In a video with over 1.1 million views, TikTok user Jess (@creptyoufirst) asks her viewers a question.
“Is anybody else wondering why we spent so much time as kids worrying about the Bermuda Triangle, when clearly, we should have been worrying about the Congo Basin?” she inquires. “Like, this thing’s freaking me out. I’m nervous.”
In the caption, she adds, “Pls tell me you’re on Congo Basin Tok bc I can’t be this stressed alone.”
So, what’s going on with the Congo Basin?
The reason why so many people on TikTok are talking about the Congo Basin appears to be a single man. That man is named Ash Dykes, and he’s a Welsh explorer and extreme athlete. On TikTok, he documents his excitement about his next great adventure: kayaking down the Congo Basin.
If you’re an explorer, you have plenty of reasons to be scared of the Congo Basin. It’s filled with almost endless potential dangers. For example, numerous animals can cause problems for eager adventurers. Crocodiles, hippos, large goliath tigerfish, and a host of other species commonly inhabit the region.
From there, you also have to worry about illness. Mosquitoes in the area are known to carry malaria, and other problems like unsafe drinking water and yellow fever could pose potential issues.
Finally, you have the river itself. It’s long and, in some places, super deep. In fact, areas of the river can reach depths of 720 feet. Add in the fact that it’s a moving river in an area with dangers both animal and political, and you can understand why Dykes calls it the most dangerous rainforest in the world.
All of that said, the magic of the Bermuda Triangle came from the fact that, if you were to believe the legend, all of these disappearances and problems happened out of nowhere. A plane would be flying, hit the Triangle, then have its radar mysteriously jammed before falling into a nosedive.
The Congo Basin isn’t quite like that. Instead, the area’s dangers are well-known—which is why Dykes can go through it in the first place.
This doesn’t mean such a journey is easy or advisable. Instead, it just means that one can actually prepare for it.
In Dykes’ case, he shares some of his preparation in an interview with Men’s Fitness. According to Dykes, he prepares by training five or six days per week, including deliberately uncomfortable workouts. He also shares his plans to adapt to local conditions and the various gear he brings with him to ensure his success.
It’s not as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle—but it’s definitely a place most people don’t want to visit anytime soon.
Content contributed and edited by Braden Bjella, reported from Oklahoma, USA, sourced by brobible.com
