In petrodollar countries, they do everything in a big way. The money is not a problem. What do you need to sink a Boeing 747 to set up a diving park? Well, it sinks, it would take more…
If you are a fan of diving, and basically rich, you will surely be interested in going to the Dive Bahrain diving park in Bahrain, in the Middle East. It is the only place in the world where you can dive inside a Boeing 747 planeone of the largest in the world.
In 2017, the Dive Bahrain project was launched, the largest diving park in the world, with more than 100,000 square meters. The star of the tourist attraction is a 70-meter-long Boeing 747, submerged 25 meters deep, which divers can explore inside and out.
It is not the only attraction. The dive park also has an artificial reef, sunken ships, sculptures, and even a replica of a pearl merchant’s house.
Diving inside a Boeing 747
How do you submerge a 70 meter long plane in a tourist area?
The company purchased a Boing 747 with more than 30 years of service from Malaysia Airlines. They disassembled it into several pieces, and transported it by ship to Bahrain.
The dismantled plane crossed the city to the port, and remained there for 8 months in a “decontamination” process, where all electrical parts and contaminating materials were eliminated.
Finally they put it back together, and transported it with some floats to the diving park:
Dive Bahrain
When the floats were removed, the plane sank in the indicated place. It has remained 25 meters deep since 2019, so it is already a little rusty.
Now it is home to species as varied as sea turtles, corals, and different types of fish. You can see a short tour of the submerged Boeing 747 in this video:
Access to the park is through three diving centers in the area, and you must reserve in advance, because demand is high.
Dive Bahrain is the largest diving park in the worldwith more than 100,000 square meters, and also the only one in the world where you can dive inside a Boeing 747. A must-see destination for any diving enthusiast, if you can afford it.