The discovery of the SS Cotopaxi shipwreck, nearly a century after its mysterious disappearance in 1925, has dispelled a prevalent conspiracy theory associating it with the Bermuda Triangle. Contrary to popular belief, the shipwreck was found 35 nautical miles off the eastern coast of St. Augustine, Florida, not within the Bermuda Triangle boundaries. Marine biologist and diver Michael Barnette, who identified the wreck, emphasized the inaccuracies surrounding the Bermuda Triangle myth, calling it “total rubbish.”
The Bermuda Triangle legend was not even conceived when the SS Cotopaxi vanished, emerging only in the 1960s and gaining momentum in the 1970s. Michael Barnette’s investigation debunked claims tying the Cotopaxi disappearance to extraterrestrial activities, notably perpetuated in the movie “Close Encounters of a Third Kind.” The Bermuda Triangle, now a fixture in common lore, was a term coined long after the Cotopaxi incident.
Barnette’s detective work spanned almost two decades and involved meticulous research, measurements, historical records, and artifacts. The so-called “Bear Wreck” caught his attention due to its size, leading to the realization that it was the SS Cotopaxi. In 2015, when rumors circulated about a ghost ship being the Cotopaxi, Barnette clarified the situation through an online video, eventually collaborating with Science Channel to showcase his findings in a series called “Shipwreck Secrets.”
The SS Cotopaxi, laden with coal, left Charleston, South Carolina, on November 29, 1925. A storm hit the ship, causing its demise, and none of the 32 crew members were ever heard from again. Research by Barnette and historian Guy Walters revealed that broken hatch covers, essential for covering the coal cargo, contributed to the ship’s vulnerability. The crew had filed distress signals, indicating their perilous situation. Barnette’s findings, including the discovery of brass valves with the letters SV, further supported the identification of the Cotopaxi wreck and discredited longstanding myths tied to the Bermuda Triangle.