For as long as sailors have passed through Bermuda’s waters, the region has been notorious for turning wives into widows, one shipwreck after another. Since the Sea Venture ran aground in 1609, more than 400 vessels have met the same fate. But the hazards of the past have created an underwater attraction for the present: snorkelers and scuba divers now flock to Bermuda’s blue waters to experience firsthand some of the best wreck diving on the planet.
Bermuda’s position in the Atlantic ocean, where the Gulf Stream seems to suck ships toward the shallow reef, coupled with the occasional hurricane explains why Bermuda’s underwater realm seems like a massive watery grave and ghost town marina. More than 20 different ships are accessible by boat, and professional dive operators will guide scuba divers into these historical, underwater museums.
Bermuda Shipwrecks
There are actually about 50 shipwrecks in the waters surrounding Bermuda. Here is a list of the 21 most popular wreck dive sites, listed geographically counter-clockwise, beginning from the Iristo off Bermuda’s Northeast shore and ending with the Rita Zovetta off Bermuda’s due East shore.
Iristo
Also known as the Aristo, this dive site in Bermuda is the wreck of a Norwegian steamer that was grounded in 1937 after mistaking the Cristobal Colon wreck for a ship still voyaging on. The ship measures 250 feet (76 m) and can be explored at depths ranging from 15-50 feet (4-15 m).
Taunton
The Taunton is a Danish steamer that was carrying coal cargo when it wrecked on the northern reefs of Bermuda in 1920. The 228 foot (69 m) steel hull vessel now lies in shallow waters for scuba divers and snorkelers to see her intact boilers and bow, at 3-12 meters (10-40 feet).
Cristobal Colon
One of the most popular dives in Bermuda is the Cristobal Colon shipwreck. The 500 foot Spanish luxury liner is the largest wrecked ship in Bermuda’s waters, and in her day, was one of the fastest boats. Unfortunately, speed proved her downfall in 1936 when a signal malfunction on shore led the captain to misjudge the channel, running the ship aground. The ship lies about 16 meters below the water’s surface (55 feet).
Caraquet
In 1923, Captain Fernandez had trouble pinpointing his vessel’s exact location due to an increasingly rough sea and a misty fog. He had calculated his position to be farther north when the Caraquet smashed violently into the reef, just west of North Rock. The Caraquet is severely beat up, and lies 30 to 45 feet deep (10-13 m). The wreckage of the 350-foot (106 m) ship is spread over a good two acres of the ocean floor. Divers will still recognize her four enormous boilers, deck plates, capstans, winches, massive anchor, lots of lead pipe and her propellers.
Madiana
In 1903, the Madiana met a fate similar to that of other vessels on its way to the West Indies. Today, the 345 foot (105 m) wreck lies about 25 feet deep (8 m), exactly where she went down.
King George
This ship, built for the Bermuda Government, is the only one that remains near the island. After proving inadequate as a dredging boat, King George was towed to North Rock in 1930 and sunk into history, rendering it surprisingly intact for divers to view its ladders and catwalks in 60-foot (18 m) deep water.
Xing Da
The Xing Da sunk in 1997 when the largest US Immigration sting operation met it off Bermuda’s shores. The 221-foot freighter said to have carried members of the Chinese Mafia now rests in 31 meters (104 feet) of water past the seaward edge of Bermuda’s northwest reef.
Lartington
Now a great site for divers and snorkelers to view steam boilers and intact stern sections including a propeller, the early vintage freighter Lartington crashed into Bermuda reefs in 1879. Subsequent storms scattered her remains but her bow section is fairly intact, and is visible in shallow waters with depths of just 4-9 meters (15-30 feet).
Montana
An elusive ship of multiple identities, the Montana often operated under several aliases–Nola, Gloria, Paramount and Montana. The ship sank in December 1863 and now rests in 30 feet (9 meters) of water, partially intact. Divers will see the huge steam boiler and two paddlewheel frames along with soft and hard corals that make the dive site a beautiful marine attraction.
Constellation
In 1943, with loads of building materials, medicines, and cases of scotch whiskey, the 200-foot American Schooner sunk off Bermuda’s coast. Cement packages and bottles now litter the underground wreck site, and interesting artifacts still remain. The Constellation is so unique, it was actually used in the 1970s film The Deep. The schooner sits about 12 meters (40 feet) deep.
L’Herminie
After fighting in Mexico, the three-masted L’Herminie sank off Bermuda’s reef in 1838 on its return home to France. Approximately 25 giant cannons remain scattered across the sea floor, partially buried in the sand for divers to view in depths just below the ship’s 35 foot-deep grave (12 m).
Darlington
In 1886, the Darlington’s 286-foot body sunk after the captain forgot to assign a lookout. Divers can now visit the iron hulled steamer, its boilers, propeller shaft, and deck winches in depths of about 20 feet (6 m).
Blanche King
The Blanche King was a classic American schooner, a four-masted, two-deck vessel measuring 192 feet (58 m). In 1920, on her way to Bermuda from Virginia with a load of coal, she crashed into the reefs and sank. Today, the ship is accessible at depths of 35 feet (10 meters) near the North Carolina wreck. Features of the site include visible rigging, deck machinery and the box that housed the retractable centerboard.
North Carolina
The turn of the decade into the 1880’s hosted the classic version of a sinking ship when a 205-foot (62 m) iron hulled English barque sank on New Year’s day. Today, divers can view the North Carolina sitting upright at depths of 25 to 45 feet (7-13 m). While the midsection has collapsed, the bow and stern are fairly intact and the upward-pointing bowsprit is exceptionally beautiful.
Mary Celestia
One of Bermuda’s most historic shipwrecks is the Mary Celestia, a side paddlewheel steamer that sank in 1864 after hitting a reef close to the south shore of Bermuda. It was chartered by the Confederacy during America's Civil War. The 225-foot (68 m) vessel lies 55 feet (16 m) beneath the water’s surface, and is marked by a distinctive paddlewheel frame standing upright; the site is known for its interesting artifacts and unlimited photo opps.
Minnie Breslauer
The Minnie Breslauer is one of the unluckiest ships to sink in Bermuda waters. Loaded with a cargo of wine, dried fruit, bales of cork and 160 pound lead ingots, the 300-foot ship (91 m) collided with a submerged reef and ground to a halt; the attempt to back out only resulted in the vessel’s demise. Now the Minnie Breslauer lies 35-70 feet (10-21 m) below the surface and her boiler, wheelhouse parts, and 4-bladed propellers help identify the wreck.
Hermes
Because it’s still fully in-tact, The Hermes is Bermuda’s most popular wreck dive. Built in Pennsylvania in 1943, the small ship is 165 feet (50 m) long and was eventually abandoned by her crew because repairs were estimated to cost more than the ship was worth. Today, the ship lies just a mile offshore at Horseshoe Bay at a depth of 80 feet (24 m) with the mast pointing toward the surface. Underwater photographers will not want to miss the photogenic nature of this wreck dive.
Pollockshields
The Pollockshields, which sunk a century ago, is still laden with live ammunition and shell casings. Divers will be accompanied by master guides that will only lead viewers around when conditions are safe. The beach near the site makes the wreck unsuitable for boat diving.
The Kate
The Kate was an English Brigantine Rig that sunk when she struck a reef northwest of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse in 1878. All the crew was saved, as was her cargo of 3,500 bales of cotton, but the captain was found at fault and his license was revoked. Today divers can view the 200-foot Kate at a depth of 45 feet (13 m) and catch glimpses of her boilers, engine, propeller shaft, deck winches, and the propeller which sits alone in shallow, 6 m water (20 feet).
Pelinaion
The Pelinaion was heading from West Africa to Baltimore with loads of iron ore when she struck the reef off St. Davis’s Head in 1940. Now, the shipwreck lies a mile off Bermuda’s shore in 20-70 foot water (6-21 m). The wreck is regarded as a grand sight for divers because of the ships large size and massive parts such as its huge steam boilers, upright engine, and a spare propeller strapped to the deck.
Rita Zovetta
Scuba divers can trace the remains of the Rita Zovetta from 6-21 meters deep off St. David’s Island. The ship, a 5,107-ton steamship sunk in 1924 while bound from Georgia’s Black Sea to Baltimore, Maryland because of strong winds and heavy seas. Most of the manganese ore cargo was off-loaded before the ship sank and not a single life was lost. The stern of the ship is still intact today and divers can swim through the shaft housings and view the huge boilers and condensers.
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