Virgin Goes from Air to Sea with Luxury Submarine Rides
Millionaire Richard Branson is again offering the public a chance to go where they've never been before - beneath the sea.
Sir Richard Branson, the British millionaire who continually grabs headlines with his fantastic exploits and unique ideas, is again taking the spotlight. Branson's Virgin Limited, the first company to offer space flight to wealthy travelers, has announced a new travel adventure that is slightly more affordable but just as thrilling. For only $25,000 the public will be able to fly beneath the sea in Branson's Necker Nymph, the first undersea "airplane."
A news release from Virgin says that the Nymph is different from most submersible vehicles because if it does not use ballast to dive and maneuver through the water; it uses "lift," the same principle of physics that is used in aerial flight. The company has classified the vehicle as a "DeepFlight aero submarine" that holds three people. Guests are required to follow standard procedures for SCUBA, and each person sill be trained by a certified pilot of the Necker Nymph. The press release says that the Necker Nymph is eco-friendly, taking passengers for a close view without infringing upon the environment or damaging sea life. The positive buoyancy design keeps the sub from being able to land on an underwater reef, and it was designed with low lighting and minimal noise emissions, so as to cause as little disturbance as possible to fragile ecosystems of the deep ocean environment.
The winged, open-cockpit submarine is the first of its kind available on the open market. Engineer Graham Hawkes, owner of Hawkes Ocean Technologies, designed the Necker Nymph to be a high-performance, high-class traveling machine. Guests visiting Necker Island, Branson's resort located in the British Virgin Islands, can charter the aero sub along with a charter of the Necker Belle, a luxury 105-foot catamaran. Or guests can charter the Necker Nymph on its own, launched from shore, and spend up to two hours exploring ancient shipwrecks, swimming with whales, or flying alongside porpoises. The sub can take passengers gliding peacefully over reefs, or on whirling banking turns, offering nearly 360-degree viewing vistas for occupants.
The Necker Nymph will be available for charter starting on February 20. The weekly rental fee for the Nymph is $25,000, but that's on top of the cost of staying on Necker Island for the week, so the total cost of the vacation would be around $300,000.
A news release from Virgin says that the Nymph is different from most submersible vehicles because if it does not use ballast to dive and maneuver through the water; it uses "lift," the same principle of physics that is used in aerial flight. The company has classified the vehicle as a "DeepFlight aero submarine" that holds three people. Guests are required to follow standard procedures for SCUBA, and each person sill be trained by a certified pilot of the Necker Nymph. The press release says that the Necker Nymph is eco-friendly, taking passengers for a close view without infringing upon the environment or damaging sea life. The positive buoyancy design keeps the sub from being able to land on an underwater reef, and it was designed with low lighting and minimal noise emissions, so as to cause as little disturbance as possible to fragile ecosystems of the deep ocean environment.
The winged, open-cockpit submarine is the first of its kind available on the open market. Engineer Graham Hawkes, owner of Hawkes Ocean Technologies, designed the Necker Nymph to be a high-performance, high-class traveling machine. Guests visiting Necker Island, Branson's resort located in the British Virgin Islands, can charter the aero sub along with a charter of the Necker Belle, a luxury 105-foot catamaran. Or guests can charter the Necker Nymph on its own, launched from shore, and spend up to two hours exploring ancient shipwrecks, swimming with whales, or flying alongside porpoises. The sub can take passengers gliding peacefully over reefs, or on whirling banking turns, offering nearly 360-degree viewing vistas for occupants.
The Necker Nymph will be available for charter starting on February 20. The weekly rental fee for the Nymph is $25,000, but that's on top of the cost of staying on Necker Island for the week, so the total cost of the vacation would be around $300,000.
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