Body of still water in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Elliptical in shape and strewn with a brown floating seaweed of the genus Sargassum , it lies between the parallels 20k and 35k N and the meridians 30k and 70k W and encompasses the Bermuda islands. It was first mentioned by Christopher Columbus , who crossed it in 1492. The presence of the seaweed suggested the proximity of land and encouraged him to continue, but many early navigators feared becoming entangled in the floating vegetation and turned back.