By: Marcia Abramson
Obviously, movie star Michael Douglas and his wife, Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta Jones, feel that way, too, because they call the British Island, Bermuda, home.Bermuda is located 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. It is surrounded by the largest fringing reef system in the world. Twenty permanent moorings installed by dive operators and rigid observance of buoyancy control measures have kept the reefs in pristine condition.This diving Mecca was discovered by Juan de Bermudez in 1503, but preferred his Spanish homeland and just sailed away, only leaving his name behind. The next visitors were British shipwrecked travelers. They were forced to stay in Bermuda when their ship, the Sea Venture under the command of Admiral Sir George Somers, ran aground on Bermuda's shallow reefs. This took place in 1607 when they were on their way from England to the New World Colony, Jamestown. Strict preservation laws have kept most of the island almost the same as when the shipwrecked settlers landed on its shore. There are no neon signs and no fast-food eateries to be found on Hamilton's main thoroughfare. The prime time for divers to visit Bermuda is from March through December. The winter months lower the water temperature to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This annual cold spell impedes delicate coral and sponge growth. But brain, star, sea fans, soft corals and pillar corals are strong enough to survive. This is in addition to some of the long purple tube sponges that continue to grow in the Bermuda waters. All in all, this growth presents canyons, caves, grottoes and mazes of coral reefs. They are a beautiful Eden-like treat for the underwater divers, possibly making them forget the dangerous Bermuda Triangle. Authorities have put the blame on the Triangle for the hundreds of shipwrecks over the last three centuries. Recognizing that diving for buried treasure is important for recreation and commercial purposes, the Bermuda government has established a special department "The Receiver of Wrecks" to regulate access to the ships lying in the briny deep. This department issues licenses to people interested in diving to excavate newly discovered shipwreck sites in the Bermuda waters. Unfortunately, even the modern navigational tools of the 20th century have not totally eliminated shipwrecks here. The government has catalogued 400 thus far, identified them, and left them alone. Some of the older and more historically important wrecks are protected, making it illegal for divers to enter the sites. There are divers who hope to find treasure in the waters of Bermuda and a very few have. Teddy Tucker is one of the most successful treasure hunters. He brought up many gold bars, gold cakes, an emerald religious symbol, pearl studded gold buttons, silver and artifacts dating back to the end of the 16th century and quantities of silver. To conduct his searches Mr. Tucker is credited with using a hot balloon and a powerboat to tow the balloon. Quite an unusual way to locate treasure!I understand that Bermuda law requires that all diving must be done with a government licensed guide. Most dive operators will pick you up at your hotel and drive you and your equipment to and from the dive boat. There is no other way to get to the dive boats since you cannot rent cars in Bermuda. Taxi and those quaint horse-drawn carriage drivers will not take your dripping equipment after your dive nor will the Bermudan mopeds be of use to you.Joyce and Jan Huber, talented divers and guidebook authors, wrote the Hunter Travel Guide on the Best Dives of the Bahamas and Bermuda in 2000. It is an excellent source for resources on scuba certifying organizations and travel tips. They also provide a helpful packing checklist. The list includes reminders to pack your regulator, depth gauge, buoyancy compensator (stab jacket), wet suit, wet suit boots, mesh catch bag, U/W dive lights, et al. I will just keep on snorkeling with my mask, snorkel and fins particularly since I like to travel light.
© Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com
