Ryder's entrance, emerging from the ocean in a white bikini holding two large seashells, the sun shining on her wet blonde hair, is considered a classic James Bond scene, establishing both the character and actress as a sex symbol.

The bikini is a movie wardrobe extra: the corresponding scene of the novel, Dr. No, has Honeychile Rider emerge wearing her belt only.

Rider is an independent and very beautiful woman, with the minor imperfection of a broken nose, a lasting memory of the overseer's punches to subdue her before sexually assaulting her.

While on Crab Key, she meets James Bond and confides in him her dream of becoming a call girl in New York City in order to live a good lifestyle.

It is implied in the book that she and Bond will later travel to New York City where Rider will get her nose fixed; and that on her return, she will work at the Jamaican natural history museum.

Ryder relates how she got her revenge by putting a black widow spider in his mosquito net and causing his lingering death.

Christine Bold argues that the film character is "much less resourceful" than in the book: "whereas, in the novel, her superior knowledge of sea life facilitates her escape from Dr No's trap, in the movie she is chained down helplessly and must be rescued by Bond.

"[6] In a UK survey conducted in 2003 by Channel 4, the character's entrance in the movie Dr. No was voted number one in "the 100 Greatest Sexy Moments" (BBC 2003).

[9] Halle Berry performed a similar scene in the 20th James Bond film, Die Another Day; emerging from the ocean in an orange bikini.