Where to go underwater?
Who hasn’t dreamed of being able to explore the marvellous underwater world? Thanks to tourist excursions aboard modern submarines (sometimes called « pocket submarines »), it’s possible to do so without being a seasoned diver: comfortably seated, dry and safe, immersed up to 35 meters underwater, you can watch theastonishing marine life parade past the portholes of your submarine (provided you’re not claustrophobic!).
A godsend for those who don’t know how to swim, or who find the mere idea of snorkeling frightening. Whether in the depths of the Indian, Pacific or Atlantic Oceans, the Caribbean or the Red Sea, aboard a 3 or 40-passenger submarine, the experience can be magical, and well worth a try (despite the sometimes hefty price tag).
Here are 9 spots where you can admire multicolored corals, myriads of fish and other underwater inhabitants, shipwrecks and airplane wrecks. Take your place!
Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles)
Credit – coralreefphotos.com
Located off the coast of Venezuela, the island is renowned for its superb beaches and dazzling seabed. The Curasub Aquarius (run by Substation Curaçao, the company that marketed the first submarine dedicated to tourism) is a small submarine that can accommodate up to 5 passengers, but goes to depths of hundreds of meters (hence the very high price compared to other places: $650!).
Cozumel (Mexico)
Credit – cometocozumel.com
Just a few kilometers from the Mexican coast, you can set off on an expedition aboard the Atlantis submarine, a genuine U.S. Coast Guard submarine. The island of Cozumel is one of the world’s top diving destinations, boasting a protected marine park with astonishing coral formations and a wide variety of marine animals.
Cayman Islands
Wikimedia – Fevi Yu
In the heart of the calm turquoise waters of the Western Caribbean, the islands are another diving kingdom. The Atlantis XI submarine has been specially designed for underwater sightseeing excursions and will allow you to witness the abundance of underwater life and the spectacular beauty of the coral reefs in this corner of the globe.
Hawaii
Credit – yabsta.ky
Whether on Maui, Oahu or the Big Island, here too you can experience the submarine journey into the heart of the Pacific Ocean, where hectares of coral reef are waiting to be explored.
Mauritius
Credit – travelalltogether.com
This submarine trip offers a panoramic view of the Mauritian marine world, at a depth of 35 meters in the heart of the Indian Ocean.
Maldives
Credit – conradhotels3.hilton.com
At its Conrad Rangali Island resort, luxury hotel group Hilton is offering tourists its latest gadget: a mini submersible named « NEMO », which can accommodate 3 passengers and dive to a depth of 30 meters. Like the little hero of the Disney Studios cartoon, the Nemo N100 submarine is painted in the clown fish’s colors. The 3 glass bells give passengers a 360° view.
Bora-Bora (French Polynesia)
Flickr – Marty B
The location is idyllic here too: immersed in the Pacific along the reef outside the Bora Bora lagoon at a depth of 30 meters, you can encounter lemon sharks, blacktip sharks, napoleons, barracudas, moray eels, schools of perch and many more in the 6-passenger cabin.
Hurghada (Egypt)
Credit – luckytours-alex.com
The Sinbad submarine takes you beneath the flora and fauna-rich waters of the Red Sea, to a world sheltered beneath the waves.
Canary Islands
Credit – rainerjahns.photoshelter.com
In the Canary Islands, there are several submarine excursions to discover the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean: the Yellow Submarine on Gran Canaria, and the Subcat on Tenerife, which is both a submarine and a catamaran, combining surface navigation and total immersion.