For travellers who are particularly fascinated by the underwater world, a submarine ride can sound like the kind of experience that requires an international trip. But you do not necessarily need to leave India to get the esence of life beneath the sea.
Although submarine tourism is still limited in India, but a few destinations offer experiences that come close to the thrill. From walking through a real decommissioned Indian Navy submarine in Visakhapatnam to sitting inside an underwater viewing cabin in the Andaman Islands, one can experience the underwater thrill sitting in India.
Here are three places in India where travellers can experience submarines or semi-submarines without needing a passport.
INS Kursura Submarine Museum in Visakhapatnam
For those who want to understand what life inside an actual submarine feels like, the INS Kursura Submarine Museum in Visakhapatnam offers a different kind of experience.
Located near RK Beach, the museum is located inside INS Kursura, a decommissioned Indian Navy Foxtrot-class submarine. Unlike an underwater tourist ride, the submarine is permanently stationed on land, allowing visitors to walk through its original interiors and see how the vessel was designed and operated.
Visitors enter the submarine through its hatches and make their way through its narrow passageways. The tour includes many consecutive sections of the vessel, including the control room, torpedo section, sonar and radar areas and crew compartments.
The cramped interiors offer a sense of how naval personnel lived and worked inside a submarine, where space was limited and different parts of the vessel had specific operational purposes.
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The ticket price is Rs 70 for adults and Rs 40 for children below 12 years. Visitors carrying cameras also need to pay separately, with still cameras priced at Rs 50 and video cameras at Rs 200.
One important distinction is that INS Kursura does not take visitors underwater. It is an opportunity to step inside a genuine naval submarine and explore its interiors while it remains docked on land.
North Bay in the Andaman Islands
If the idea is to actually look beneath the water, North Bay in the Andaman Islands offers a different experience through semi-submarine rides.
Unlike a conventional submarine, a semi-submarine remains partly above the surface. The vessel has an underwater observation section where passengers can sit behind large glass windows while experiencing the underwater thrills and can easily witness the underwater creatures.
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At North Bay, passengers can look through the glass panels at coral reefs and marine life. The viewing windows are positioned at an angle, which allows tourists to observe the underwater surroundings while remaining seated inside the cabin.
Havelock Island or Swaraj Dweep
Another option in the Andaman Islands is Swaraj Dweep, popularly known as Havelock Island.
Like North Bay, the destination offers a semi-submarine experience for visitors who want to see the underwater world without getting into the water themselves.
Passengers can sit inside a submerged viewing cabin and look through large windows as the vessel moves through the water. The viewers can see the Coral reefs and fish in the underwater section, offering a different perspective from a regular boat ride.
Some semi-submarine trips operate around Elephant Beach, although the exact route and schedule can differ. Travellers should therefore confirm the day’s itinerary and operating conditions before booking.
It is also worth remembering that this is a semi-submarine experience rather than a conventional submarine journey. The main vessel remains on the surface while the passenger viewing section is positioned below the waterline.