Will the super-rich want to explore shipwrecks and watch whales in the ocean’s depths? U-Boat Worx, Hawkes Ocean Technologies, Triton Submarines, and Seamagine Hydrospace, obviously think so. Each of them are showcasing one or more of their submersibles at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. The displayed subs are being offered at prices ranging from $1,500,00 to $4,200,000 — but some of the companies also sell lesser expensive models.
SEAmagine sub approaches shipwreck
Netherlands based U-Boat Worx, which builds five models of submarines designed to carry two to five people and operate at depths between 100 meters and 1,000 meters deep, had two subs on display. Triton Submarines out of Vero Beach, Florida can get down to 1,650 meters.
Besides heading Hawkes Ocean Technologies, Graham Hawkes, 65, a London-born marine engineer and inventor, was the founder of Deep Sea Discoveries, a commercial marine archeology company that has located hundreds of shipwrecks, and has plans for future vehicles (manned and unmanned) to go to deepest parts of the ocean.
What does this really do for the shipwreck industry? I say a great deal, as the biggest problem to date in the shipwreck industry has been getting those who have the money to invest to understand how many millions of untouched shipwrecks are out there. If they are able to view some of them for themselves, I think they will suddenly see it as a viable business. Sir Richard Branson has already bought one of Hawkes’ submersibles.
U-Boat Worx’s C-Explorer 2 on shipwreck off Malta
So, even though I won’t be attending the Monaco Yacht Show, I am excited about the submersibles on show there. I have even been looking into buying one of these subs for my own work.
Dive Safe,
Lee
(“Shipwrecks” blog by Dr. E. Lee Spence)
Read more about:
Graham Hawkes at: http://keynotespeakers.com/speaker_detail.php?speakerid=4933
Hawkes Ocean Technologies: http://www.deepflight.com/
U-Boat Worx: http://www.uboatworx.com/
Triton Submarines: http://tritonsubs.com/
Seamagine Hydrospace: http://www.seamagine.com/
Monaco Yacht Show: http://www.monacoyachtshow.com/en/