Dive! Dive!

Water is the defining element of Hawaii. The ocean’s abundance has fed millions of people in the storied history of the Aloha State, and its beauty has drawn millions of visitors. But to truly experience the wonders of the sea, it’s essential to discover what lies beneath the surface.

That’s how we decided to adventure under the waves via the Atlantis, the world’s largest passenger submarine. Diving just a nautical mile from the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort & Spa [www.HiltonHawaiianVillage.com] on Oahu’s Waikiki Beach, the Atlantis is just one of many family-friendly activities available to the hotel’s guests. It’s like going scuba diving – without getting wet.

Using the world’s most technologically advanced passenger submarines and touring a large area pulsating with marine life, Atlantis offers an underwater experience unique to Hawaii.

“Hawaii’s marine environment is magnificent, and our submarine tour is the best way to see it up close safely,” says Ronald Williams, President and CEO of Atlantis Submarines [www.AtlantisAdventures.com]. “Our message to guests is, ‘Let us show you our Hawaii,’ and by doing so we provide memories they never forget.”

Atlantis carries guests to depths of 130 feet. To places where schools of brightly colored fish frolic, where green sea turtles flourish, and beautiful coral grows. It’s a world unseen by anyone except scuba divers and fish.

It’s also an environment that Atlantis has helped re-energize with several man-made reef developments, successfully increasing the biomass of fish, coral, and other marine life. An area that once had limited fish populations now teems with activity.

The Waikiki undersea tour begins from the pier at Duke Kahanamoku Beach fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa. From there, the Atlantis shuttle boat Discovery ferries guests out to the sub site. The comfortable ride aboard Discovery is an unexpected pleasure of its own that’s best enjoyed from the upper deck. A complimentary “Dive Log” shows the sub’s journey and is a great keepsake – especially for kids.

As Discovery eases away from the pier and passes surfers and outrigger canoes, a breathtaking panoramic view of the Waikiki shoreline and historic Diamond Head crater soon comes into view. It’s perfect for photos.

At the dive site, a trained and experienced crew awaits to safely transfer guests from the shuttle boat onto the sub. Through the topside hatch, guests enter a spacious, air-conditioned cabin with plenty of leg and headroom and large viewing portals on both sides for each seat. It’s like having your own window to the undersea world.

As the pilot guides the quiet, battery-powered sub into its journey, the depth gauge numbers increase – along with the tropical fish darting in front of the portals. The co-pilot serves as the tour guide, keeping everyone informed, entertained and riveted to their viewing portals about the ever-changing marine life taking place outside.

At the 80-foot mark, the sub glides by a series of large “pyramids” anchored onto the ocean floor. These concrete pyramid structures were designed by the University of Hawaii’s Sea Grant Program, with assistance from Atlantis, and installed as artificial reefs in 1989 to help revitalize Waikiki’s marine environment. The change has been phenomenal. Once barren of activity, today swarming schools of colorful indigenous fish and other marine life have created a vibrant self-sustaining eco-system. There’s a scientific benefit, too. The University of Hawaii, National Marine Fisheries and Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources gather invaluable research data.

The sub continues its descent overlooking natural coral reefs, an ancient lava flow and an undersea field of interconnected circular Japan-inspired artificial reefs. It’s home to a wide variety of plentiful marine species and corals, brightly colored tangs, moray eels, and Hawaii’s state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa (trigger fish). Reaching 125 feet, guests peer out at candy-striped squirrelfish, peacock-colored parrotfish, and various invertebrates dwelling on the sandy bottom.

Before starting its gradual ascent to the surface, the sub cruises around the sunken remains of two airplanes and two vessels, all of which serve as artificial reefs and thriving habitats for tropical fish of every shape and hue. Among the “reef residents” commonly seen are green sea turtles, stingrays and white-tip sharks.

Atlantis Submarines has entertained and educated more than five million guests about Hawaii’s marine world since 1988. This unforgettable experience has been highlighted in National Geographic specials and featured by Newsweek as a “High-Tech Adventure” for exploring new frontiers in travel.

In addition to Waikiki, Atlantis offers sub tours at Lahaina, Maui, and Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. Hawaii is the largest sub tour operation in a worldwide organization that includes St. Martin, Aruba, Barbados in the Caribbean; Grand Cayman and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Cancun, Mexico; and Guam.

Our experience aboard the sub was as entertaining as it was educational, and made our first full day on Oahu truly unforgettable.

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