A fantasy world beneath our feet—that’s what the duo found that day in March 1905. The two boys, Carl Gibbons and Edgar Hollins, had been indulging in some cricket play on a property owned by Julian Wilkinson on the balmy archipelago of Bermuda.
Whether the ball was mis-pitched or struck far afield by one of the boys, the prized possession had to be retrieved, and it led them to a patch of grass where they saw an opening in the ground.
Little did they know, what started as a search for a lost cricket ball would lead to the discovery of a wonderous subterranean chamber that would go on to inspire the likes of a legendary novelist, silent movie producers, and a children’s television program. Accounts tell how they felt gusts of warm air blowing from the cavity and, curiosity piqued, they started digging to widen the hole. Eventually, as they entered, to their amazement the crevice opened into a vast and dark silent world, seen by human eyes for the first time.
Upon fetching a kerosene lamp from the home, they plunged deeper and witnessed the splendid handiwork of Mother Nature: countless pure-white crystal stalactites of all sizes descended from the cave ceiling. With the sound of “plink,” they came to another realization; far below lay a lake of clear water that traversed the whole cavern.
When the Wilkinson family learned of the underground discovery on their property, in short order, they set about investigating. The homeowner’s 14-year-old son, Bernard Wilkinson, was secured to a length of strong rope tied to a tree and lowered some 140 feet. He used a bicycle light to observe a spectacle beyond all their wildest dreams.
The Crystal Caves, as they are called, became a tourist attraction in 1907 and have since lured countless visitors—as many as 85,000 annually during the 2010s—over the decades. Notably among these, the legendary writer Mark Twain explored the grotto while en route to St. George’s during his second sojourn to Bermuda, and he described this jewel of Mother Nature:
By 1913, the fame and prestige of the Crystal Caves had garnered a place on the silver screen in the silent motion picture “Neptune’s Daughter,” produced by Universal Pictures. An “eight-reel spectacular triumph,” the fantasy film was shot entirely on location and starred Australian actress Annette Kellermann, who played a mermaid. She visits the cave and pleads with a sea witch to make her mortal and ends up falling in love with a king. The movie with a budget of $50,000 grossed one million at the box office.
Over the decades, upgrades have made the Crystal Caves ever more accessible. Visitors are unlikely to fall or get wet now that a staircase and catwalk floating on pontoons are installed; one can gaze out across the brilliant turquoise lake, dry and secure. Fully illuminated with electric lights, countless crystal filaments dazzle the eye, hanging high and low, some several feet long, some just a few inches.
Their mirror reflection upon the water’s surface is awe-inspiring. The stone formations underwater seem mere inches away but are actually 50 feet under, attesting to the stunning clarity of the lake.
The attraction of the caves eventually became an inspiration for the boy who would grow to co-create the beloved 1980s puppet TV show “Fraggle Rock.” Bermudian Michael K. Firth, an editor of several Dr. Seuss books, and his colleagues were enlisted by famed filmmaker and puppeteer Jim Henson to create a new children’s TV show. The magical world he saw underground many times as a child had planted the seeds for the Fraggles’ cavernous home.
The premise of the Fraggle universe centers around Fraggle Pond, which comically originates from a leaky radiator inside Doc’s workshop in the world above. The pond sustains another anthropomorphic puppet animal, the Gorgs, who draw the water from a well—who in turn plant the radishes needed by the Doozers as their basic building material.
“That idea comes from my lying in bed at night as a kid and listening to the water as it ran from the roof, down the water pipe on the other side of my bedroom wall, and into the [water collection] tank for our house. I felt like I was in the middle of this God-given gift of water. Without that cycle, none of us could [live in Bermuda],” Mr. Firth told Smithsonian Magazine in 2019, adding that “in Bermuda we don’t have fresh water,” so they collect rainwater from their white stepped rooftops.
He said, “One of the things that I pushed for is having water as the connector between all of the [different groups of characters] on the show.” And similar to the show’s Fraggle Pond, the homes in Bermuda are equipped with lenses in their foundations to capture scarce freshwater from rainfall, as required by law.
Guided tours today continue leading leagues of adventurers down into the grotto. The summer season at the Crystal Caves can get busy, particularly during peak hours from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., so savvy travelers will visit during the offseason and arrive earlier in the morning. The underground system consists of two caves: Crystal Cave and Fantasy Cave. Both have unique geological formations and experiences to offer and can be explored, either individually or as a package.
A good pair of rubber-soled shoes is recommended; although the walk isn’t strenuous, the only way down into the caves is by staircase and rampway, which can get a little tricky. Swimming in the caves is not allowed.
