After the birth of the Atlantic Ocean, when the continents of North America and Europe/Asia began moving apart some 110 million years ago, the Bermuda Seamount was formed by a volcanic hot spot. Further volcanic activity 35 million years ago, built a small mountain which was then eroded by wind and waves to form a low lying atoll. During the Pleistocene era with its glacial and inter-glacial periods and fluctuating sea levels, Bermuda was built up with sediment from corals, forams and mollusks that colonised the reefs. Wind and waves broke it down creating windblown dunes which rain solidified into limestone.

As of this writing there are 21.61 square miles above water. Bermuda’s land mass includes six main islands joined by bridges and causeways, and 174 smaller islands mostly uninhabited. This is about the same size as Heathrow Airport in London or the island of Manhattan, although Bermuda is considerably more attractive.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream that brings warm water up from the south, Bermuda is blessed with a semi-tropical climate. The island is lushly covered with many flowering shrubs and trees –more than our fair share for an island on the same latitude as North Carolina. Our winters are mild with temperatures hovering in the 60’s (Fahrenheit) while summer temperatures rarely stray higher than the 80’s. Humidity on the other hand, the word behind the phrase “bad hair day”, runs between 50% and 80% year round.

The waters are clean and clear with a thriving reef system giving shelter to sea fans and whips, corals and colourful fish. And while sharks do inhabit Bermuda waters, the last shark bite was about 50 years ago when a man stood on a shark in shallow water and it took offense.