Divers To Explore Confederate Shipwrecks
Diving in order to inspect the many sunken ships off of the island’s coast is nothing new in Bermuda, but divers taking part in excursions later this year can make their trip a bit more novel by inspecting the remains of the Civil War-era vessel Roanoke.
A four-day excursion being hosted in the fall by Dive Bermuda will take scuba divers on a search for the aged gunrunner, a United States vessel that was commandeered by the Confederate Navy off the coast of the town of St. George’s in 1864, before being abandoned, burned, and left to sink to the ocean floor.
While damage to the ship is likely extensive given both the method of its demise and the fact that it has been below the surface of the Atlantic for nearly 150 years, the potential for historical treasures to be found make it a worthy target of a fun-filled diving search that aims to show off both the beauty and the history of Bermuda.
The diving trip will be held from October 24 through October 28, 2013. Besides searching for the Roanoke, participants will also get to lay eyes on the wrecks of two Confederate gunrunners, the Mary-Celestia and the Montana/Nola, even as they pay a visit to the National Museum of Bermuda, the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, and the Rogues and Runners Museum in between dives.
Divers will meet renowned Bermudian diver Teddy Tucker, the visionary behind the creation of BUEI, as well as Dr. Phillipe Rouja, the island’s Custodian of Historic Wrecks.
Several packages are available for divers looking to join in on the fun; those interested can email roanokedive@selectsitesgroup.com, or call 441-292-9741 for package information.
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Category: All, Environment
