For most holiday-makers, Bermuda is all about pink sand beaches, beautiful water and luxurious accommodations. But there’s more…. lots more!
What they might not know is that it also has over 200 square miles of incredible coral reefs – which makes the perfect diving holiday.
Amongst divers, amateurs and professionals, it is reputed as one of the best spots on the planet for reef diving, a kind of Mecca of snorkelling and scuba-diving.
Resulting of the volcanic sea mountain that rose 100 million years ago to form the Bermuda, it is the most northerly coral reef in the world. The shallow waters and their crystal-like purity provide a great stage to anyone wanting to discover what is hiding in the ocean.
The introduction of environmental protection laws by the Bermuda Government means that the reefs are very healthy. From hard corals and sea fans to giant anemones and Purple Sea urchins, southern stingray rays and spotted and green eels to yellow snappers and angel fish, there is always something to see.
There are lots of different sites with different underwater features such as Cathedral, near Gurnet Rock, which is a huge underwater cave that looks like a dome and where you can swim through the thousands of glassy sweepers; the tunnels and arches of hangover Hole; or the Devil’s Hole famous for being a perfect night dive site.
But you don’t always need to be diving to discover the beauty of the Bermuda reefs. If you are more comfortable on a boat than underwater, take a tour on one of the glass-bottom boats which hover along the shores to bring you above the reefs.
The other main attraction of the Bermuda reefs are the many shipwreck sites (see our list of bermuda shipwrecks) that surround the islands. The reputation of Bermuda for being the wreck capital of the Atlantic is well deserved and due mainly to the Gulf Stream and occasional tropical storms that push ship to the shallow and rocky waters.
There are over 300 shipwrecks to explore, from the 1609 Sea Venture that brought the first occupants of the island, to Civil War vessels and more modern ships. These wrecks are not always greatly conserved and sometimes lay on their side on the sea bed, but some are kept intact like the 171-foot King George. Other such as The Hermes were sunk especially to become diving sites. Like the rest of the reefs, the shipwrecks are under protection of the Bermuda Government and it is not permitted to take anything away from them. You have been warned!
Whatever way you choose to look at the reefs – you can even see them from some beaches – they are some of the best features of the island and some of the largest in the world.
The beauty of Bermuda is not only on land – by scooter – but also underwater! Enjoy!
Tags: Things To Do In Bermuda
