DIVE BAHRAIN OFFICIALLY OPENS OFF THE COAST OF BAHRAIN

BY GABRIELLE

Diving enthusiasts can now head to Bahrain to enjoy the world’s largest underwater theme park, known as Dive Bahrain.

The official opening of the site comes after a 70-metre Boeing 747 was successfully submerged at the underwater theme park.

The aircraft sits around 20 metres under water and is the largest plane ever to be deliberately submerged in the sea.

Dive Bahrain is an eco-friendly waterpark and the sustainable Boeing 747 attraction will provide a haven for sea-life to flourish and will help encourage fresh growth of coral.

Dive Bahrain spans over an area of 10,000 sq.mt. The site is located not far from Bahrain International Airport, just off the coast.

Other attractions submerged at Dive Bahrain include artificial coral reefs, a 900-sq.mt. traditional Bahraini peal merchant’s house, and a number of eco-friendly sculptures.

The site is also designed to raise awareness of marine preservation and provide researchers with information on sea life biology and ecology.

Speaking about the launch, HE Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and chairman of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), said: “We are proud to launch this unique eco-friendly project in partnership with local diving companies, the Supreme Council for Environment and the private sector.

“The new theme park will undoubtedly emerge as a global tourist attraction. The world-class project covers an extensive area and will provide an unforgettable experience for both tourists and diving enthusiasts alike,” HE Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani continued.

OPERATION TO SINK BOEING 747 IN BAHRAIN UNDERWATER THEME PARK IN FULL SWING

BY GABRIELLE

The quest to sink the largest aircraft ever to be submerged, a 70-metre Boeing 747, is underway at an underwater theme park in Bahrain.

The eco-friendly underwater theme park is known as Dive Bahrain and will comprise of a 100,000 square metre dive site with the sunken Boeing 747 being its main attraction.

The first phase of the operation involved local and international divers and a fleet of tugboats working together to submerge the jet into the Arabian Gulf.

The Boeing 747 will rest at around 24 metres and will face nose up to give novice divers the chance to access the aircraft in shallower depths.

Prior to the submersion, the team worked for eight months making the aircraft eco-friendly by removing all plastic material and other potential hazards.

“Even the bolts and the screws were removed so that we could clean any oil residue, before putting them back on,” said Hamad Al Mahmeed, project manager at Dive Bahrain.

The plane was bought from an airline based in Dubai.

The site is due to open in August 2019 and will be the largest underwater them park in the world, covering an area of 100,000 square metres.

Asides the Boeing 747 the underwater theme park will feature a replica of a traditional Bahraini pearl merchant’s house, sculptures made from eco-friendly materials and artificial coral reefs, designed to encourage marine life.