Devil's Jaw

views updated

Devil's Jaw

Name given to an area off the coast of California near Point Arguello, supposed to be the scene of numerous mysterious disappearances in the manner of the famous Bermuda Triangle or Devil's Sea. In 1923 seven U.S. Navy destroyers were lost there within little more than five minutes. The name "Devil's Jaw" is a translation of the Spanish Mandibula del Diablo, derived from the appearance of the jagged rocks north of the Santa Barbara Channel. Although many vessels have been wrecked off this treacherous coast over the years, there is no re-liable evidence that these disasters were due to anything more mysterious than weather conditions, treacherous rocks, or human error. Writer Richard Winer claimed that many wrecks associated with the area took place on a Saturday.

Sources:

Winer, Richard. From the Devil's Triangle to the Devil's Jaw. New York: Bantam Books, 1977.