These Boots, in Bermuda.: Day 5 - Part 2: Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo

Feeding time for the resident Harbour seals...

Cafe area

The Bermuda Natural History Museum seeks to inspire an understanding of and appreciation for the evolution of flora and fauna on the island.

The ground floor of the museum includes three galleries of interactive and audio-visual displays showing how the island was formed and discovered.

Displays include examples of geology and fossils, Bermuda’s biodiversity, threatened habitats, plants and animals.

Other exhibits illustrate the history of Bermuda traditions such as Gombey dancing...

... Cupmatch...

...and the Easter tradition of kite flying, after a tradtional Good Friday breakfast of codfish and potatoes.

In 1849, the first Portuguese immigrants arrived in Bermuda from Madeira on board the ship 'The Golden Rule'. Their passage was subsidised by the Bermuda government and they were contracted to work as farm labourers.

Portuguese Bermudians have gone on to make their mark not only in agriculture, but in all sectors of Bermuda. They represent one of the three main groups to which most Bermudians belong. The others are black Bermudians, who trace their ancestry back to Africa, and white Bermudians who are descended from British settlers. Many Bermudians can claim ancestry from at least two of the groups, and some from all three.

Portuguese farmers picking Bermuda Easter lilies

Traditional Portuguese lacework

Some strange old traditions!

What most people think of first, when Bermuda is mentioned!

The fragile nature of island ecosystems is a key theme in the Caribbean, Australasia and Madagascar Exhibits, which all have free-flight immersion areas that allow visitors to see animals as they would in nature.The zoo displays over 300 birds, reptiles and mammals from oceanic islands in lush, naturalistic exhibits with coastal walkways and beautiful water vistas.

An emphasis on conservation and environmental education forms the focus of the facility. Many animals in the collection belong to Species Survival Plans, captive-breeding programmes for endangered creatures, some of which are reintroduced to the wild.