Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Atlantis also offers a night dive, a great opportunity to really see the fan-
tastic colors of the coral reef and its inhabitants. Ticket prices are $72 per
person; children under 12 are half-price.
A new adventure from Atlantis features a longer dive during which guests
view scuba divers feeding fish; this cruise is priced at US $82 per person.
The company also offers a one-of-a-kind experience on their submersible
research vessel,
Atlantis Deep Explorer
. Plunging down to a depth of 1,000
feet, the 22-foot sub carries two passengers and a pilot and is the only one
of its type open to the public. Several times a day, the yellow vessel plunges
down the Cayman Wall to depths far beyond the range of sports scuba
divers.
The vessel has a large, three-foot-diameter convex window and the pas-
sengers sit side by side in front of this viewport. The view varies with the
depth: from 200 to 400 feet below the surface are colorful sponges and cor-
als in what's termed the “sponge belt.” Hundreds of sponges blanket the
vertical wall in forms ranging from 20-foot-long orange rope sponges to gi-
gantic barrel sponges. From 650 to 1,000 feet, living formations give way
to limestone pinnacles that house deep-sea creatures, such as stalked cri-
noids, porcelain corals and glass sponges. Termed the “haystack” zone, the
haystacks or limestone blocks stand over 150 feet tall. Here, light no lon-
ger penetrates the sea and the research sub illuminates the dark water
with powerful lights. The highlight of many trips is a visit to the
Kirk
Pride
, a shipwreck that sits on a ledge at 800 feet. This 180-foot freighter
sank in a storm in 1976 and its fate was unknown until the wreck was dis-
covered by an
Atlantis
research submarine in 1985. Tickets are US $295-
395 per person (depending on type of dive). Five dives are scheduled each
day, Monday through Friday. The tour last about an hour, and advance
reservations are strongly recommended.
As with the
Atlantis
submarine trip, bring along your camera, loaded with
ASA 1000 film, for this excursion.
AUTHORS' NOTE:
No children under three
feet tall are permitted on these subs.
Semi-Submarines
Nautilus
: The Undersea Tour
,
345-945-1355, nautilus@candw.ky,
www.nautilus.ky. This cruise provides a one-hour tour aboard an 80-foot
semi-submersible vessel to view the rich marine life of the bay. The sub
goes out about three-quarters of a mile offshore and gives visitors a chance
to view two shipwrecks and to watch a diver feed a variety of tropical fish.
Travelers sit in a glass hull six feet beneath the surface but can go up on
deck anytime during the trip. These one-hour tours are priced at US $35
per person and $15 for children. Tours depart from the dock at Rackham's
Pub on North Church Street.