Bermuda’s Most Famous Shipwrecks
Following are the famous Bermuda shipwrecks and the fascinating stories around them including their backgrounds, how they got wrecked, wreck locations and what were found in them.
Sea Venture: Captained by George Somers, this was the ship that carried Bermuda’s first settlers in 1609. Unless it was caught in a sever storm and got wrecked in the rocks near Bermuda’s eastern end, the first settlers would have never come to Bermuda.
Cristobal Colon: One of the most famous shipwrecks and the largest in Bermuda, Cristobal Colon is a 499 foot Spanish transatlantic luxury liner that sank in 1936.
The Constellation: This is another very famous Bermuda Shipwreck. A 192 foot American schooner loaded with general cargo, she sank in 1943.
The Hermes: When it comes to seeing a completely intact sunken ship, the Hermes is by far Bermudas most popular wreck dive. A 165 foot steel hull buoy tender, it was decided to sink her in 1985.
The Xing Da: Smuggling was nothing new to the Xing Da. Going back as far as the Vietnam War, she smuggled everything from contraband to weapons for the North Vietnamese Army. This 221-foot pirate ship was sunk in 1997.
Iristo (Aristo): This 250 foot Norwegian freighter sank in 1937.
The Lartington: Another Bermuda’s famous shipwreck, a 245 foot early vintage steel freighter with a cargo of cotton, she sank in 1879.
L’Herminie: A French 60 gun man-of-war, that sank in 1838. Resting in 35 feet of water, this warship’s nine foot long cannons are still intact.
Mary Celestia: A 225 foot side paddlewheel steamer, she served as a Confederate blockade runner. She sank in 1864.
Minnie Breslauer: A 300 foot steel hulled freighter built in 1872, she was sunk on her maiden voyage in 1873.
Montana (Nola): A 236 foot side paddlewheel steamer, she was sunk in 1863 while running a Civil War blockade.
North Carolina: A classic sunken sailing ship, this 205 foot English iron hulled bark sank in 1880.
Pelinaion: A 385 foot Greek cargo steamer, she sank in 1940 after breaking her back on a reef.
Pollockshields: Originally a German vessel and later captured by the British, Pollockshields crashed into a coral reef and sank in Bermuda waters on August 22, 1915 near Elbow beach.
Taunton: A 228 foot Norwegian steamer, she was stranded on North East Breakers in 1920.