Bermuda Triangle isn't the only location in the planet that is filled with mystery and unsolved disappearances. It is just one of the twelve 'Vile Vortices' given by a Scottish biologist, Ivan T. Sanderson. Vile Vortices are areas where electromagnetic anomalies, which are caused by the influx of mixed water temperatures, are higher and happen in frequent rates compared to the rest of the world. Bermuda Triangle happens to be the most well-known Vile Vortex, but eleven more Vile Vortices exist alongside.

Another one of these mysterious areas is the Dragon's Triangle. 

The Dragon's Triangle (Japanese: 魔の海 Hepburn: Ma no Umi which roughly translates as evil sea, troublesome sea, or dangerous sea) is a stretch of the sea just off the coast of Japan that has collected a myriad of stories, myths, and seemingly many legends throughout the years. This 'paranormal' location has also earned the name The Devil's Sea.

It can often be challenging to separate the myth from the fact as many stories were told about this watery graveyard. Various studies were done till the 1950s, and scientists gathered plenty of information, but many phenomena remain unexplained till this day. There have been many reports of ships disappearing in that area, never to be found, as well as other ships that were later found but with no explanation as to why they suddenly sank.

Just like other mysterious locations, the Dragon's Triangle is subject to many different theories for the disappearances, such as underwater dragons, to UFOs, USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects) and aliens. Some have even speculated that the lost city of Atlantis is buried deep within the waters of the triangle.

As opposed to the Bermuda Triangle, which has clearly defined edges and points, the Dragon's Triangle has never truly been plotted. Its triangular shape has assumed borders that seem to vary from person to person and it has never been marked on any official maps. 

While the exact location of the Dragon's Triangle is highly debatable, the most common theory is that the Dragon's Triangle is only, roughly, 100 kilometers away from the major city of Tokyo and it's located with one vertex of the triangle being in Taiwan, the second in the Japanese island of Miyake-jima, and the third in the volcanic island of Iwo-jima, which would perhaps explains why volcanic activity is at the root of many legends.

Due to the various similarities between the Bermuda Triangle and the Dragon's Triangle that are hard to ignore, this triangle is also referred to as the 'Pacific Bermuda Triangle'.

Its fame comes from Kublai Khan, the fifth Khan of the Mongol Empire, who had tried to invade Japan twice. In 1274 and 1281 AD, both he and his grandson, Genghis Khan, had attempted to send ships over to Japan. He was unsuccessful during both attempts, as he had passed through the Pacific Bermuda Triangle, and ended up losing numerous ships along with about 40,000 crew members. The Japanese believed that god had made typhoons to destroy the ships as a way of protecting their country.

Eventually, marine archaeologists and divers found the wreckage of the Mongol ships at the bottom of the ocean. Recent scientific studies show that a typhoon, which likely came from the Philippine Sea, wiped out Khan's northern fleet before it entered Japanese waters.

Due to the number of mysterious disappearances and deaths in this region, the Kaio Maru No. 5, an infamous research ship, was sent out by Japan to explore the legends about this unexplained body of water. During their investigation, one of their missions was to unearth what had happened to the previous ships that Japan had recently lost in this triangle. In 1952, the crew consisting of 31 members set out to sail, and sadly none of them were ever found, even though the shipwreck was discovered shortly after.

Research explores natural environmental changes, as the cause of such controversial anomalies in the Dragon's Triangle. One of these explanations is the vast field of methane hydrates present on the bottom of the ocean in the Dragon's Triangle area. Methane hydrate gas 'explodes' when the temperatures rise above 18 °C (64 °F). Methane hydrate gases are described as ice like deposits that break off from the bottom and rise, forming bubbles on the surface of the water. These gas eruptions can interrupt buoyancy and can easily sink a ship, leaving no trace of debris. 

Another explanation for this paranormal activity could be the undersea volcanoes that are very common in this area. It is quite characteristic for small islands in the Dragon's Triangle to frequently disappear and new islands appear due to both volcanoes and seismic activity.

There are many different factors in play when it comes to this specific location. Taking a rough estimate of the border of the triangle, it's situated on the Mariana Trench, a trench that seemingly has no bottom and is unreachable by humans. 

It's also located near an area of high volcanic activity, which is known to cause unnatural thunderstorms and heightened lightning activity. Additionally, methane bubbles from below the ocean's surface are frequently released into the air, causing an even more unsteady atmosphere. Therefore, it's not unusual for the area to be overcome with frequent and unnatural weather phenomena.

In 1000 BC and the years following, ancient people believed that dragons and sea serpents were real. These local legends eventually evolved into an explanation for the fire they witness coming out of the ocean, which was more likely a subsea volcano in the process of erupting.

In 1944, a Japanese pilot was in an aerial battle against US forces when he noticed something terribly disturbing in the waters below. The pilot reported seeing a large sea monster in the water as he flew over the Devil's Sea. The serpent-like monster was said to have had two large triangular-shaped wings, and was swimming very fast while keeping its head above the water. The pilot estimated that the creature was around 150 feet in length. 

Although there were no other witnesses who came forward claiming to see the unknown sea monster, it is still a very curious legend in an already mysterious area, which adds on to the "dragon theory". Perhaps this is the reason why this triangle is known as the Dragon's Triangle today.

The loss of the Kaio Maru was accounted to be due to an undersea volcano eruption. In 1952, Japan decided that nothing was worth risking more lives. The disappearance of their lone research ship and its crew of 31 members was the last straw for the government. All research was immediately ended and investigations that were currently open were closed. The government deemed the area as 'unsafe.'

In fact, the Dragon's Triangle has a history just as long, if not longer, as its Atlantic counterpart, making it just as much a part of nature's biggest mysteries, which will keep people guessing for years to come.

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(Credit for all the graphics to Avery: @-decepted!)