That’s right, folks! I went to Bermuda on my Birthday. I always try and do fun things on my Birthday, a couple years ago it was going to Assateague Island, which is a beach in Maryland that houses wild horses. Before that, I went to a waterfall and dined at a top-notch sushi place- but this time it was going on a cruise.

So the big question, what was it and what happened?

The Glass bottom boat was paired with snorkeling and was an excursion which I booked on the cruise line. Apparently it is less expensive if you do it outside of the cruise line (which makes sense), yet there is more of a risk to be left behind (yes, the cruise ship literally leaving you) if you book independently. With my luck, that was just not something I was willing to risk.

It started early in the morning, I believe 7 or something like that. Well… as a night owl- that’s early for ME! Anyways, we left the cruise port as normal and waited in line (maybe 10 minutes?) to board a small, what I would probably call a ferry. (Whether there is a technical term for it, probably, and it probably isn’t a ferry!)

We had the choice to sit on the top or the bottom. It was pretty window outside, so I sat in the bottom. (The top didn’t have a roof- the bottom did… obviously… as it was under the top…) There were windows so we could still see out.

About 15-20 (also could be totally off) minutes through, the captain asked everyone to come downstairs where he was prepping the glass-bottom part of the boat. There looked to be lights to see better and we saw a range of different animals and corals.

Some of us were sitting down, whereas others were standing up looking through. During this time, the guide was educating us about the different types of fish that were residing in Bermuda, as well as the different types of corals. Brain corals and fire corals were the main ones that I recall, fire corals getting their name from causing a painful burning sensation if touched.

I think one of the things that I really liked about this guide was how enthusiastic he was, despite the fact that I’m sure he has been doing this for years.

I personally wonder if I could do that about where I live now. I honestly don’t think I can share the same facts and information about Maryland and continue to be as excited and fascinated as he was.

I also lived in Massachusetts growing up and while there obviously is a lot of history in Massachusetts, especially Boston- I don’t know if I could maintain the same level of enthusiasm that he did, but again- maybe if it was my job…

Now, enough about fish! What else did we see? Well… possibly the bigger catch was that we went over a shipwreck, which I thought was the neatest thing. We also could see the tip of part of the ship at a certain spot in the water.

While the guide on the boat was firm in that he does not believe in the Bermuda Triangle and in his words, “anyone who lives here, just laughs that theory off,” there are at least 225 documented shipwrecks in Bermuda’s waters, which are due to the treacherous reefs that Bermuda has.

Now, whether that is the belief that you want to prescribe to- that’s up to you.

However- what I will say is that I have the absolute worst luck ever. You’re talking to the person who got a fractured skull, black eye and concussion from making whipped cream at Starbucks… story for another time. And while I wish I could say that was it, there is a reason my friends joke with me that I should have my own “Netflix saga” and yet, here I am- not being sucked up by the void- still very much here 🙂

And so after this, we got to feed the fish, from bread that was provided in a bucket. How healthy that was for the fish, I don’t really know- but my philosophy is that there were so many fish, the amount of bread an individual fish ate probably wasn’t to a point that was significant. However, I’m sure there are wildlife specialists that disagree with me. Anywhoo… the guide did laugh about it, saying the bread is whole wheat (as opposed to white bread), which I thought was quite funny. He did have quite the humor, which is always appreciated!

There were also a lot, A LOT of fish here, and apparently all the boats stop in the same/similar place so the fish know where to go.

Now I’m not going to talk about this next part too much, simply because I didn’t do it for whole time nor do I have photos, but the next part was the captain found a shady cove and we snorkeled in the water. It was the first time that I had ever snorkeled and they did say that all the equipment was thoroughly sanitized, disinfected, cleaned, etc. so I was not worried about it.

I struggled to find one that fit and got water frequently in the goggles and mouth piece. I am sure if I asked they would’ve helped me find another set that fit better, but I was honestly happy to float around on the noodle or paddle board and people-watch. Some people did say they could see fish close up under water, which would’ve been cool- but then another lady said she saw a barracuda… which would’ve been less cool ahah!

You could also boat around on little kayaks, there was a lot to do. There was an indoor bad as well in the downstairs that was open and honestly I really just had a blast. As for snorkeling, I don’t think that’s for me (albeit it also could’ve just been an initial rough experience due to a set that didn’t fit, and maybe I should give it another chance) and I guess I will- but I don’t think I’ll go out of way to just snorkel.

Do I recommend the Glass Bottom Boat in Bermuda?

UMMM, YES!? What is there not to recommend. While I wish the video quality was better, I hope that I somewhat captured the essence of watching fish swim just under my feet, learning about the different types of corals and seeing a ship wreck for the first time, up-close and in person. Definitely one of the best birthdays that I have experienced and absolutely no regrets!

Cheers friends and travelers!
~Backroad Butterflies ~

(P.S. This post is posted late since I recently opened up my blog and couldn’t NOT add this. My actual birthday is May 20th)