Not many people know what a human-powered submarine is. Even fewer would be aware of an international submarine race being held in Europe next month.
It may also come as a surprise to many that University of Auckland's entry is a hot tip to win.
The sub looks like a menacing monster of the deep and it moves like one too.
"Our top speed last year was 3.65 knots, which is just under two metres a second," says Iain Anderson.
Like its Maori namesake, the Taniwha is tough and agile. It's around three metres long and made of fibreglass, and crammed inside is a pilot, using scuba-diving gear to breathe.
"The operator sits, lies, inside on their stomach, and they have their two hands for the controls, so they've got to be able to dive it up and down and turn it left and right," Mr Anderson says.
The human-powered submarine was designed and built by students at University of Auckland -- a group of dedicated submarine enthusiasts who use their spare time to hone their engineering skills.
"This is no one's job; this is not what they're studying. This is just a hobby of people who have come through Auckland Uni and been passionate about submarining," says pilot Chris Walker.
They looked to nature for the design, copying the leather-jacket fish, with fins above and below, and a flexible tail.
"You can't be claustrophobic," Mr Walker says.
"You're floating inside the sub, rather comfortably; you're not lying on any of the metal or anything and you just put your feet into pedals and away you go."
The Taniwha will compete against 12 other subs in the International Submarine Races in the UK, held in a pool normally used to test military equipment.
At the competition next month the sub will not only be judged on its speed over 100 metres, but also its ability to turn corners and manoeuvre through a series of obstacles.
The Taniwha already holds the title for the fastest non-propeller human-powered sub and the team is hoping not only to defend the title, but set a new world speed record as well.
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