You would think a walk down Front Street would be relaxing – no worries about getting lost, the BUEI is right down the road. But, no, not today. With the rain, there are huge puddles and the sidewalks are terribly narrow with nowhere to hide when cars – and the buses! – come screaming by. Its a hurky-jerky kind of dance as we a) try not to get our umbrellas caught on the walls or buildings, b) remember not to stray to close to the road side of the sidewalk so we aren’t hit by a car, and finally, c) watch the oncoming traffic and gauge it versus the puddles to try to stop well in advance of a soaking. Yikes. It makes what should of been an easy 15 minute walk just a tad bit stressful, not to mention wet.
But we persevere and make it safely only to find it jam packed with people. They are holding a huge holiday craft show in the exhibition area and it is hopping! As an added bonus, it appears that the Institute is free to the public today. The entrance doors are wide open, with no ticket takers or security, so we wander right in. The BUEI is a 40,000 square foot ocean discovery center with a series of rooms and displays that walk you through oceanographic history from creatures and sea-life to ocean explorations. The first rooms details the extinction of creatures going back to the Mesozoic Era, with lots of different interactive displays and information. This is also where the actual ocean exploration equipment is displayed. From a series of old wet suits to a submersible bell to a replica bathysphere that is just like the actual one that made a record breaking dive in 1934. There is also a good video accompanying the bathysphere, showing how it is used and the people who were submersed in it. (Oh my God, that thing is so small! I’m claustrophobic just looking at it and even more so when I watch the video!)
The next room is an incredibly amazing shell collection from a local Bermudian, Jack Lightbourn. He was quite the collector, because there are 20 some cases filled with the most amazing shells. Shells from Bermuda, for sure, but also shells from all over the world – with a few from Sanibel. We have a great time walking through the showcases, identifying all the shells we have at home, looking at the commercially carved shells, a necklace made from the hard little shell end of snails (the part that closes them into their shell and protects them. One of the more interesting displays shows the coxcomb oysters shell that was the inspiration for the Sidney Opera House. Had no idea!
Next we walk through a circular display with lots of random facts about whales and ocean trivia. I’m amazed at the panel that says Ocean Algae is used to make peanut butter spreadable. Really? Yes, really (because we googled it!). Then it is time to go on an underwater dive…simulation.
We are ushered into a dive control room and sit through a cute video explaining that we will be researching the Bermuda Triangle in the submersible while they maintain contact in the control center. Then we walk around a remarkable replica of a Nautilus-X2 submersible, complete with loading dock and all the applicable warnings, etc. Inside we sit stadium style (with only 2 other people) and watch as we fly over Bermuda (which is gives us a unique view of the Hamilton Harbor and the area just south of the Harbor where we have never been). Soon we are out in the ocean and of course, we keep having issues. It appears we are teleported to different places, then a huge octopus attacks us and we crash to the bottom of the ocean. All the while the submersible is shaking and shimmying away, and when the doors finally open, we are actually now on the lower level!
Here there is an excellent display on the Bermuda Triangle. It is truly amazing/creepy/scary how many planes and ships have been lost in this area and never found again. Just vanished. The 5 torpedo bombers – Flight 19 – that vanished and then the search plane that went after them and vanished as well in 1945, the submarine in 1968, its all so fascinating!
I could spend hours in here just reading over all the material, the explanations (worm-holes, magnetic disturbances, methane bubbles, Sargasso and aliens) and the details of each missing ship or plane. Moving on though, there are sections on pirates and then a film about the discovery of the Titanic, ending finally in a room devoted to Teddy Tucker, a local archeologist who recovered treasures from dives. Its a very nice way to spend a very wet day in Bermuda.
Outside the exhibits,we wander through the craft show. It is still crazy busy, and while there are some lovely pink sand jewelry, art and other novelties, no way are we buying here. I mean, it’s Bermuda, and its Bermudian pricing! We do find a neat t-shirt in the gift shop and get 10% off because of the holiday show – so it wasn’t a complete loss.
Back out on the street, it is miraculously not raining. We had planned to go to another museum in the National Library, but decide to ditch that idea and just go back to the ship for lunch and to hang out the rest of the afternoon, watching Hamilton Harbor, and then watching the sail away with mimosas from the balcony! (PS – look at the picture of the pink houses closely – there is a lady standing in the doorway in a pink dress! We wonder if she always dresses to match the house!)
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