The Change of the tense

For centuries, people have been fascinated by the legend of Atlantis, the supposedly advanced civilization that mysteriously disappeared into the sea. According to the Greek philosopher Plato, Atlantis was an island located in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere close to Gibraltar. In Plato's account, the island sinks in a single day, after an earthquake strikes.
[Source: Reading for Results Ninth Edition by Laraine Flemming]
I think the author used the present tense to make the depiction more realistic.
I'd like to know what you think about this.
Thank you in advance for your help.