Mary Celestia Wreck

The Mary Celestia was a paddle steamer running the Union blockade to Confederate ports from Bermuda, and she struck a reef off the south shore in September 1864 and sank in a few minutes with the loss of one life. She lies in around fifteen metres with her paddle wheels, boiler and bow section identifiable. Excavation in 2011 found a sealed bow compartment holding wine, perfume and other cargo that had been undisturbed since she went down.

Highlights

• The paddle wheels - the drive machinery still recognisable on the seabed.
• The bow section - the surviving forward part of the hull.
• The 2011 finds - the sealed compartment that yielded wine and perfume.
• The blockade running - the trade the ship was engaged in when she sank.

When to go

May to October is the diving season. The south shore site is exposed and trips cancel in swell. Visibility is best in summer.

Good to know

It is a boat dive and the site is exposed to south swell. The wreck is partly buried and shifts with storms. Removing anything from Bermudian wrecks is illegal.

Nearby

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is onshore, and Church Bay is nearby.