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Ocean Exploration and Restoration
Aquatica Submarines creates ocean foundation
ahead of dive with Richard Branson
by Olivia Michel
The Aquatica Foundation will support a dive into the Belize Blue Hole. Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Vancouver-based Aquatica Submarines has announced the launch of its new
ocean conservation charity, the Aquatica Foundation. The NGO has been
created with the purpose of contributing to ocean exploration and restoration,
as well as furthering education about the ocean and marine life by bringing
together global experts to share knowledge and support marine events.
The news, which was announced by Aquatica president and CEO Harvey
Flemming on October 2018, comes in the run up to the company’s expedition
to the Belize Blue Hole which is being carried out in conjunction with Richard
Branson and the Fabien Cousteau Society. The landmark project hopes to
reach the bottom of the famous landmark and the company’s Stingray 500
model submarine will be one of two vessels on the voyage to the UNESCO
world heritage site, located in the Belize Barrier Reef. The submarine, which
can carry one pilot and two passengers, will be heading 420 feet into the
depths of the ocean sinkhole. Located 40 miles from the shores of Belize City
and stretching 1,043 feet in diameter, the Blue Hole is considered one of the
top dive sites in the world.
Supporting the dive as the lead not-for-profit organisation will be the charity’s
first act toward achieving its objectives. The mission will be an opportunity
to not only collect scientific data but also raise awareness about ocean
conservation by live streaming imagery of the dive and what it finds to the
public. Through exploration of this area the project expects to contribute to
the mapping of our oceans, of which so far only 5% has been charted.
Aquatica Submarines' Stingray 500 will participate in the dive
Empire Group. Richard Branson, founder of Ocean Unite, and aquanaut
and documentary maker Fabien Cousteau will make up members of the
expedition team.
The Aquatica Foundation has plenty more to look forward to after Belize,
with an expedition to the British Virgin Islands already planned for 2019.
MS
The expedition will take place in partnership with fellow NGOs Ocean Unite,
Oceanic Global, Oceana, the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, and
Belize Audubon Society as well as commercial sponsors Weeks Abroad and
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