DIVERSE MARINE LIFE
While the declining health of coral reefs is a concern across the world, Bermuda’s reefs are in good shape, thanks in part to strict protective laws.
Divers will see a greater variety of fish than snorkellers, but there are some species you’re almost guaranteed to encounter, such as the striking blue angelfish; the yellow-and-black striped sergeant major; parrotfish (they come in different sizes and colours) and the barracuda, which wins no beauty contests because of its razor-sharp teeth and habit of opening and closing its fearsome-looking mouth. Don’t fret, they don’t eat snorkellers.
Sea turtles are quite plentiful in Bermuda waters; most are on vacation from their breeding grounds in Mexico and Costa Rica. For the first time in decades, some sea turtles have been found nesting in local waters.
SHIPWRECK CAPITAL OF THE ATLANTIC
If you were to pull an imaginary plug and drain the water around Bermuda, more than 300 shipwrecks would be laid bare. The remains of American Civil War blockade-runners, the hulls and cannons of Spanish galleons, and even the remnants of a B52 bomber and a Chinese migrant ship (sunk in 1997) lie beneath the waves. It’s tempting to describe it as the graveyard of the fabled Bermuda Triangle, but the more realistic explanation is that skippers were too busy navigating by the stars to spot the jagged, hull-busting coral reefs just below the water’s surface.
Each wreck has a story – the more recent its demise and deeper its location, the better its condition. Some of the wrecks off the island's West End are in 30 feet of water or less, making them ideal for novice divers or snorkellers in optimum weather conditions.