6 Fun Facts About Bermuda You Need to Know

The British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, was shaped by its strategic position, its involvement in trafficking African slaves, and its role as a writing retreat for John Lennon.

Despite the absence of freshwater lakes and fertile soil, Bermuda thrived thanks to the Gulf Stream, which brought warmth and supported maritime traffic. Plus, there’s the Bermuda Triangle, the fear of which ruled our childhoods, second only to quicksand.

In this article, I’ll share my favorite fun facts about Bermuda.

The Bermuda Aquarium has an impressive collection of marine species.

1. The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ), Royal Naval Dockyard and Commissioner’s House represent Bermuda’s nature and its maritime history

The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) opened in 1926. The center has a living coral reef and several native marine species. BAMZ supports conservation efforts, including the successful restoration of the Bermuda petrel, or cahow, a bird thought extinct for over 300 years.

The Royal Naval Dockyard was a Western Hemisphere naval base erected by British convict labor between 1809 and 1863. Today, this site welcomes cruise ships and tourists. Highlights include the National Museum of Bermuda, artisan workshops, waterfront restaurants, and the Clocktower Mall.

The Commissioner’s House is the world’s first cast-iron-framed building and built in the 1820s. Its frame was cast in England and shipped to Bermuda. The house, located in the National Museum of Bermuda, served as the Dockyard Commissioner’s residence. Today it hosts exhibitions and events.

Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo

• Address: 40 N Shore Rd, Flatts Village, Bermuda
• Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM

Royal Naval Dockyard

• Address: 5 Freeport Drive, Sandys MA 01, Bermuda
• Hours: Varies by attraction; main facilities generally open 9 AM – 5 PM

2. Bermuda is famous for its pink sand beaches

Bermuda is known for its subtropical climate and pink sand beaches, which get their color from tiny marine organisms crushed and mixed with coral shell fragments.

The government has implemented conservation efforts and reef restoration projects to ensure the island maintains its reefs and endemic species of marine life.

Bermuda’s pink sand beaches need to be seen to be believed.

3. Bermuda’s coral reefs caused shipwrecks and earned it the nickname “Shipwreck Capital of the Atlantic”

Bermuda is known as the “Shipwreck Capital of the Atlantic” with over 300 documented shipwrecks. Bermuda’s reefs are the northernmost coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean. The ecosystems provided protection and sustenance for early settlers but also created tough conditions for ships.

The shipwrecks have since evolved into ocean floor marine habitats that support a variety of marine life and coral species.

Bonus Bermuda Fact: Bermuda is not near the West Indies, which are 800 miles (1,300 km) to the south and southwest.

4. The Bermuda Triangle was one once the world’s mystery, and is now understood

The Bermuda Triangle covers roughly 500,000 square miles of ocean between Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Miami. The area got the nickname “Devil’s Triangle” due to centuries of unexplained disappearances involving ships and planes.

Modern science attributes these incidents to natural causes. The area has frequent tropical storms, strong Gulf Stream currents and deep ocean trenches, all of which can strew wreckage far afield.

5. Less fun Bermuda fact: Bermuda played a key role for the Confederacy during the American Civil War

Bermuda’s location 640 miles off the Confederate coast made it a major transit point for Confederate blockade runners during the American Civil War. Ships carried goods to Bermuda, exchanged them for ammunition, and returned to Confederate ports.

Though officially neutral under British policy, Bermuda’s economy profited from this trade.

Elements of Britain can be seen in Bermuda.

6. Bermudians are British-ish

Bermudians are British Overseas Territories Citizens, so they have British nationality but not full British citizenship rights. They must obtain a visa and a British passport to move to the U.K.

Bermuda still has British ties, including driving on the left side of the road which is an uncommon practice in the Western Hemisphere.