The underwater world was our next stop after the volcanic adventure in Garachico and spectacular views in Masca. In the past, I sailed and dove in Canary Islands. Therefore, I knew how fascinatingly diverse the local marine life is. Still, I was looking how to best present this part of nature to my partner.

Then I discovered Submarine Safaris. A Canarian operator that organizes underwater trips in Tenerife and Lanzarote. After checking customer reviews and photos, I knew this would be a great option.

The online booking costed around 60 EUR per person, which is on par with a diving session. However, for the submarine trip, there's no need to dress up wet suit, carry heavy oxygen tank, or even complete the diver course.

Illustration of the Nautilus by Alphonse de Neuville and Édouard Riou

On board Nautilus

While the actual name of our vessel was Sub Fun Cinco, it's hard not to think about fictional references. Jules Verne inspires me as an author. Especially the accuracy of his futuristic stories. So here we were, some 150 years after the publication of “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas”, sitting in an actual submarine visiting the sea world.

Much like the Nautilus, our vessel was also electric. Since being on board a submarine was a unique experience, I'm glad that organizers shared intriguing facts about the Sub Fun Cinco. That it costed around 3 million euros, was custom-made in Finland, and was designed to withstand depths of up to 100 meters. The electric engine meant no wildlife disturbance. Neither by noise nor by pollution. Which was commendable.

Another crucial factor for everyone visiting was that the pressure inside was kept at one atmosphere (atm). The equivalent of standard atmospheric pressure at sea level. That translates to no headaches or other uncomfortable symptoms.

In charge of the boat was no Captain Nemo. Instead we had two skippers sitting at the front. And an extra crewmember taking care of the guests. Much like with commercial airplanes, redundancy in personnel and equipment is for safety. I appreciate that a lot, as it allowed me and my partner to focus on the experience.

Visiting the Aquatic World

After boarding and walking down the ladder we already saw the blue abyss. The windows, or rather viewports were made of strong acrylic, and created a unique turquoise vibe.

Around 15 travelers including us chose their seats. Each of the observation stations was equipped with laminated fish descriptions, outside camera screen, and headphones. We could select the prerecorded narration from a dozen languages and follow each step of the journey.

0:00
/0:41

From the very beginning, curious fish were passing right in front of us. The deeper we went, the more of them came to greet us. From schools of axillary seabream, funny trumpet fish, cheerful striped seabream, and bottom-dwelling garden eels up to majestic sting rays. There were so many fishes!

Half-way during the trip, at around 30 meters below sea level the submarine stopped and we were asked to switch to the other side of the boat. That's when the divers appeared. Actually, they were part of the crew interacting with the wildlife. They freely swam around the submarine, bringing a starfish to the viewports and playing with sting rays.

Normally, sting rays are associated with their venomous tail. However, these spiny butterfly rays were peaceful and playful. What surprised us was that they enjoyed the air bubbles released by the divers. Hence they would sit on top of their heads like giant sombreros.

After about 30-45 minutes the journey was finished. Which was an optimal duration. The space inside the submarine was akin to a city bus, with small seats bolted at each viewport. Fine for most people, but quite limited for tall folks like myself.

Overall, we were very pleased with this maritime adventure. The organization was top-notch with attention to detail at each stage. Moreover, we admire that Submarine Safaris appears to be mindful about the natural environment. They support the Ocean Project and monitor for the endangered angel shark during the trips. Most importantly, they make it easy for anyone to experience the extraordinary sea life.