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Bermuda (By David Mottershead)
Marie Celeste This 225 feet paddle steamer was smuggling guns and ammunitions to the Confederate forces during the American Civil when it struck a reef off Bermuda’s South Shore. A few minutes, earlier the captain had been warned about the impending doom but had told the eagle-eyed subordinate that he was wrong. We would have loved to have been there at the moment of impact to witness his despair. Lying at a depth of 60 feet, the Marie Celeste is one of Bermuda’s most photogenic wrecks; one coral-encrusted paddle wheel stands upright while the other has fallen on its side. The wreck is surrounded by numerous caves and tunnels that are the home to many parrotfish and groupers. Hermes The Hermes is one of the most popular spots for diving in Bermuda because it is almost fully intact. This freighter was abandoned by its crew after it suffered engine trouble and was possessed by the Bermuda Government and subsequently sold to the Bermuda Dive Association for the princely sum of one dollar. After removing all the hatches to make it fully penetrable for diving, the Hermes was sunk off the South Shore in 1984. It now sits upright in 80 feet of water, with its photogenic mast pointing towards the surface, and is home to a battery of barracuda. Constellation This four-masted schooner provided the inspiration for Peter Benchley’s novel and subsequent film, The Deep. In 1943 she left New York bound for Venezuela with a cargo that included 700 cases of Scotch whisky, thousands of bags of cement and hundreds of thousands of drug ampoules. Not long after leaving New York, the vessel ran into trouble and began taking on water. The captain decided to head for safety in Bermuda but his vessel was wrecked on the reefs. Not much is left of the ship but the hardened cement bags are interesting features that attract many parrotfish.
The water also boasts excellent visibility; up to 200 ft in winter and around 100 ft in summer. Water temperatures in winter average around 68 F and 81 F in summer. However, those who can stand the cooler winter temperatures will benefit from substantial discounts on hotels.
For all you would want to know about Bermuda visit WWW.Bermuda4u.com
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There’s
something unique about diving wrecks. Sure, navigating coral reefs and
swimming amongst colourful schools of fish is fine for a while but the
novelty soon wears off. Wrecks on the other hand are a visual reminder
of the fragile relationship between man and nature and the battles that
have raged between them. Welcome to Bermuda; the undisputed world heavyweight
champion of wreck diving. It’s somewhat ironic that many visit to dive
Bermuda's wrecks. The island was first colonised as a result of Sir George
Somers’ ill-fated Sea Venture floundering on the reefs in 1609. Since
then more than 400 vessels have made Bermuda their final port of call.
Many serve as physical reminders of the island’s history; the Montana
and the Marie Celeste were Confederate blockade runners during the US
Civil War. The island owes much of its early prosperity to its trade in
munitions with the desperate South. Others have inspired; the Constellation
was the basis of Peter Benchley’s novel The Deep. Most are in shallow
waters and easily accessible. Bermuda’s reefs are the northernmost in
the Atlantic. Warmed by the waters of the Gulf Stream the ocean life is
surprisingly similar to that in the Caribbean. With around 400 to choose
from, divers are a little spoilt for choice. We can’t possibly list all
Bermuda’s diving spots here but will provide a little taster of what to
expect.