Ominously named Devil’s Hole, this isolated lagoon in Smiths Parish has fascinated people for centuries.

  1. Devil’s Hole is a large water-filled sinkhole about 80 feet deep, close to the southeastern corner of Harrington Sound. At one time a littoral cave (a cave formed by the action of waves pounding against rocks that line the shores of oceans), it is fed by subterranean tunnels that connect it to the Atlantic Ocean, rather than the far closer Harrington Sound.
  2. Owned by Thomas Trott in the 1800s, this natural aquarium came into being after the roof of a cavern on his property collapsed. For years Trott used it as a fish pond for the groupers he caught but curious neighbours and residents insisted on visiting it. It became a tourist attraction by the 1830s as a natural aquarium, home to moray eels, green turtles, and tropical fishes. The aquarium attraction closed in 2009.
  3. Devil’s Hole used to be the barometer of the original Bermuda colony. When bad weather is on the way, the pool gets murky. As winds increase, booming growls and roars emanate from the caverns of the great hole, created by the rush of air and water through the underground passages. The colonists, superstitious in the 17th century, believed the sounds came from the devil himself, so it came to be known as The Devil’s Hole.
  4. “Neptune’s Daughter” was a 1914 silent motion picture that was filmed in Bermuda. Annette Kellerman, who starred in the film, wanted to dive into the Devil’s Hole pool to impersonate a mermaid and feed the fishes. However, the authorities would not allow her to risk it.
  5. An artificial beach was created in the 1970s after the green turtles held in Devil’s Hole laid eggs in the water, which subsequently sank to the bottom. After the beach was created and there was a successful laying, the eggs were transferred to an artificial beach in the turtle enclosure at BAMZ which resulted in 58 hatchlings.