocked to learn that no time has passed at all .

As intriguing as these stories are, Hawaiian volcanoes are mysterious enough as it is. We still don't we know how they are formed . Situated in the center of the Pacific Plate, thousands of kilometers away from any fault lines , they don't agree with what we know about how volcanoes form.

5. 26.57 S 40.80 W (South Atlantic Anomaly)

Having paid attention to the southern hemisphere , Sanderson placed his next vortex southeast of Rio de Janeiro. The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is the place where the Earth's magnetic field is weakest, as opposed to the Bermuda Triangle and so on, officially recognized a place where "funny things happen." NASA called it "a pothole in space" This is where charged particles from the Sun can penetrate closer to the surface and, as a result, create problems for orbiting spacecraft.

Instruments aboard the International Space Station, Skylab, NASA's space shuttles and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are susceptible failures and premature aging. The Hubble Space Telescope has also suffered, spending nearly 15 percent of its orbit here. Even astronauts have problems, reporting strange "falling stars" in your vision.

While the anomaly doesn’t seem to be affecting life on the surface, Sanderson claimed to be aware of “troubling disappearances” in the region. It also appears to be growing. According to NASA, the SAA is “expanding westward” and splitting into “two lobes, creating additional challenges for satellite missions.”

4. 26.57 S 31.20 E (Eswatini, formerly Swaziland)

Although this devil's graveyard is centered in the Eswatini town of Luyengo on the Maputo River, it is linked to the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, 900 kilometers to the north. It is unclear what " disturbing disappearances ... off the south-east coast of South Africa" is what Sanderson had in mind here, but the ancient city itself is a mystery.

Built about 900 years ago, it was once a world centre of trade and religion. They were found there artifacts even from China , as well as copper crosses that are thought to have been used as currency. The ruins themselves have features we still don’t understand. One of them, “the largest prehistoric structure in sub-Saharan Africa,” is a conical tower 10 meters high and 5 meters wide, surrounded by a wall 250 meters long and 11 meters high.

Early (racist European) explorers believed that the city of Great Zimbabwe was so advanced that Africans could never build it . Instead, they believed it was evidence of the existence of a "civilized" (i.e. white) African nation. In any case, for reasons unknown, it was abandoned. in the 15th century .

3. 26.57 S 175.20 E (Loyalty Islands)

The Loyalty Islands are an archipelago 1,600 km east of Australia. Famous for their cyclones And earthquakes , it is not surprising that one day Here mysteriously disappeared ship with 75 passengers . This is partly due to the 1,200-kilometre-long New Hebrides Depression, which in places reaches depth more than 7500 meters and remains largely unexplored. What we know about it is that it ecologically very different from any other deep-sea trench.

Collecting these objects together as one graveyard of the devil, it is interesting that Here also the whole land "disappeared" . Sandy Island, which has appeared on maps (including Google Earth) for decades, was long thought to exist. Someone must have seen it at some point. But when scientists went there in 2012, all they found was open ocean 1,400 kilometers deep.

2. 26.57 S 112.80 W (Easter Island Fracture Zone)

Sanderson found the next vortex , measuring 72 degrees from the South Atlantic Anomaly, which led him to Easter Island and 5900-kilometer zone of the Eastern Rift, on which it is located.

There is little to say about this in terms of documented disappearances, except of course for the island civilization that built the mysterious Moai. theory The theory behind how these people disappeared is that they accelerated ecological collapse. Once they cut down all the trees—for agriculture, fuel, and transporting their cult statues—the soil became depleted and people began to starve. Rats are thought to have hampered regeneration by eating all the seeds, and disease-ridden European explorers killed off any survivors.

Meanwhile, alternative theories suggest that the statues are alive or left by UFOs.

1. 26.57 S 103.20 E (Wharton Basin)

At 72 degrees from the Loyalty Islands is the Wharton Basin - "deadly area" as Sanderson heard, - in northeastern Indian Ocean , 400 km from Sumatra. It is here, on the seabed, riddled with fault zones, many strong earthquakes occur .

It was here that Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in 2014. Signals from the black box narrowed the plane down to a 32-by-16-kilometre area before it went silent forever. The Boeing 777, which disappeared in March of that year, is believed to be buried in the Basin’s muddy bottom. However, the region largely unknown , the depths are bottomless, and despite early optimism, the wreckage has still not been found.

We recently learned that Flight 370 did not fly straight out to sea, but circled for 20 minutes first, similar to a “holding pattern” when waiting to land at an airport. Several explanations have been offered for this: the pilot may have been communicating with the Malaysian government, or checking to make sure he wasn’t being followed, or simply thinking about the situation. But what this new information makes clear is that the pilot—or pilot — was not unconscious, as previously thought, but "deliberately sent the plane into oblivion" We just don't know why.

Finally, the North and South Poles, as mentioned, are the two final graves of the devil. Suggested by professional pilots, they are places where time is “a little off.” Although Sanderson included them in his grid, he was also largely dismissive of the phenomenon, explaining it away as simple disorientation caused by a faulty compass. Which makes one wonder if his skepticism (which was not out of character ) to give credence to his theory?