Bermuda · Bermuda · Wreck
Mary Celestia
A paddlewheel frame standing upright like a small Ferris wheel
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A Confederate blockade runner that struck a submerged rock at 13 knots in 1864 and went down on Bermuda's southern reef, 549 m off the coast (600 yards), in about 17 m. The paddlewheels, boilers, anchor and the bow excavated by archaeologists in 2011 are what survive, and one paddlewheel frame still stands upright on the seabed.
Also known as Mary-Celestia.
Where it is and how deep
32.2415° N, 64.8320° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
The wreck sits 549 m off the south coast (600 yards) in 16.8 to 18 m of water, on the southern reef that stopped her. What survives is the machinery and the ends of the ship rather than a hull you can swim through: the bow, excavated by archaeologists in 2011, the anchor, the boilers, and the paddlewheels that drove a 69-metre steamer (225 feet) along this shore.
One of the paddlewheel frames still stands upright, a rusted circle that looks like a miniature Ferris wheel and the most recognisable structure on the site. Parts of the wheelhouse remain discernible in the wreckage, and divers have found lumps of coal lying loose on the seabed around it — the fuel of a ship that was steaming at 13 knots on a flat calm day when she hit.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Mary Celestia
- Type
- Side-paddlewheel steamer, Confederate blockade runner
- Length
- 68.5 m (225 ft)
- Built
- 1861
- Sunk
- 1864
- Cause
- Struck a blind boiler — a submerged rock — at 13 knots while running the south shore
- Lies
- On Bermuda's southern reef at 16.8–18 m; bow, anchor, boilers and paddlewheels survive
Built in Liverpool in 1861, the Mary Celestia was a side-paddlewheel steamer that ran the Union blockade, outrunning Union warships while smuggling guns, ammunition and supplies. In 1864, loaded with food, ammunition and rifles and cruising the south shore at 13 knots on a flat calm day under a Bermudian pilot, she struck a blind boiler and sank on the southern reef. A 2011 excavation of the bow uncovered a cache of hidden artefacts including a ship's taffrail log, a hairbrush, shoes and intact wine.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Bermuda: May to October is the season, warmest July to September at 27–28°C; the water falls to about 19°C by March, and winter storms make diving the exception.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Confederate Blockade Runner Mary Celestia - Ep 66 · Blue Horizon Diving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Mary Celestia?+
The wreck lies in about 17 m of water, with a maximum depth of 18 m — a straightforward recreational profile 549 m off the south coast (600 yards).
What is left of the Mary Celestia to see?+
The bow, uncovered during the 2011 excavation, the anchor, the boilers and the paddlewheels. One paddlewheel frame still stands upright, parts of the wheelhouse are discernible, and lumps of coal lie loose on the seabed.
Sources
- Mary Celestia — Bermuda 100 (UC San Diego)
- Mary Celestia dive site — PADI Travel
- Bermuda 100 Shipwrecks — Bermuda 100 (UC San Diego)
In The Logbook
- Your first wreck dive: what to expect and whereFirst dives · 6 min read
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