The Royal Navy Dockyard and Snorkel Park, Bermuda

 

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

Jacques Cousteau

Our ship, Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas docked on Heritage Wharf at the Royal Navy Dockyard, Bermuda in the dark of the night. As the sun rose and lite the stone buildings in the Dockyard as locals call it, we saw just how impressive and picturesque it looked. After a day in St. George yesterday,  we still had a half day left to spend in Bermuda, exploring the Dockyard which is located on the western part of Bermuda in Sandys Parish on Ireland Island North.

The construction of the Dockyard began in 1809 when 130 acres were purchased from the Ireland Island group. The British needed to build a strategic mid-Atlantic base so they began to carve out a large fortification from the local stone. Slaves initially did the work until the Emancipation in 1834. Then convicts were used when the Dockyard was used as a prison. This fortress was well suited as a prison with three feet thick impenetrable stone walls. Dockyard became a busy port which played a crucial part during WWI and WWII when it served as a perfect stopping spot for the British and allies where they could repair their ships and ready them for combat.

During this time they built boat sheds, storehouses, power plants, repair slips, timber yards, foundries, cranes, fuel tanks, engineering shops, living quarters for men and officers, and later a school and a hospital. It was used by the Royal Navy until 1957 where many Bermudians learned to be electricians and engineers. During this time, the Dockyard was known as “Little England.” After 1957, the Dockyard was closed and suffered from neglect. In 1975, the fortress became the Bermuda Maritime Museum. The large brick building at the point was the Commissioners House which you can now visit. This is now a lively port for cruise ships.

They built up this area where it now has many waterfront restaurants, art galleries, quaint shops, and a few pubs. The National Museum of Bermuda where you can learn about Bermuda's 500 year history and the kid-friendly Dolphin Quest where you can experience and meet dolphins are both located there. I heard both were fantastic to visit but unfortunately we ran out of time. There is also a ferry you can hop that will take you either to Hamilton or St. George from here if you would like to check out those areas of Bermuda.

After they opened the gates, we strolled through the limestone tunnel, paid our $15 admission fee each and got set up for our snorkeling adventure. We did not spend the extra fee for lawn chairs as we would be in the water while there verses relaxing on the beach. Snorkel Park is a privately owned business that seems to be doing quite well. You can rent snorkel gear as well as beach chairs, kayaks, pedal boats, umbrellas, and stand up paddle boards. There are snuba and jet ski tours available to book there also.

This lagoon was small with crystal-clear water and looked beautiful with the historic Keep Fort wall on one side and man-made rock wall on the other. The calm turquoise waters were accented by the white sandy beach and the rocks jutting out of the water which worked as a barrier blocking the waves. You can rent snorkel gear but we had brought our own so we were off to check out the snorkeling. As soon as I put my face in the water, I was amazed by how many fish I could see that had been right next to me. There were schools of fish all around me. It was just amazing. As we swam around the beautiful coral reef, there were lots of live coral to see. It was stunning.

When I swam out to the rocky area farthest out, I kept hearing a crunching noise. What could it be, I wondered. Come to find out, it was a brightly colored parrot fish chomping on the coral reef. I had never experienced something like that before. There were topical fish of many varieties and sizes swimming around me with brilliant colors such as Angelfish, blue tang, and so many more. Since we got there early, we had most of the water to ourselves making for great snorkeling. The chart below shows all the fish that you may see while snorkeling here.

If you get hungry, the Hammerheads Bar and Grill is a casual beach restaurant that serves burgers, chicken, and a few other foods. They also sell soft drinks or cocktails to enjoy while sitting at one of the many picnic tables set up with umbrellas near the restaurant. Fun music was playing over the intercom while we enjoyed our drink. There is a volleyball court on the beach, kids playground,  and restrooms with showers and lockers for your use.

During the summer months, Snorkel Beach Park has large bonfire parties in the evening on the beach along with live entertainment. We were visiting in the fall so we missed out on seeing that. I was talking with a gentleman on the beach who told me, at one time this beach area was an actual dump. They did a great job with the clean up. It is hard to believe since this beach is so pristine. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at this beach and would definitely go back.

Right next to Snorkel Park is Bermuda Fun Golf. Some consider this miniature golf course to be the finest in the world. There are 18 challenging and exciting holes that were made to represent the best holes in Bermuda, USA, and Scotland on an acre piece of land. From this gorgeous park, you get fantastic 180 degree ocean views. It was designed and owned by Hogan Lindgren who opened this course in 2014 after working diligently for two years preparing the course. They have since built the Caddy Shack Bar and Grill that serves great food and cocktails. This miniature golf course also offers a “glow in the dark” night golf. We were there at sunset and it was gorgeous.

One of the most impressive buildings in Dockyard is the Clock Tower Shopping Mall with its 100 foot twin towers rising overhead. There is a clock on each tower. One clock displays the correct time and the other shows the time of the days high tide. This building was built in 1856 as a warehouse for the British Royal Navy. The three foot thick walls insured that no unauthorized people could get in. There is great shopping in more than 20 unique shops including boutiques, department stores, and restaurants in this lovely air conditioned building. This is the best place on the west side of Bermuda to find souvenirs, jewelry, and locally made crafts.

The Dockyard is a great place to visit. We really enjoyed our time there and only wished we had more time to explore the entire fortress. We will just have to make another trip back to see more.

Till next time. Bye for now.