Navigating Bermuda can be treacherous; the island is surrounded by coral reefs that have ensnared many unsuspecting vessels over the last 400 years. Bermuda’s original settlers took advantage of the shipwrecks by scavenging whatever could be used to help them survive. They recovered iron, bronze and whatever other materials they could find to help them live on an isolated island with few of its own natural resources.
Philippe Max Rouja is the island’s Custodian of Historic Wrecks and works to preserve and document the more than 300 shipwrecks that are scattered around the island’s waters.
This video by CNN Travel has more about Rouja’s work:
You can experience the wrecks yourself without leaving home. Rouja’s documentation includes photographing the wrecks to create three-dimensional maps and models in partnership with the University of California San Diego. You can see at the imagery by visiting the Bermuda 100 Challenge.
