The Sargasso Sea is a region of the North Atlantic surrounded by ocean currents. Its limits are roughly 70-40° W and 25-35° N. It has a number of remarkable features, (i) it is very salty, (ii) it contains masses of seaweed of the genus ‘Sargassum’, giving the region its name, and (iii) it is place where the European eel migrates to, in order lay their eggs.

It is worth noting that the Sargasso Sea is clearly centred to the west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and not over it, as implied by a number of writers, who want to link it with Atlantis. Clearly, Plato’s account of the aftermath of the sinking of Atlantis describes impassable waters due to mud not seaweed. The spawning habits of the European eel are indeed a mystery!