33 Facts About Bermuda That Will Make You Want To Visit!

Located in the North Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.

Leaving this island, the closest is North Carolina, the American state which is around 643 mi (1034 km) away. An archipelago of 181 islands, Bermuda has its important islands connected with bridges to make it look like a single landmass.

With a land area of 21 sq mi (54 sq km), Bermuda has a climate loved by everyone with mild summers and winters. High humidity and stabilizing temperature are also seen, similar to other coastal places in the Northern Hemisphere.

Bermuda is known to lie in Hurricane Alley which means that the place is prone to severe weather. The largest island is Main Island and the official language of the island is English.

Facts About Bermuda

Learn some fun facts about the beautiful island of Bermuda.

• Bermuda is named after Juan de Bermúdez, an explorer from Spain who actually discovered the archipelago in 1505.
• The Bermuda fireworm females swim up the sea bed and release a luminescent slime to attract males. The bodies of the males have neon circles that then pulse with passion, giving us a spectacle to behold.
• Bermuda, as we already discussed, is a British Overseas Territory that has a coastal reef and sees big storms regularly. This makes the place an optimum area for shipwrecks.
• Around 300 wrecks of ships have been found which dates back to the 1600s. When you go snorkeling, you often get to see the wrecks.
• Bermuda is made of seven main islands and there is a multitude of small islets.
• Bermuda is not part of the Caribbean as most people think it to be. Bermuda is around 916 mi (1473.5 km) away from the Bahamas.
• In 2018, Bermuda's population was 63,968.
• The residents of the island are known as Bermudians.
• Hamilton is the capital of Bermuda.
• Bermuda is the most populous of the British overseas territories.
• There's a lack of freshwater rivers and other water bodies on the island. Residents have to harvest rainwater and then filter for drinking.
• The tap water is safe to drink, however, it's good to take precautions and stick to bottled water.

Bermuda's History

Bermuda has no native people and all people came through ships one after the other.

• There was no one living in Bermuda once upon a time. The human civilization began after a ship wreckage ended up in Bermuda.
• However, most people did not like the new world they found and left as soon as they could assemble some ships.
• Three people stayed back and they were the first settlers of Bermuda. In 1612, a ship named Plough arrived with the intention of settling there.
• Sailors were once scared of the waters near Bermuda and the islands themselves.
• Spanish and Portuguese sailors did not like the reefs in the area due to the huge number of wrecks.
• The sailors also thought that strange sounds came from the islands once the sun had set.
• The noises sounded like a large number of babies screaming together and the sailors thought that these sounds came from sea monsters, demons, and witches that haunted the Bermuda island.
• The howling sound actually came from an endemic species of seabird called cahows. They make those sounds to attract other birds to breed.
• Cahows were thought to have been extinct for 330 years as a breeding species.
• But in 1951, an expedition towards the islets around Castle Harbor found some more burrows of this bird species.
• David Wingate, a school student was part of the expedition. After he completed his degree, he went created a sanctuary on Nonsuch Island for the birds and worked for five decades to save them.
• There are now more than 100 birds of the species remaining. This bird-the Bermuda petrel or Cahow is the national bird of the island.
• John Lennon lived in Bermuda and he rented a home in Fairylands for many weeks. He sailed from Rhode Island to Bermuda in a 43 ft (13.1 m) yacht named Megan Jaye.
• The shipwreck of the Sea Venture inspired William Shakespeare to create a play based on this remote island. 'The Tempest' is the name of the play.
• Everyone must have heard about Bermuda Triangle. This is a treacherous expanse where it is claimed that ships and planes have disappeared.
• The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, the Milwaukee Depth, is found in the Bermuda Triangle.
• At the Milwaukee Depth, the Puerto Rico Trench reaches a whopping depth of 27,493 ft (8380 m).

Bermuda's Culture And Traditions

Bermuda has some unique traditions. Read on to find more.

• John Lennon was really connected to Bermuda.
• He last released an original album in 1974 called 'Walls and Bridges'. He then went ahead to complete more than 20 songs while living in Bermuda.
• Bermuda was known for exporting a lot of onion and was famous for growing some of the best onions in the world. They were very popular and made U.S. farmers grow them and call the breed 'Bermuda onions'.
• This onion legend is still there in Bermuda and on the stroke of midnight on New Year's, a huge onion decorated in Christmas lights is dropped from the Town Hall located in St. George's Town Square.
• The largest industries in Bermuda are reinsurance, insurance, and tourism.
• Bermuda was part of the Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies.
• There are around 165 native plant species out of 1000 found on the island. 15 of those native ones are endemic. Many palm tree species have been introduced to Bermuda from other places.
• Bermuda food specialties include Bermuda fish cake, hop ‘n’ John, black rum cake, and yellowfin tuna.
• The island grows many fresh fruits, including strawberries, bananas, and Surinam cherries.

Bermuda's Tourist Attractions

Bermuda's economy runs with the help of tourism among many things. Most hotels are found along the south shore of Bermuda.

• There always has been an attraction to Bermuda because of the historical ambiance, pink sand beaches, reef-fringed clear blue waters, unique architecture, and sought-after activities.
• There are championship golf courses which makes Bermuda a popular tourist destination. I
• Have you heard about glow-in-the-dark worms? These intriguing worms are found in Bermuda.
• The Bermuda fireworm is a remarkable creature that makes the ocean sparkle with green light.
• You can try seeing them yourself in Ferry Reach Park between May and November months.
• While you go snorkeling, you get to see the shipwrecks of a 499 ft (152 m) Spanish Luxury Liner, Cristobal Colon, which sank in 1936, and also Montana and the Constellation lying on the ocean floor.
• There are cruise ships that let you enjoy the blue waters of Bermuda overlooking the pink sand beaches.
• Bermuda is quite safe and the beautiful land and water make Bermuda one of the best tourist destinations in the world.