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Bermuda is home to well over 300 known shipwrecks, many dating back to the 1500s. The reason we have so many is our extensive barrier reef system that extends up to 12 miles offshore, and the fact that Bermuda was not properly charted until well into the 1600s. Throw in some bad weather and a navigational error or two, and you have shipwreck. Or more than 300 of them in our case! The vast majority of these wrecks were wooden sailing ships and therefore much of ship has simply rotted away.
We know these are shipwreck because sailing ships need ballast and this came in the form of stones. So, when the wood hull biodegrades what you are left with is a neat pile of stones, stones that are not limestone, and therefore not endemic to Bermuda. Other clues are bits of pottery, which can positively identify the ship's home port, cannons which can give you a date, and also iron fittings which can give a clue as to what time period the ship came from.
Although the vast majority of these wrecks are inaccesible to snorkellers or SCUBA divers, and to be honest, not really that interesting to look at (it's just a pile of stones!) we do have quite a few that are in the perfect depth for snorkellers to explore. We owe this to our shallow barrier reef. The ship hits the shallow reef and sinks right there on the spot, making a perfect dive site for you to enjoy.
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