Over 50 million people will be seeing Bermuda in glorious colour today when Sports Illustrated issues its top selling Swimsuit Issue in the United States.

The magazine is expected to hit local stores over the next few days.

Supermodel Daniela Pestova adorns the cover of SI's Swimsuit Issue, one of 14 top models who posed in Bermuda and the rain forest of Costa Rica.

Last year the models and photographers arrived on the Island to shoot the famous issue.

It is understood Bermuda will be the "pink' in the shoot, while Costa Rica will be the "green''.

Such models like Cheryl Tiegs and Vendela jetted in to take part in the shoot.

The SI crew, led by project director Ms Julie Campbell, and all the models, stayed at the Elbow Beach Hotel. The project was kept under close wraps at the time because of fears of copy-cat spreads. And the directors also asked the Tourism Department to cooperate in keeping the locations and project secret.

However last September residents of St. George's awoke on a Monday morning to find "a collection of beautiful, scantily-clad young women, and people with all sorts of camera equipment'', as one resident put it, at work in the streets of the Old Town.

The shoot was being conducted under the greatest secrecy and, for the most part, in remote locations on the island.

But a few mornings later the Time/Warner magazine's team of supermodels and top photographers was again spotted at work, this time holding up rush-hour traffic on Mullet Bay Road, St. George's in the process.

At the same time as the swimsuit issue, traditionally the magazine's best seller of the year, was being shot, a video team was on the island working alongside the SI crew filming a special for television about the making of the swimsuit issue. That special was shown last night on NBC TV.

And diners at the Elbow Beach Hotel also came in for a special treat. Cheryl Tiegs, who has appeared in several SI swimsuit editions, often spent time chatting with them.

Although it may have sounded glamourous, the crew rose as early as 5 a.m. to make the most of the weather, which was at times, very dreary. The magazine estimates that 50 million will read the issue, or, at least look at the pictures! HOT SELLER! -- Supermodel Daniela Pestova of the Czech Republic poses on the cover of the 1995 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue which hits the stands today in the United States. Pestova is seen posing in Bermuda last year. The cover title says `Daniela Glistens in Bermuda'.