A Tale of Two Islands is a unique exhibition that opened to the public earlier this summer at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

The two islands under consideration are Nonsuch and Trunk which, in this exhibit, showcase three major aspects of their histories.

In regard to the Nonsuch section of the exhibit: the first part concerns the rediscovery, conservation, recovery and research into the life cycle of the cahow. This is then followed by an exhibit showcasing aspects of William Beebe’s deep dive including a life-size replica of the bathysphere he used. Nonsuch island was Beebe’s base of operation.

The Trunk Island exhibit briefly showcases its history — both geologic and as human habitation – but it is chiefly about turning Trunk Island into a “living classroom”. It is inspired by what David Wingate, Bermuda’s former chief conservation officer, has been able to accomplish in recreating Nonsuch into something resembling its pre-colonial past. The goal is to do something similar on Trunk Island.

The overall exhibit is really about the re-creation of Nonsuch into a “living museum” and Trunk Island into a “living classroom”.

I see this exhibition as being a unique combination of art and science. In other words it uses art to communicate aspects of science.

It was Leonardo da Vinci who advised, “To develop a complete mind, study the science of art; study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else.”

The exhibition was initially conceived by Ian Walker, principal curator at BAMZ, who also did the research and wrote the initial draft exhibition script.

The actual show materialised under the leadership of Dr Walker along with the efforts of a team of BAMZ staff, plus several others with the necessary skills to bring it about.

I understand that altogether, the exhibit took five years from concept to the final product. Part of why it took that long is because of Covid. Additionally it had its complications – deciding just what would go on the walls, creating what would go on the walls and then fitting it all together on the walls.

While Dr Walker was considering his concept for showcasing these important island histories, he happened upon some works by English artist Ruby Fresson. Her illustrations are in the graphic novel style, which Dr Walker immediately saw as a possibility for communicating succinctly, in an exhibition, that which itself could be fairly complicated.

For Ms Fresson this commission had its attractions as well as its challenges. Before this opportunity came along, her illustrations were on a scale suitable for magazines and newspapers; In other words, her illustrations were modest in size.

The Aquarium commission required that her illustrations be large, wall-size affairs. Her drawings had to be enlarged to a suitable size, but in doing so, the lines risked losing their crispness. She had to find a way to achieve the desired sharpness of line. That she was successful, is obvious. The exhibit is testimony to that fact.

Linda Weinraub of the design studio Fluent was the exhibit designer and content co-developer. She worked closely with the BAMZ staff to help bring the exhibit to life.

Ms Weinraub also worked with Ms Fresson to help translate her drawings into exhibit-sized panels and helped co-ordinate the many different exhibit features, including the audio visual elements and interactive fabrication.

An exhibition of this scope is an expensive undertaking. The donors who made it possible are: Diane Bergquist, the Green family and the Cyril Rance family in memory of Beryl Schoch.

Besides being about cahows and deep dives, this exhibition is also about certain visionary individuals who are the heroes of its story. First and foremost is Dr Wingate. Without his vision and persistence, in all probability, the cahow would by now be extinct. It has been his life-work to save our national bird. Additionally he has inspired a host of others who are doing their level best to preserve Bermuda’s endemic and native wildlife, plants and open space.

Jeremy Madeiros in another notable and it is to him that much credit goes in the recovery of the cahow by means of the highly successful translocation of them from their threatened nesting islands to safer artificial burrows on Nonsuch.

An indication of the success of that programme is seen in the notable increase in the cahow population. In the early 1950s when the cahow was rediscovered, there were only 18 nesting pairs. By 2021, the number had increased to 143. In 2022 there were 155 breeding pairs and now, hot off the press, is the news that this year the number of nesting cahows is 164. This is a new record.

Additional information on the life cycle of the cahow has been obtained by means of archival geolocation data loggers that are attached to their legs. These provide information on where the cahow flies during the course of a year. Keep in mind also the fact that once the cahows fledge, they do not return to nest until some three to five years later.

On average a cahow will fly up to 65,000 miles per year, which over a lifetime of 30 to 40 years is the equivalent distance to the moon and back, maybe several times over.

The more I have learnt about the cahow, the more mysterious they seem to me. The fact that they fly thousands of miles throughout the North Atlantic yet always find their way back to Nonsuch, to the very burrow from which they fledged is notable. But by what means are they able to accomplish this?

Another individual of note in the Nonsuch story is Mr Beebe, who made Nonsuch the location of his laboratory, as well as his dwelling from 1928 to 1934. Nonsuch was only a short distance to the deep ocean where he was able to make his descent in the bathysphere. The bathysphere was designed by Otis Barton who usually accompanied him in his descents.

Additionally, there were several other staff members. such as Gloria Hoillister, his chief assistant and Elsie Bostelmann, his primary artist. The project director was John Tee-Van and his wife, Helen, was another resident artist. There were others, such as Captain Harry Sylvester, skipper of the Ready, which transported the bathysphere to the place of descent and, with a deck derrick, lowered it into the depths.

The resident artists were necessary for when Mr Beebe was half a mile down in the bathysphere, he would telephone Ms Hollister who would take note of the deep-sea fish he was seeing. She in turn would give that information to Ms Bostelmann or Ms Tee-Van who would then, from these notes, begin to paint, but would finish when Mr Beebe was back on Nonsuch and could better oversee what she was painting.

Photography, back then, was not adequate to depicting creatures of the deep, dark world half a mile down in the ocean. Flash photography would have been impossible through the fused quartz windows.

Given that it has taken about five years to bring Tale of Two Islands to fruition, it is intended that this show be permanent. That is not to say that possibly down the line there could be suitable adjustments if and when needed, but the show is here to stay.

I do recommend that A Tale of Two Islands be visited at least several times. I have been to see the show three or four times and every time I go, I learn something new.