It's a novel way to explore the underseas, and probably the best way that a child too young for scuba or snorkeling can get a good look at the fish and coral in tropical underseas.
In a dozen locations in the Caribbean and Hawaii and the South Seas, Atlantis Adventures will take you down to the ocean floor.
Two sons and I sampled an Atlantis submarine tour in Barbados.
Passengers gather at a convenient dockside location, and are then ferried out to the Atlantis submarineon a comfortable largish vessel (with bathroom onboard). During this short boat ride, a personable staff member game us instructions and background: style was comedy patter, so this intro was part of the fun.
48 people could board this Atlantis submarine at one time. Every passenger gets his/her own porthole.
The submerged portion of our Atlantis submarine outing lasted about half an hour.
At time of writing, you can find Atlantis submarines in the Caribbean in Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Grand Cayman, St. Martin, and the USVI (St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.) There are also Atlantis submarines in: Cozumel, Mexico; Guam; and Kona, Maui, and Ohau, in Hawaii. Check web site for additions.
Over 1 million passengers had experienced an Atlantis submarine descent in Barbados when we visited! The company is well-established, and provided a polished and professional service.
- some Caribbean island tourism promotions include discounts for these outings
best seats are near the front, where you can look over the pilot's shoulder and out the large front window
