Claims/criticisms: "Atlantis was in Atlantic sea (Timaeus 25a, Critias 114b). The Atlantic was a pelagos/sea not an ocean. The pillars of Hercules may have been at Messena, and the Atlantic sea could be the Western Mediterranean. The Mediterranean had a number of pelagoses and the Atlantic may be the one external pelagos of the Mediterranean. There are no muddy shoals in the Atlantic ocean that could have been caused by catastrophe in the Andes."
The Atlantic that Atlantis was in can't be in the Western Mediterranean or the sea by Morocco but may be in the Atlantic because: We have already answered the Pillars at Messena contention in the Pillars of Hercules section. The Atlanteans invaded/conquered upto Tyrrhenia and Egypt/Libya, which implies they came from further west than Italy and Libya. It is the opinion of some scholars like Spanuth and Flem-Ath that the Atlantis Account implies that Atlantis was in the "real ocean" not in the small inner Mediterranean indentation (Timaeus 25a-b). Herodotus placed the Atlantic in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean before Plato though after Solon. Atlantis was large and wouldn't fit in the Mediterranean or besides Morocco. Atlantis is implied to be a separate landmass to Europe, Asia and Libya/Africa. Classical tradition had the world or the western sea divided between 3 large islands Zeus/Jupiter/Ammon, Poseidon/Neptune/Atlantis and Hades/Pluto. The Atlantis Account says or implies that Atlantis was most remote: It says Atlantis was "at a distant point in the Atlantic", they were "unmixed with other mortals", and they were "invaders". So this rules out the Mediterranean and probably also the sea by Morocco. Atlantis was at least as far west as the Atlas mountains in northwesternmost Africa and Gades in southwest Spain. The Pillars of Hercules were the fartherest point of the world and were at least as far west as Gibraltar. The Western Mediterranean has no historical association with the name Atlantic except for the Atlas mountains in northwesternmost Africa. The water beside Morocco is ocean not a pelagos? There is no large sunken/submerged landmass in the Atlantic besides Morocco. The word pelagos has sometimes been used for the open sea. Some relate pelagos to Peleg in the bible in whose days the earth was divided, since the seas divide the continents. If there was a continental shift then the Atlantic may once have been upto half the current width? The Account also mentions the thalassa "sea". Our Atlantis candidate (South) Americas can be said to be in the Atlantic.
"The oldest known mentions of an "Atlantic" sea come from Stesichorus around mid-6th century BC (Sch. A. R. 1. 211): Atlantikoi pelagei (English: 'the Atlantic sea'; etym. 'Sea of Atlantis') and in The Histories of Herodotus around 450 BC (Hdt. 1.202.4): Atlantis thalassa (English: 'Sea of Atlantis' or 'the Atlantis sea') where the name refers to "the sea beyond the pillars of Heracles" which is said to be part of the sea that surrounds all land. In these uses, the name refers to Atlas, the Titan in Greek mythology, who supported the heavens."
Herodotus came after Solon though before Plato. There is uncertainty about where the Atlantic sea of the Atlantis Account was/is (see above in this chapter). There is uncertainty about where the Pillars of Hercules were/are (see the chapter of the Pillars). It may be disputed where Atlas was. There are the Atlas mountains in nw Africa, but the temple of spheres Atlas built might be in Britain or Atlantis or Babel. Atlas holding up the earth and heaven could imply a location at ends of earth. The Andes are a good candidate for Atlas. The sea that surrounds all lands is at least not disputed but Atlantis/Atlantic could be anywhere in that world ocean.
The Atlantic sea may possibly be Lake Titicaca which was once an inland sea: Scholars say the Atlantic was a pelagos. Jim Allen suggests an inland sea is implied in the Atlantis Account? One scholar gives an interesting translation "outside they came from the sea of Atlas", which they say means they "came outside". "Atlantis was inside the Pillars, Athens was outside the Pillars". The Atlas pillar motif is prominent in Andean pictures and this is as good as having the name Atlas/Atlantis/Atlantic in written records.
Peruvian tradition and/or archaeology has possible matches for the muddy sea or shoal(s) of mud and/or the unnavigable/inaccessable sea, eg: - Andean sources mention 'llullaillaco' "dirty water" (llulla +yacu), and "mud that floats" (Uros). - The mud in the Uros floating island area near Puno. - "... many more still lie buried in the ground under layers of sediment from ... flooding from Lake Titicaca." - Tiahuanaco is no longer connected with waters of Titicaca as it once was. - Titicaca is now an inland lake no longer connected to the Pacific.
If there was a crust displacement or continental shift (and sea slosh) this could have caused muddy shoal in the Atlantic ocean. Possible matches for muddy sea or shoal(s) of mud and/or the unnavigable/inaccessable sea in the Atlantic include: - Sargasso sea? - "mucky water Bermuda"? - Atlantic sea floor sediments? - Bermuda triangle? - changed sea/air currents or gulf stream? - banks/bars/rises (similar to Brendan's whale?) - Increased width of Atlantic Ocean from continental shift? - The shoal might be same as the shoal of Sesostris in Herodotus? - aggregations of green scum / expanse of slippery mud (Zuni). - mud banks (Hopi). - great expanse of fetid mud (Chiriguano); - mud (Crow)? - clay (Creek)? - red clay (Cree)?