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Atlantis Submarines Kona has a new “green†package that combines its eco-friendly submarine tour in Kailua Bay with golfing on the spectacular fairways and greens of Makalei Golf Club on the slopes above Kailua-Kona.
“We know how much golfers like playing on the Big Island so we’ve created a unique, value-added package that lets them enjoy one of our best and most picturesque courses, and also experience up-close the magic of our marine world while staying dry,†said Mike Stanton, General Manager of Atlantis Submarines Kona.
“Our new sub and golf combo is an opportunity for families to enjoy the Big Island’s diverse range of beauty – from a flourishing undersea environment to a tranquil forest in a mountainside setting,†Stanton said.
Atlantis’s sub tour adventure begins in Kailua-Kona town where its shuttle boat transports guests to the dive site in Kailua Bay, while providing them with a sweeping view of the coastline and Mount Hualalai rising in the backdrop.
The sub tour is highlighted by a 25-acre coral reef garden that grew on a lava flow of 18,000 years ago, and two sunken shipwrecks that nature has transformed into thriving artificial reefs. An abundance of marine life, featuring brightly colored schools of fish and beautiful, pristine coral are seen up-close throughout the sub tour.
The two sunken shipwrecks are an impressive undersea sight as they have evolved into artificial reefs and become a home for fish to grow, congregate, and replenish, and increase the biomass of marine life in the area. Atlantis supports the use of artificial reefs to enhance marine conservation and has installed artificial reefs at its submarine dive sites off Waikiki Beach and Lahaina, Maui.
Atlantis has been offering submarine adventure tours in Kona’s Kailua Bay since 1988 and uses the world’s most technologically advanced passenger submarine – a battery-powered non-polluting vessel that seats 48 passengers comfortably in a spacious, air-conditioned cabin with large, individual viewing ports on either side.
Atlantis’s “green†submarine provides a safe, eco-friendly tour that carries guests to more than 100 feet below the surface and keeps them engaged with an entertaining and informative narrative on the marine life and activities going on around them.
Golfers will enjoy Makalei Golf Club, with its panoramic mountainside and coastal vistas and a course design that incorporates the natural terrain and beauty of the surrounding area into the layout. One of Hawaii’s rare mountain golf experiences, Makalei is located on the side of Hualalai range and played on elevations ranging from 1,800 to 2,850 feet.
Mountain slopes and native forests, as well as lava tubes and cinder cones formed by ancient lava flows, add to the beauty and the challenges of playing Makalei, which offers multiple tees to accommodate golfers of all abilities. A unique feature is the large number of peacocks, pheasants, wild turkeys, and other birds that call the golf course home.
The cost of the sub tour and golf combo is $150 for adults and $70 for children, ages 7-18. Prices do not include 3 percent harbor fee and 4.166 percent state excise sales tax. Transportation from area hotels to the sub tour is available for an additional fee.
Atlantis Submarines offers four undersea adventure tours daily, departing from the Kailua-Kona Pier. Check-in time is 30 minutes before departure. Children must be at least 36†tall to participate, and all guests must be able to navigate a nearly vertical 7-step ladder in and out of the submarine. No smoking is permitted on the shuttle boat or submarine.
Atlantis Submarines has nine locations worldwide including Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico and Guam. In Hawaii, Atlantis operates five submarines in Kona, Lahaina, and Waikiki. The company also owns Honolulu-based Atlantis Navatek Cruises, offering sunset dinner cruises aboard the high-tech revolutionary Navatek I, along with seasonal luncheon whale watch cruises from December to April.
— Find out more
Atlantis Submarines: 1-800-548-6262, www.AtlantisSubmarines.com