IMAGES: ALLY WYBREW
BERMUDA
TOP THR E E
MARITIME ADVENTURES
1 “Since 1609, every generation that’s come to
Bermuda has ended up hunting for shipwrecks,” Philippe explains, over the crooning of the Plain White T’s in the background. And with good reason: between 1600 and today, there’s been plenty to find. Bermuda’s turquoise bays and cedar-rich landscapes were once a crucial stop on trade routes between Europe and the Americas, drawing ships from nearly every major maritime nation. Combine that traffic with Bermuda’s perilously shallow, reef-rich waters and the result is predictable: at least 300 ships lost to Davy Jones’s locker, and there are almost certainly more still waiting to be discovered. “The fact that we still can’t find several known
and quite significant wrecks speaks volumes about what remains hidden in the past,” Philippe explains. “There’s a whole range of ships that came in, hit the reef and sank in the lagoon. They’re probably still there.” He likens Bermuda’s underwater terrain to
Mount Everest. “It’s essentially a mountain peak. Beyond the reef, it drops off sharply — around 120 metres [393ft] in most places — so if a ship hit the breakers and drifted more than a kilometre [0.6 miles] out, it’s gone over the edge and you’re never going to find it.” It’s easy to see how so many ships met their fate
here. Gazing out from the dive boat en route to The Pelinaion the previous day, it was impossible to miss how the sea shifted before my eyes — from a softly rolling sapphire carpet to a puckered fabric of razor-sharp reef edges. By the time it was my turn to take a ‘giant stride’ off the back of the boat, the scuba diving term had never felt more appropriate. I needed an extra dose of courage to step into this sea, which I wasn’t certain wouldn’t bite back.
Treasure troves If the remnants of The Pelinaion made an
impression, Bermuda’s biggest shipwreck trumps it the following day. One of the largest cruise liners in operation at the time, the 499ft-long Cristobal Colon ran aground on North Rock reef in 1936 after the captain mistook a communications tower for a lighthouse. It had been sailing from Cardiff to Mexico, manned by 160 crewmen and, thankfully, carrying no passengers. The enormous vessel ground to a halt almost vertically atop the reef, an open invite for locals to
tuck in. “Salvaging a wreck is the quintessential Bermudian pastime,” Philippe had told me. “In the late 1800s, every shipwreck was like a grocery or hardware store arriving by sea. Since almost everything had to be imported into Bermuda, a shipwreck crashing on the reef meant a treasure trove of materials.” Though the ship was heavily plundered over time, traces of her interior remain for those who know where to look — and furniture, chandeliers and even a brass safe are all rumoured to have found new life in private homes across the island. It takes just a few minutes to descend through
the crystal-clear water, but it feels like slipping back in time. I deflate my BCD (buoyancy control device) and sink past shafts of sunlight until the wreck begins to materialise, first as shadows, then structure. “It’s like a ghost city under the sea,” Brit had said earlier with a smile. Years after its wrecking atop the reef, the Cristobal Colon was bombed by the British and US armies for target practice, sending it to the seabed and the reason divers, like myself, can now drift between it 50ft below the waves. As I breeze between the chunks of old machinery,
it’s impossible not to think of Cristobal’s story. In many places, it’s hard to tell wreckage from reef: arrow crabs cling to the roof of cylindrical piping; parrotfish hover over bulkheads; damselfish dart between turbines and propellers; and tiny yellow wrasse flit through the currents, cleaning their scales. All around me, feather, brain and branching coral thrive. But it’s not nature alone that captivates me — it’s
the questions. I wonder whether the crew really were Spanish loyalists fleeing the civil war, and whether the bronze rooster masthead that crowned the prow still lies buried. With every twisted beam, broken mast and rusted keel, I find myself pondering what these wrecks once were, about the hands that maintained them and the futures they now hold. Perhaps Bermuda’s greatest mysteries extend far beyond its infamous triangle.
HOW TO DO IT: British Airways flies directly from London Heathrow to Hamilton daily. Stay at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa, the country’s only hotel that offers an all- inclusive package, from $340 (£253). Dive Bermuda, the on-site dive centre, offers two-tank dives from $195 (£145) per person.
grottobay.com
bermudascubagrottobay.com
The Bermuda Underwater
Exploration Institute This vast museum-meets- education centre dives deep into all things oceanic — from the evolution of scuba diving to the intricacies of marine conservation. There’s even a dedicated section delving into the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, with glass-encased artefacts recovered from historic shipwrecks. Throw in one of the world’s largest seashell collections and a host of interactive exhibits, and it’s a day out as captivating for families as it is for ocean enthusiasts.
buei.bm
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National Museum of Bermuda
Bermuda’s biggest fort is an apt setting for this collection of exhibits narrating the country’s complex history. Everything from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to Bermuda’s pan-Atlantic relationships and role in both World Wars is told through videos, photos and intricate exhibitions. There’s also an entire warehouse dedicated to the shipwrecks in Bermuda’s seas.
nmb.bm
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Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse Perched on one of
Bermuda’s highest points, the 179-year-old Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse has witnessed nearly two centuries of island life. It remains a key navigation device for sea and air vessels (its light can be seen from ships 40 miles away and planes from 120 miles) and each floor explores a different piece of its history. Climb the 185 spiralling steps to take in some of Bermuda’s most impressive views, explore the vintage signalling equipment and lightning apparatus, and uncover the fascinating role of lighthouse keepers.
bermudalighthouse.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – EXPERIENCES COLLECTION 47
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