UNDERWATER walking is quietly peaceful but incredibly exciting – particularly when petting a silky soft moray eel.
Bermuda has numerous places of interest to children of all ages, but Greg Hartley’s Undersea Adventures may be one of the most unusual.
Wearing bell helmets that keep hair dry and walking gently in the sand to keep the water clear, Hartley points out live and dead coral, sea urchins and anenomes.
Yellow and black striped Seargent majors, a black grouper and numerous blue angel fish swarm around enchanted visitors.
When a green moray eel ventures out of its hiding place, the adventurous are urged to touch its soft velvety sides.
The two-hour tour leaves from Watford Dock in Sandys Parrish, a one-hour ferry ride west of the main city of Hamilton.
From the dock, the reef is another 20-minute boat ride away. My 12-year-old son, Bradley, enjoyed bouncing around underwater in his heavy bell helmet.
But he was equally happy exploring the tidepools around our hotel, Daniel’s Head Village.
The year-old resort is an adaptive re-use of a former submarine watching station that sits on what was a barren peninsula on the western end of the island.
Its new environmentally sensitive owners installed solar-powered, double-walled “tent cottages” of a canvas-like material. They are built over the water and the plasticized wood floors have a two-foot by three-foot glass cutout for viewing the sea.
Rooms are outfitted with comfortable queen-size beds and futon couches, but lack such basics as dressers. Bathrooms are separated from the room by cloth doors.
Each cottage has its own veranda, ceiling fan, phone, safe, mini-fridge and a plug-in flashlight to light the way to the circuit breaker when lights blow out after showers and rain storms. The grounds are lush with grass and local plantings, and local guides give free daily tours of the 22 acres, where graceful longtails and other native birds nest.
Kayaking, snorkling and photo safaris are available, and on clear nights, an astronomer will point out the southern constellations.
Breakfast comes with the room and is served buffet-style in the restaurant, which overlooks a small swimming pool. Lunch and dinner are a la carte, so guests can explore the island without worrying about missing a meal.
Daniel’s Head is isolated from most of Bermuda’s tourist attractions. These are generally gathered in the eastern swath of the island that runs from Hamilton to St. George’s.
Visitors can rent mopeds, although I found them not easy to drive with a large child as passenger – and on the left side of the road.
Instead, we spent hours on ferries and buses – the bus stop is a 10-minute walk away – and took expensive taxis as a last resort.
The closest attraction was the Dockyard, a rambling old naval base. The old fort buildings now house craft artisans, shops, four restaurants and a Maritime Museum.
The Maritime Museum has exhibits on naval and Bermudian history, along with gold jewelry and bullion recovered from numerous wrecks.
Shakespeare’s play, “The Tempest,” is based partly on the voyage and wreck of the Sea Venture, which brought Bermuda’s first visitors and eventually, their tale back to England.
Dolphin swims, at about $100 a pop, are also available.
Food is expensive, as most items are imported from the States. A tuna sandwich in one restaurant was $9, while dinner entrees usually start in the $20 range and rise quickly.
Hamilton has numerous shops selling Irish linens, Scottish wool, plenty of liquor and postcards.
To get farther east to St. George’s or the airport, visitors can take one of several bus routes that pass public beaches, the botanical gardens and the aquarium.
The Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo is in Flatts Village, about a half-hour bus ride east of Hamilton. About a mile from the aquarium on another bus route is an often overlooked children’s attraction called Devil’s Hole.
The site is entered from a small white building that, at first glance, appears to be a cafe. But up a flight of stairs and through a small door is a sturdy catwalk and railing surrounding a protected grotto.
The pond is fed by an underground saltwater stream and filled with many colorful fish and a half-dozen four-foot sea turtles.
An attendant helps tie squid onto ropes for the main attraction: pretend turtle fishing.
The turtles slowly push each other aside until one latches onto the squid. The fun is to haul the giant creatures part way out of the water before they let go of the rope – usually taking most of the squid along.
* Rates at Daniel’s Head Village through March 2002, for two people in an ocean-view tent cottage start at $135 with breakfast, (877) 418-1723, Danielsheadvillage.com. Dolphin Quest,dolphinquest.org. Bermuda info, (800) BERMUDA, bermudatourism.com