Bermuda Day 7- June 11th
- Jul 12
- 3 min read
Today started about the same time as yesterday. Since the weather was much nicer, we decided to do some of the activities that had been cancelled the day before. At 8:45, after a quick breakfast, we headed back to Walsingham Bay. This time we weren't there to swim, but to explore part of Bermuda's extensive cave system.
Bermuda's caves formed hundreds of thousands of years ago during the Ice Ages, when sea levels were much lower than they are today. Rainwater slowly dissolved the island's limestone, creating underground caves and tunnels. As sea levels rose again, many of the caves became partially or completely flooded, creating the cave systems that exist today. Since the caves are scattered throughout the area, we had to hike between them using trails that had originally been made for cave tours decades ago. Although we only hiked about a mile, the steep hills, ducking through dense bushes, and sections that felt like borderline rock climbing made it seem much longer. Most of the caves were unsafe to enter, but even standing at their entrances we could feel the cool, damp air coming from below. The caves stay close to Bermuda's average yearly temperature, making them much cooler than the air outside.
After passing several caves, we stopped at a smaller, dry cave that we were able to enter. It formed a loop before continuing farther into a narrow passage that could only be explored by crawling on your stomach. A short walk away was another, much larger cave that was partially flooded. We were able to climb inside and even swim in the clear water for a little while before deciding to head back. On our hike back, we stopped at Blue Hole, where there was a roughly 10-foot-high cliff overlooking deep water. Everyone took turns jumping two or three times before we climbed back out and returned to BIOS for lunch.
After finishing our sandwiches and taking showers, we headed out for our final snorkel of the trip at Cooper's Island. We geared up and entered the water. At first we mostly saw the species we had become very familiar with throughout the week, including Sergeant Majors and Bluehead Wrasse. As we swam farther from shore, we started seeing some larger and more interesting fish, including a two-and-a-half-foot Midnight Parrotfish, a three-foot Rainbow Parrotfish, a large Lionfish, and several Smooth Trunkfish. We stayed in the water a little longer because we kept finding new fish the farther we swam.
Once we finished snorkeling, we spent some extra time free-swimming near the shore. We threw a frisbee, tanned on the beach, and talked while enjoying the last afternoon of the trip. After spending a few more hours in and around the water, we packed up our gear and headed back to BIOS for dinner. After having dinner, we made our way to Riker Hall for our last data submission. After submitting all our data, the group watched an older movie set in Bermuda, The Deep. The movie being filmed in the 1970's was certainly much a product of its time; however, the underwater filming and acting were phenomenal. It starts off with our main characters, a couple on a vacation in Bermuda, who had been scuba diving a wreck which was supposed to be off limits due to how many had gotten injured or passed while diving it. As they search the wreck, they discover an ampoule of morphine along with other valuable items. Their discoveries led to the couple being dragged into a conflict with drug dealers i a search for the morphine and gold. The movie was accompanied by the demolition of many cookies.
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