Captain Michael Burke, with his partner Captain Ben Lucas of Blue Water Divers and Watersports, enables thousands of clients to experience the Island's beautiful seas and reefs.

"Bermuda offers simple, easy high calibre diving and snorkelling. Here, 80 degree plus water temperatures kills corals yet cool water of about 70 to 75 degrees encourages the corals to thrive beautifully.'' The business was started in 1985 at Robinson's Marina near Somerset Bridge. It has had a significant growth spurt during the past two years while managed by Captains Burke and Lucas. Mr. Burke, 32, is a licensed boat captain and a certified dive instructor who has been diving since age six. Additionally he is an accomplished author and underwater photographer. His photographs can be seen in the texts "Wonders of the Deep'' and "Bermuda Shipwrecks.'' Mr.

Lucas has been a certified diver for ten years and a licensed boat captain for three years. He says what he enjoys most about his work is the interaction with other divers and people in general.

Mr. Lucas said: "Bermuda has healthy soft corals and beautiful sea fans. The reefs seem to flourish because Bermuda is an isolated island mostly free of industrial waste. We have the largest variety of wrecks in the world going back to the 1600's.'' According to maritime historian, Mr. Teddy Tucker: "Sport diving has become the fastest growing of all water sports worldwide with hotels and cruise ships catering solely to divers''.

They offer a variety of water sport activities such as snorkling, lilos, kayaks, aqua cycles, boogie boards, tubing, sailing, water scooters and electric powered boats. You can skim the waves on a jet ski while you do the jet ski snorkle safari and see historic St. George's forts and secluded reefs.

Blue Water Divers, with three excellent dive boats, is the only Bermuda dive shop offering year round diving on 18 of the best wrecks and reefs with a wreck dive certificate programme. After each wreck site is explored the diver is given a certificate. Night dives can be arranged on one of their three custom dive boats and video and camera rentals are available. During night dives creatures like lobsters and octopus come alive and are easy to see against a black background. An underwater videographer is on staff.

Bermuda's treacherous reefs have claimed numerous vessels, between 350 to 500, starting with the Sea Venture off of St. George's in 1609.

There are about 40 documented wreck sites around our Islands such as L'Hermonie off South Shore, Cristobal Colon off the North, Montana near Western Blue Cut off the West End and many others. The actual number of wreck sites is about 200.

L'Hermonie was 300 feet long and a 60 gun French frigate completed in 1828.

According to the text, "Bermuda Shipwrecks'' she was part of a Squadron in Mexican waters sent to enforce French claims in Mexico. She was coming from Havana en route to Brest, France in 1838. Due to rough weather on December 3, she headed for the shelter of Bermuda. Before they realised it she struck a reef. However, local boats came to her assistance and all 495 officers and crew were landed safely in Ely's Harbour. Mr. Tucker recovered the bell from the L'Hermonie and the Postmaster General issued a wreck series postage stamp of her.

Cristobal Colon is the largest shipwreck in Bermuda. A Spanish luxury liner, about 500 feet long, built for the Trasatlantica Spanish Line in 1923. On October 25, 1936 she ran right on a reef eight miles north of Bermuda.

Fortunately there were no passengers abroad, only 160 crew members. As she sat high up on a reef she presented for easy salvage. She had a lot of fine furniture and handsome fixtures residing today in many homes in Bermuda.

On December 30, 1863, Montana (also called Nola ), an English paddle wheel steamer and civil war blockade runner of 236 feet, was wrecked near Western Blue Cut. She was en route from London to Wilmington, North Carolina carrying cargo for the Confederacy. If you are interested in experiencing the best in water sports or exploring shipwrecks in Bermuda you may call: Somerset Bridge Facility at (441)-234-1034 Elbow Beach Facility at (441)-236-3535 Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort Facility at (441)-232-2911.

Deep sea ship: a diver explores the "wreck'' of the Xing Da. The Chinese ship was stopped off Bermuda by the US Coast Guard carrying illegal Chinese immigrants in 1996. The ship was later sunk off the island as wreck site for scuba divers.

Caught: The Xing Da being apprehended by the US Coast Guard.

Michael Burke: Devoted diver