Shipwrecked!

Bermuda is world renowned as the wreck-diving capital of the Atlantic-and for good reason. There are more than 400 ships scuttled among 200 square miles of vibrant coral reefs surrounding the island

by Teddy Tucker

Shipwrecks abound in the waters that surround Bermuda. The island, in fact, owes its settlement to the wreck of the Sea Venture, a Virginia Company ship that foundered on the coast in 1609. Over the centuries, shipwrecks have played a large role in the economy of Bermuda. And those wrecks are quite accessible to divers.

Bermuda is one of the finest places in the world for wreck hunting and other types of diving. The sea temperature range from 65 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, and visibility ranges from 50 feet to more than 100 feet.

Made up of about 360 islands,-about 180 of which are named-Bermuda covers only 20 square miles. Four of the largest islands support 95 percent of the population. These islands are on the southern side of the seamount on which Bermuda sits, surrounded by coral reefs. These reefs can be treacherous in rough weather. Until a lighthouse was built in 1846, it was quite difficult to see at night, even in clear weatherunder a bright moon. Now it's easy to understand why Bermuda has so many shipwrecks.

It's hard to imagine now, but years ago a shipwreck was a joyous occasion-at least for locals. Most early settlers came from humble beginnings in England; some even had been sent to Bermuda as punishment for petty crimes. On the island, their lives remained difficult.

A shipwreck afforded settlers an opportunity to better their lives with salvaged goods. And most Bermuda settlers were involved in wrecking-no matter what their station in life. Even Governor Nathaniel Butler got into the act.

Butler began his career in Bermuda, ironically, with a shipwreck. In 1619, the Bermuda Company sent him to the island aboard the Warwick. The ship, owned by the Earl of Warwick, went down in Castle Harbour.

One of Butler's first acts as governor was to build two cedar boats to search for Spanish wrecks. In 1621, for example, Butler lost no time salvaging the wreck of the San Antonio, which had been sailing from Havana with a Spanish treasure fleet. Butler writes of spending 10 days at the wreck with boats and crew. He notes weighing several cannons, a cable possibly used as an anchor rope, and miscellaneous cargo goods, but makes no mention of finding treasure.

But the Bermuda Company continued to look. Soon the group sent out a surveyor named Richard Norwood, who arrived with a diving bell and instructions to seek Spanish treasure. We don't know whether Norwood was successful, but he did survey the island thoroughly.

Pirates' Plunder

In succeeding years, shipwrecks were no less important to Bermuda. Pirates, privateers and smugglers flourished in Bermuda's waters, salvaging from wrecks. It's not surprising then that there are numerous accounts from ship owners and captains, complaining to Customs and other government officials about the treatment they received from local scavengers.

Salvagers looted cargo from distressed vessels and often burned them-sometimes even before the crew had abandoned the ship. If a ship carried large numbers of passengers, it might take several days to ferry them to shore. But sometimes over-eager wreckers impeded the process by stripping ropes, spars and sails before anyone had a chance to get off. Worse, the scavengers then might turn their attention to the shipwrecked passengers' possessions. It must have been a traumatic experience to endure a shipwreck-and then be robbed by the pirates you thought had come to your rescue.

Nonetheless, it was a common practice and it continued for a long time. Ships continued to wreck in the reefs off Bermuda, and islanders continued to profit. But there was a legitimate side to salvaging, too. In the 20th century shipwreck hunting in Bermuda greatly aided the war effort.

In 1916, a steam lighter rigged for heavy lift arrived in Bermuda to salvage metal from shipwrecks and offshore dumps. Scrap iron and nonferrous metals collected then were used to finance British operations during World War I.

The salvage vessel worked for two years-off shore during the summer and around the old Royal Navy dockyard in the winter. Retrieved were the cannons from the 32-gun frigate HMS Cerebus, which went down at the entrance to Castle Harbour in 1783; metal from the 1880 wreck of the steamer Darlington and the 1905 wreck of Madiana; and the engines of the five-masted French schooner Fratenite.

Bermudian salvagers made similar efforts during World War II. One target was the Spanish passenger steamer Cristobal Colon, which wrecked on the northeast breakers in 1936. The steamer had broken in two at the boiler room; the stern portion, including the engine room, remained intact. Salvagers were looking for nonferrous metal, port holes, casement windows from the shelter deck, and whatever bronze and brass fittings that could be retrieved. Other metal was collected from dumps on shore.

In the early 1950s, the Bermudian government encouraged salvaging of nonferrous metals from shipwrecks. Engines were broken up to retrieve bearings, seals and valves. Also removed were copper steam pipes, condensers, boiler feed pumps, and bilge and circulating pumps. Bronze propellers were brought ashore. And all metals were cleaned, graded and packed in steel barrels.

Today a wealth of shipwrecks awaits divers off the shores of Bermuda. And exploring a wreck is indeed one of the greatest thrills a diver will ever experience.

Read unbiased opinions about Bermuda activities at TripAdvisor.

400 Anniversary Offer! Book now and celebrate with hotel credits of up to $400 for travel through March 31, 2009. Plus get a 400 Anniversary Passport for additional savings of up to $1000 on island.

Make your Bermuda trip even more memorable with dolphins! Dolphin Quest offers fun, interactive dolphin encounter programs for all. Book your adventure today!

Have a fun-filled vacation with a cycle from Oleander. If you can ride a bicycle, you can easily ride an Oleander scooter. See all of Bermuda...reserve one today!