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The Bird family heads to the blue water of Bermuda for some wreck diving!
Welcome to Jonathan Bird’s Blue World.
Bermuda.
Known around the world for its gorgeous pink sand beaches and crystal clear waters.
It’s also one of the premiere luxury destinations for North America.
And it’s only a two hour flight from Boston!
So, for February school vacation, the Bird family is going on another diving adventure!
I love this part!
I don’t even have enough time to watch a full movie before…
“We’re in Bermuda!”
Since Bermuda is so small, they don’t rent cars to tourists.
So we grab a cab to our condo.
It’s a five minute ride from the airport to the town of St. George’s.
The next day we set out to explore the island tourist style.
Scootering is a Bermuda tradition and it’s a super fun way to get around if you don’t
need to carry too much stuff.
The island is only 20 miles long but it has a rich history stretching back to the 1500s
when it was discovered by the Spanish.
Today, Bermuda is a British overseas territory.
And while many people think of Bermuda as a Caribbean island, it’s actually 1,000
miles north of the Caribbean in the Atlantic.
People told me not to come to Bermuda during winter because it’s “too cold” but here
I am in the middle of February and it’s 75 and sunny—pretty much perfect weather--so
the family and I are going scuba diving.
We head over to Blue Water Divers and meet up with owner Chris Gauntlett.
Hey Chris!
Nice to meet you!
Here’s the whole family.
Christine, Liam and Elise!
Inside the shop, we sign our waivers while first mate Dylan Moulder fills some tanks
and loads them on to the boat.
We set up our gear before we leave the dock.
Next a quick pre-dive safety briefing . Then, we’re off.
Because it’s the off season, we have the boat to ourselves.
As the morning clouds clear, it has become a perfect day on the water for our 20 minute
ride to the dive site.
All the dive sites have permanent mooring lines so nobody has to throw an anchor onto
the reef.
Chris gives us a dive briefing…
Moved the wreck across the sand hole and wedged it up into the reef.
We’ll do a maximum time of 30 minutes or 500 PSI, whichever comes first.
Right down to the sand, it’s about 72 feet but the wreck is 60-40 feet.
…and then its time to suit up.
The water this time of year is only 68° Fahrenheit which isn’t exactly tropical, but it’s
a lot warmer than home.
You know what’s cool?
This wetsuit was your mother’s!
But while this time of year has cooler water, it also has the best visibility.
We’re talking crystal clear.
As we submerge, we can see the bottom 80 feet down.
Chris leads us over to the wreck of the Hermes.
This small ship, originally built for the U.S. Navy, was abandoned in Bermuda when she
experienced engine trouble.
The government of Bermuda donated the ship for use as an artificial reef.
It was sunk intentionally in the mid-1980s and has become one of the most popular dives
in Bermuda.
This is perfect for the kids’ first wreck dive.
The deck is only 60 feet deep.
We drop down to check out the cargo hold, but it’s full of water!
We do a good job of silting the place up!
The superstructure is wide open and safe to explore, so we can swim through.
Chris has a surprise for everyone: the engine room.
I’m fascinated filming the generator, but then I realize…hey they are leaving without
me!
This is a cool shot…until the lights don’t fit!
A hurricane pushed the ship right up against the reef, where it’s now pretty solidly
stuck.
Swimming over the deck, we see machinery but it’s hard to tell what it was.
There’s a big capstan, used for hauling up the anchor.
And a long boom that was used for loading cargo.
It must be super smart because it’s covered in brain….coral.
Chris takes us on a tour around the nearby reef so we can see the coral.
Because Bermuda is at the very northern edge of the tropical zone, only a few species of
coral live here, but the ones that do seem to be thriving.
Due to the warm influence of the Gulf stream, this is one of the northernmost coral reefs
in the world.
After a lap around the reef, we head back to the wreck.
But as we approach our no decompression limits, it’s time to head back to a boat which is
still afloat!
On the safety decompression stop, the kids battle it out with rock/paper/scissors to
see who goes first.
It’s a little bouncy getting back on the boat.
Woo hoo!
Well, what did you guys think of your first wreck?
It was so cool!
The afternoon winds have calmed and we have a beautiful flat ride back to the shop.
The tide has dropped a few feet since we left, so it’s a good thing there are steps in
the dock.
The wreck of the Hermes is popular for a reason.
This classic shipwreck is a great dive for new or experienced divers alike.
It’s not too deep, can be explored easily and safely, and you can see the whole thing
at once through the crystal clear water.
Diving in Bermuda is a great way to experience the Blue World!
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