You'll Soon Be Able to Scuba Dive Alongside an Underwater 747
It looks like the Queen of the Skies may soon become the Queen of the Seas. The world's largest eco-friendly underwater theme park is planned to open in the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain. The park, which is set to span over 100,000 square meters, will feature a decommissioned Boeing 747 as its centerpiece. The Jumbo Jet is reportedly the largest aircraft to ever be submerged.
A rendering of the site featured on the Bahraini Tourism Authority's Instagram showed what appears to be a passenger 747-400, but it is not known at this point where the plane will come from and what model of 747 it will be. According to Emirati newspaper The National, the 747 may come from one of the planes kept at the Fujairah airport in the Emirates, where a number of cargo 747s no longer in use are stored.
Planes stored, or abandoned, in the desert often have their engines and all fluids — which would be an environmental hazard — removed.
In addition to the plane, the park will house a replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant's house, artificial coral reefs and sculptures made from eco-friendly materials.
Bahrain's President of the Supreme Council for Environment, HH Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, announced on Saturday that the underwater theme park "will provide a safe haven for coral reef growth and a habitat for marine life." Bahrain aims to be a global leader in the field of ecotourism and the preservation of marine wildlife. HH Shaikh Abdullah expressed the importance of holding "the highest international environmental standards in the project."
The underwater theme park is scheduled to open to the private sector, local dive companies and clubs in the coming weeks. Visitors will be able to take the plunge before the start of the summer.
It looks like it's time to finally get that scuba diving certification.
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