There are some really fascinating treasures lurking in Bermuda's warm and rich
waters, especially those belonging to ancient wrecks. They include everything
from old engravedpistols dating back to 1730, to elephant
tusks and 18th century enemas to emeralds.
But for one diver,
these little treasures are much more as they narrate the tale of his and scuba diting years finding a myriad
of artefacts that the Caribbean sea once
engulfed. Billy Gillies, a diver and wreck hunter who dedicated many hours of
his life (two decades to be precise) to exploring Bermuda's reefs and
recovering many long lost objects has now turned his home into an exhibition
hall where the walls are adorned by some rather peculiar finds.
Image by : LookBermuda, on Flickr.
Image by : LookBermuda, on Flickr.
His home now being a museum exhibiting all sort of antiques rescued
from the bottom of the sea and including bottles, lamps and weapons dating back
to a time spanning four centures, Mr Gillies has become known as the very
skilful restore of relics found among the debris of Bermuda's many legendary
shipwrecks.
After many years of scuba diving holidays in Bermuda, the
81-year-old, who was among a generation of pioneering underwater explorers who
uncovered several historic treasures from the reef, now wants to donate his
impressive collection to a public museum where ordinary visitors will be able
to view them. But sadly, as of now, he says he hasn't been able to find any
takers.
"I wanted the national maritime museum to take them but
they...weren't recovered under archaeological conditions.
"To me this is
what people want to see. It is the artefacts that bring the stories of the
ships to life."
Mr Gillies, who
participated in one of Bermuda's first
underwater explorations with Harry Cox, was part of a team of divers who helped
rescue gold bars, coins and an emerald — apparently from a Spanish ship wrecked
on the reefs in the 16th century.
Divers enjoying scuba
diving holidays in Bermuda today, still visit the Manila
wreck where the canons lie wedged against the reef.
Image by : LookBermuda, on Flickr.
While today's
wreck-hunters use modern technology to roam the deep ocean for sunken treasure,
these pioneers of underwater exploration in Bermuda
used far less sophisticated methods.
Mr Gillies estimates
he spent almost every Thursday and Sunday for 18 years of his life ‘flying
underwater' in this fashion behind Mr Cox's boat.
One of the world's most fascinating scuba diving destinations, Bermuda offers
divers a wealth of wrecks to explore, teeming with amazing coral life and some
pretty peculiar humangadgets from a long bygone era. What could be
more thrilling and exciting than taking home a remarkable 18th century find?
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