Bermuda is known for its wreck diving. 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.
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.
Blue Water Diver’s and Watersports have a more comprehensive list of Bermuda’s diving locations on their website.