And we live beneath the waves, In our yellow submarine, We all live in our yellow submarine...
This 1968 Beatles’ single was a fantasy trip originally written for kids, but four decades down the line, it has become a virtual reality. Incredible, but true. As we get more and more techno-savvy, our lifestyles have somersaulted and taken a double loop into a time zone that is forever seeking new challenges, always trying to innovate, and make the seemingly impossible, possible.
If you thought you’d heard everything about the travel mode, think again. When one’s next vacation plans could very well have to do with exploring heavenly bodies in the skies above, what’s stopping us from diving 100 ft or more below the sea for a mind-blowing underwater mardi gras of marine life, without ever getting wet or even knowing how to swim? We’re talking submarine tours--the newest adventure travel of our time.
Atlantis XIV
The famous Waikiki coastline of Hawaii is the place to experience the wonders of a real-life submarine tour. Atlantis XIV is the world's largest hi-tech passenger submarine, which offers varied tours to match different adventure scales and budget levels.
Atlantis Premium Tour takes place aboard the world’s largest hi-tech, 64-passenger submarine. The large submarine offers an enhanced amount of personal space and large viewports, compared with other Atlantis submarines.
Atlantis Submarine Tour takes place in the 48-passenger Atlantis submarine and has also been featured on National Geographic specials.
Atlantis Submarine Tour & Royal Sunset Dinner Cruise is a combo tour where travellers can save more than 40 per cent, and with the special discount package, visitors can enjoy the spectacular Royal Sunset Dinner and Submarine Discovery Tour.
Atlantis Submarine Tour & Sunset Buffet Dinner Cruise is another Atlantis combo, and perhaps, the best way to experience the once-in-a-lifetime adventure while saving big bucks.
Touring beneath the waves
Climbing aboard a submarine and descending to 100 ft underwater can be an adventure in itself. You will also get to see real marine life up-close. The Atlantis Waikiki dive site is home to many Hawaiian fishes and turtles, besides being a storehouse of corals. Discover another world beneath the crystal blue waters off the Kona coast of the Big Island - an underwater playground that even the native Hawaiians were unable to experience until modern times.
These underwater adventures can be fun as well as educational, so bring along the entire family! The kids will get a kick out of the vibrantly coloured tropical fish, the intricate and massive coral formations, the gracefully swimming sea turtles, and more, all in their own natural habitat--a thriving, 18,000-year-old, 25-acre coral reef! Onboard narration is provided via headsets in both English and Japanese.
Hi-tech subs
Atlantis Adventures is the largest tour provider in the Hawaiian Islands and features the most technologically advanced passenger submarines of its kind, capable of transporting up to 48 passengers at a time, safely achieving depths of up to 120 feet below the ocean’s surface. With their roomy, air-conditioned interiors and large viewports, Atlantis submarines are designed with passenger comfort and viewing pleasure in mind.
Known for its quality and safety, Atlantis is an eye-opening experience that takes one beyond the classroom to open a whole new world of corals, reef life and submersibles while visiting sunken shipwrecks, airplanes and other artificial reefs. Atlantis has a spacious, air-conditioned interior, large viewports and comfortable seating.
Other submarine safaris
The unexplored waters of Puerto Calero in Canary Islands is another place to have a submarine safari of a lifetime. Experience the true underwater world of Lanzarote, previously reserved exclusively for divers. Come aboard and sit back in complete safety and air-conditioned comfort, while the well-trained crew provides you with an unforgettable experience.
In Larcana Marina, Cyprus, there actually exists a yellow submarine! The 30 m-long Sadko is one of only about 20 tourist submarines currently operating around the world and the only one in the eastern Mediterranean. Inside, there is plenty of space for 40 passengers to see through the 23 portholes. You can take one of many boats out to sea, right up to the submarine deck. You then take the step ladder into the depths of the submarine, which is really a series of portholes with chairs in front. A glance from one of the portholes will reveal a uniform blue – it’s, of course, the sea – and you realise that you’re looking up at its surface from beneath.
This sub is capable of going down 100 m while cruising at a speed of three knots. It has all its legalities right, being licensed by both the shipping department and the marine police. And when underwater, the Sadko is always in radio contact with a surface escort boat. It is equipped with air-conditioning, an oxygen generator and fire safety devices.
What’s more appealing in this ecologically sensitive era is the fact that the submarine is electronically driven and poses no threat to flora or fauna.
As you set off, you don’t feel any mobility, but you know you’re headed downwards because the sub is pointed that way. As you travel into the depths of the sea, an incredible world opens up--myriads of fish and marine life. There are groupers, barracudas and sea beam, and even an octopus. As you go up after the marvellously smooth ride, only a slight ear-popping will tell you that you are back on surface.
Game for a dive, anyone?
Relic from the past The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is home to the US Navy's last non-nuclear, fast-attack submarine, the USS Blueback (SS 581). After 31 years of service in the US Navy throughout the Pacific Ocean, and appearing in the movie The Hunt for Red October, the Blueback is now on permanent display at OMSI. If you’re a “techy”, you can treat yourself to a comprehensive technical look into the workings of the submarine during a special, in-depth tour guided by an actual submarine veteran. The tech tours last two hours and are offered on the first Sunday of each month, starting at 10 am. The maximum tour size is of six people.
Take a virtual tour of Blueback, learn about its history, its technical aspects or find out how it dives. You can also purchase cool Blueback souvenirs through OMSI’s online science store. Discover what daily life was like aboard the US Navy's last fast-attack submarine as you explore the control room, peer through a periscope, and check out the engine room of the USS Blueback. After your mission, enjoy a late snack before hitting the rack in the crew's quarters.
