Travellers who love both diving and planes can now combine both their interests at the same time - providing they are willing to travel to Jordan.
An out-of-service commercial aeroplane was sunk by authorities in the city of Aqaba on Monday (local time) as part of an eco-tourism project aimed at attracting visitors to the region and promoting the growth of sea life, reports the Jordan Times.
The disused Lockheed TriStar plane had been parked at King Hussein International Airport for several years. It was recently bought by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) in order to be sunk and then disassembled so it could be transferred to Aqaba's main port before being re-assembled on arrival.
It joins a Hercules C-130 military aircraft sunk in 2017, and various other military vehicles that were sent to the seafloor a few weeks ago. The underwater attractions are part of Aqaba's Underwater Military Museum Dive Site.
The Hercules has already proven to be a hit with divers and curious fish, while divers will have to steer clear of the military vehicles for at least six months to give marine life enough time to move in and colonise them, according to Scuba Diver magazine.
It is hoped the site will allow for the creation of artificial coral reefs to host fish and other marine life, which will, in turn, attract more divers to the area.
And the ploy seems to be working so far, with Nayef Bakhit, chief executive of ASEZA, telling the Jordan Times that the number of scuba divers increased from 6000 in 2017 to 22,000 in 2018.
Newshub.
