Top Bermuda Dive Sites

When you hear “Bermuda”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Shorts are a common thing, and so are the pink sand beaches. We have all heard of something, real or not, called the Bermuda Triangle. A place where ships and airplanes have disappeared. Many of these disappearances do not have a rational explanation. However, most do, and that reason is why snorkelers and scuba divers love visiting Bermuda. Bermuda is blessed with a tropical rainforest climate bordering on a subtropical climate. This allows the growth of reefs, reefs that ships have been running into and sinking. There are hundreds of shipwrecks among the coral reefs of Bermuda dating back over 500 years. Bermuda Dive sites are mostly shipwrecks with 45 major dive sites, with some additional reef diving.

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory that the English first settled in 1609 and has been permanently inhabited since 1612. While most people think of Bermuda as one large island with a few outlying islands, Bermuda is really an archipelago made up of 181 islands. Most are connected by short bridges. Many people consider it as being in the Caribbean Sea because it has a subtropical climate. That climate is due to the Gulf Stream passing close to the islands. In reality, Bermuda is in the North Atlantic some 1,000 miles north of the Caribbean Sea and its closest neighbor is about 650 miles to the west, North Carolina.

This article will give you a glimpse of some of the best-known and most frequently dived Bermuda dive Sites. There are dozens of outstanding dive sites. There is a very interesting program where faculty, researchers, and students from UC San Diego are collaborating with Bermuda’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources and others to bring the power of student-driven engineering to the study and conservation of Bermuda’s underwater ecosystems. The goal is to document 100 historic shipwrecks and distinct natural habitats in the waters surrounding Bermuda. They have almost reached half of their goal, with site information, short ship histories, photography, and in some cases a 3d rendering of the dive sites. This project is a good place to start researching where you would like to dive or just to learn more about the Bermuda dive sites.

Diving in Bermuda is available year-round. The months of May through October present the best diving and is also the peak tourist season. Divers can expect visibility of around 100 feet, and diving without a wet suit is comfortable. The off-season, November to April will see fewer visitors and you may need a 5mm wetsuit or sometimes even heavier as water temperatures may drop to 65F. Visibility may “improve” to over 200 feet.

A Sample of Bermuda Dive Sites Featuring Shipwrecks

It is difficult to list just the best dive sites at any location and Bermuda has so many excellent sites it is impossible to select which ones are the best. Dive centers located in different parts of Bermuda will favor sites that are closest to them. Here is a selection of shipwrecks that are some of the most frequently dived Bermuda Dive Sites.

• Mary Celestia (AKA Bijou, Marie Celestia, and Mary Celeste) was an American Civil War Blockade runner that ran a round September 13, 1864. The name changes were in part an effort to make the ship less noticeable to intelligence gathering supporting the Union Navy. The Mary Celestia had made a number of successful runs circumventing the Union blockade, partially due to its top speed of 17 knots allowing her to outrun most ships. Her last voyage was to be to Wilmington, South Carolina with a load of food, ammunition, and rifles. Unfortunately, a local pilot who was in command to avoid local navigational hazards failed at his task and ran the ship into a reef at a speed of 14 knots. The two-year-old ship rapidly sank. This is one of the most famous shipwrecks around Bermuda.

In an interesting twist, a severe storm in 2011, uncovered a portion of the bow that was previously unknown. Hidden away, researchers found bottles of wine as well as two bottles of perfume. A couple bottles of the wine were undamaged as well as one bottle of perfume. An effort was made to study the perfume and recreate it. If you are looking for a unique gift for a scuba diving friend, consider Mary Celestia perfume and check out this article describing the effort to recreate a perfume over 150 years old. Bermuda dive sites are often shallow as this one is. The Mary Celestia sits in just 55 feet of water and is only 600 yards off the south coast. The ship is 225 feet (ca 68.5 meters) long. Visibility is normally very good. Do not confuse this side-wheeler with the equally famous ghost ship by the same name Mary Celeste.

Cristobal Colon (Public Domain Photograph)

• Cristobal Colon: A Spanish luxury liner built in 1923 ran aground on a reef about 8 miles north of Bermuda on October 25, 1936. The ship was considered the most luxurious luxury liner at the time transporting passengers between Mexico and Spain. It was returning to Mexico without passengers when the captain mistook a communication tower for Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse. Unknown to the captain, the lighthouse was under repair and its light was not on. The result of this mistake was the ship hit a reef at a speed of 15 knots. Numerous attempts to remove the 499 feet (152 meters) 61-foot beam ship off the reef were unsuccessful. A salvage operation was conducted during the day removing many of the items within the ship. It is also said, that at night hundreds of locals conducted their own salvage operation as they looted items from the ship. The Cristobal Colon sat upright on the reef for many months, finally breaking apart in 1939. During WWII, the wreck was used as a practice target for aircraft attacks. This scattered the wreck on both sides of the reef. The Cristobal Colon (Which was Christopher Columbus’s name in Spain) wreck is located between 15 feet and 60 feet of water, making this an excellent site for all levels of divers.

• Constellation/ Montana: Two wrecks, One Bermuda Dive Site. The Montana was built Glasgow, Scotland in 1860, and the side-paddlewheel steamer sank in December 1863. At the time of her sinking, she was a blockade runner bringing weapons and supplies to the Confederacy. She is 236 feet Ca72 meters) long and had a beam of 42 feet. The wreck sits in about 30 feet (ca 9 meters) of water with the bow partially intact. Divers can also explore two steam boilers and two paddlewheel frames. On July 19, 1943, the Constellation set sail from New York bound for Venezuela. Among its cargo were medical supplies and 700 cases of Johnny Walker whiskey. On July 22, the ship began to take on water and change course towards Bermuda. While heading to the Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse the ship hit the Western Blue Cut reef northwest of Bermuda and sank on July 31, 1943. Salvage operations were done with many items left behind. It is said that the US Navy helped with the salvage operations recovering 300 cases of whiskey. The medical supplies being carried included morphine which is said to be the inspiration for the book and later movie “The Deep”. Given the shallow depth, this is one of the most popular destinations for snorkelers taking tours, as well as visitors in glass-bottom boats.

• Hermes: The Hermes was sunk intentionally to become an artificial reef. Originally a WWII buoy tender for the Coast Guard, It was later decommissioned and sold as a small freighter. A sailing between Rhode Island and Cape Verde Island saw the 165-foot (ca 50 meters) ship needing repairs and it ported in Bermuda. Having no money to pay for repairs and having a crew who had not been paid in months, the ship was abandoned. The Bermuda government seized it and sold it to the Bermuda Dive Association for a token amount. The ship was cleaned and prepared for diving. Hatches were removed and entry/exit points were established. On May 15, 1984, the ship was towed about 1 mile (ca 1.6 KM) from Warwick Long Bay Beach in Horseshoe Bay and sunk. Mother Nature did not like the location and the following year using Hurricane Emily moved it about 200 yards while still maintaining her mostly upright. Today Now one of the most popular of Bermuda Dive Sites, the ship sits on about 80 feet of water. The wheelhouse is within 45 feet of the surface and the site has some of the best visibility of any of the Bermuda Dive Sites. The preparation of the ship makes it perfect for beginner wreck divers and dive training. Some portions of the interior of the ship are directly accessible for divers who are not wreck trained, while wreck-trained divers have easy access to the entire ship. The shallow depth allows a portion of the site to be dived by open-water divers and the rest by advanced divers.

"Scuba Diving in Bermuda Virgina Merchant" by c&rdunn is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

• Virginia Merchant: Having sunk on March 26, 1661, there is not much left of the ship itself, however, it has become a very interesting reef. The ship had just left Castle Harbour as a stop in its sailing from Plymouth, England via Bermuda to Jamestown, Virginia. She struck a reef and sank. Even being close to shore, 169 of the 179 passengers and crew died when the ship was sunk. This site is in 45 feet (ca 13.5 meters) of water. It is adjacent to the Sandy Hole dive site which is a portion of the reef that the ship struck. The Sandy Hole dive site is very popular with snorkelers being between 6 to 33 feet (ca 2 to 10 meters) deep.

Reef Bermuda Dive Sites

While the wrecks seem to gather the most attention, the reefs that put them underwater should not be missed. Here is a couple that deserves a dive or two.

• Cathedral: Located near Castle Harbour is an underwater dome that gives the impression of a massive cathedral. Light filters in through “windows” in the reef ensuring impressive views. The reef has several arches, crevices, caves, and caverns. Marine life is varied and abundant. This is an excellent site for open water divers having an average depth of around 32 feet (ca 10 meters) and a maximum depth of 39 feet (ca 12 meters)

• Tarpon Hole: The reef at Tarpon Hole has numerous tunnels and massive overhangs and of course huge schools of Tarpon. The tarpons are attracted by the massive schools of silversides that they feed on. The depth of the site ranges from just 10 feet to 40 feet (ca 3 to12 meters).

Bermuda is an Interesting Vacation Destination

While diving and snorkeling, as well as other water sports, are a popular draw to Bermuda, there are many other reasons to visit. Golfing is popular as well as cultural activities. Include ample time between your dives to explore the Islands.