Submersible adventures in the Mediterranean

The Med with a difference

Submersibles offer the chance to go deeper than traditional diving in perfect comfort, opening up opportunities for new discoveries when travelling next to our leading experts.

And, in Europe’s backyard there are findings still to be made, just as we discovered a Roman shipwreck in 2019 as part of a client’s trip, bringing in marine archaeologists and liaising with the coastguard to temporarily close down the port of Napoli.

And, wherever your interests lie, we’ve got the expertise and contacts to make it happen, as part of a wider Mediterranean experience. Travelling by superyacht means you can enjoy the likes of family treasure hunts in ancient stadiums or tastings in privatised vineyards.

Back underwater, it’s all conducted in the utmost safety. All submersibles we work with are certified by the world-leading classification society DNV.

All media taken on Cookson Adventures trips

Experiential travel specialist Cookson Adventures recently partnered with a collation of European marine scientists, regional universities, marine archaeologists and local officials to facilitate a number of ground-breaking research dives on behalf of a Cookson client… The two species of Black Coral detected during the last dive represent, in particular, a finding of great scientific importance… Also found near to Ustica was the new discovery of a Roman shipwreck

October 2019

Potential for discoveries

Simply, we don’t know what lies on the majority of the Mediterranean’s seafloor. From ancient Roman and Greek history to deep-sea ecology and formations, there’s plenty to discover. We’ve got the relationships with the local authorities and leading scientific experts to make this happen, as we did when our client aided in the discovery of a Roman shipwreck. That’s alongside the chance to take in sunken Classical port towns, complete with mosaics and the remains of Roman harbours.

WWII wrecks

The Mediterranean was the theatre for some of WWII’s most pivotal moments and many of its wrecks falling below the reaches of traditional diving. Think sunken torpedo boats, German submarines and Allied destroyers, each with a dramatic story to tell that can unfold in front of you, brought to life by travelling in the company of a top historical author.

Support vehicles

Not only does our use of support assets add another layer of security, but we can use ROVs and additional subs to film your adventure and shine high-powered lights on sunken wrecks in the inky black. Support vessels can also pre-position the sub as you explore elsewhere and can accommodate additional experts to enhance your experience.

Experts

From marine archaeologists and biologists to research scientists and historians, our expert contacts not only add extra detail to your adventure, but can open up protected regions not usually accessible to the public.

Above water

A volcanologist-led hike on Mt. Etna followed by a private string quartet performance. A family treasure hunt that concludes with a gladiator battle staged in a Roman amphitheatre. Toasting Stromboli’s eruption from your superyacht’s deck with a sommelier-led tasting of top local vintages. We’ll tailor your Mediterranean adventure exactly to your tastes.

Geographical features

As you travel down to 300m, you can discover an underwater world unlike anything above the surface. Expect everything from bubbling volcanic fumaroles and giant sea mounts to dramatic overhangs and eerie abyssal walls.

HMHS Britannic

Compared to its sister ship, the Titanic, the HMHS Britannic lies just around 100m from the surface as the largest intact shipwreck on the ocean floor. Given that it’s below traditional dive methods, it’s been rarely explored, making it ripe for submersible trips. However, experts estimate that it will collapse in 5–10 years, meaning that this is one of the last chances to visit this wreck intact. It’s the chance to be part of genuine world history.

The joy of joining a submersible dive is its ease. Without any training, you’re able to go deeper and longer than scuba diving, stepping into a submersible that’s been prepositioned on a scouted location as you travel in luxury by yacht or, in the Mediterranean, on land. It’s the chance for an otherworldly experience within easy reach, perfectly combining with all the usual Med classics above water.

Then, when you’re onboard, there’s no pressure difference. Instead, you’re sat in comfort, able to discuss the awe-inspiring sights with those next to you, whether friends and family or a leading expert. Imagine marvelling at the twisted wreck of a destroyer that played a pivotal role in WWII while the historian who, quite literally, wrote the book on it narrates the experience next to you.

Past Cookson submersible dives in Malta

Indeed, the acrylic sphere seems to disappear with the outside underwater world, often offering near 360° views. That means you can survey ecosystems and wrecks in magnificent detail, adding enormous value to research. And, our scientific contacts can open up special-access sites. We’ve even discovered a species of coral thought to be extinct in the region we were exploring.

The Mediterranean isn’t only ideal for wreck dives, but there’s a fantastic underwater world of unique formations to uncover. Think great canyons, giant ledge drop-offs and bubbling volcanic features, all forming a truly otherworldly seascape.

And, over time, ancient port settlements have been taken over by rising sea levels. Today, they make for truly stunning submersible dives, with these millennia-old archaeological sites dramatically well preserved. Think mosaics, crumbling ruins and remnants of working Roman harbours.

Compared to experimental sub diving to thousand-metre depths, all the submersibles we work with are fully certified annually by leading organisations and feature an incredible amount of safety terms, from fail safes and drop weights to buoyancy tanks and redundancy systems.