Spread the love

On World Oceans Day (Saturday 8 June), scUber, the world’s first rideshare submarine on the Great Barrier Reef, will be gearing up for its second wave of riders in Tropical North Queensland – and there are only 15 opportunities left to book this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

From Sunday 9 June, scUber will be available to book exclusively via the Uber app in Cairns, Port Douglas or Palm Cove. scUber rides commenced on Heron Island on 27 May, with riders from all over the world  taking the opportunity to book this exceptional bucket-list experience exploring Australia’s underwater icon.

The high-tech submarine is now based in Tropical North Queensland until 18 June, where riders can immerse themselves in the exquisite beauty of Agincourt Reef – all without the need for a snorkeling mask or a diving license!

The scUber experience, which costs AUD$3,000 for two riders includes:

  • Pickup and drop off from your location with Uber;
  • Scenic helicopter ride to the Quicksilver Cruises pontoon off the coast of Port Douglas (for riders requesting from Cairns, Port Douglas and Palm Cove);
  • One hour ride in a scUber submarine;
  • Return trip back to your original pickup address with Uber.

Agincourt Reef, off the coast of Port Douglas, is named one of the world’s greatest diving and snorkelling sites and runs parallel to the continental shelf on the northern section of the outer Great Barrier Reef. Below the crystal clear surface lives some of the most vibrant aquatic animal and plant life unique to Australia’s coast. Riders at Agincourt Reef will marvel at spectacular corals and marine life including clownfish, giant clams, butterfly fish, parrot fish, angel fish and white tipped reef sharks, amongst many other species.

It has been a good month for marine life across the globe with the celebration of World Oceans Day, a global salute to our oceans and collaboration for a better future, and the launch of scUber. World Oceans Day and scUber were created with the same goal in mind: to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in our lives, and why we need to protect them.

Wendy Morris, Chair of Tropical Tourism North Queensland, said: “The Great Barrier Reef is nature’s greatest masterpiece, and we’re thrilled to welcome scUber to the beautiful Agincourt Reef. It’s only when you personally experience the reef that you can truly appreciate and understand it.

“Through the success of scUber, we have reminded the world just how breathtaking the Great Barrier Reef is. The reef is mind-blowing and every time you go through it, you never know what to expect. This personal experience will change the way people think and act throughout the rest of their lives.”

Terry and Kym Purcell from Gladstone were the first couple to ride scUber on Heron Island. On the experience and the $3000 price tag, Terry said: “It’s an absolute bargain. You can’t put a cost on this. For my wife to be able to see the reef at 12 metres below sea level and to see the bottom of a true coral atoll like I do when I dive was just magic.”

“I’ve been diving on the Great Barrier Reef since I was seven years old and the reef around Heron Island is the most wonderful spot in the world. Today is really about my wife. She does not have a diver’s certificate; she snorkels but it’s not the same. With this (scUber), she can experience the reef first-hand and see it close up.

“Besides, who else do you know can say, ‘I hailed a submarine’?”

As part of the scUber campaign, Queensland and Uber announced a global competition which saw more than 150,000 people from Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, UK and France, enter to win this exceptional bucket-list experience. This week will see the lucky six winners travel to Tropical North Queensland to enjoy their very own scUber prize.

Greater than 69 million football fields in size, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest and longest coral reef system.  The extraordinary biodiversity of its species and habitats make it one of the most complex natural systems on Earth, containing more than 600 different types of coral (one third of the world’s coral species), approximately 1,625 species of fish and more than 1,000 islands.

As part of the global launch of scUber, Uber will donate AUD $100,000 to Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, to support their ongoing Reef conservation initiatives. Uber will also donate the equivalent value of every scUber ride to initiatives Citizens is undertaking in an effort to preserve the Reef. The Citizens movement aims to engage people from all over the world in the Reef’s future and inspire them to take action to help protect it. To find out more about Citizens’ Reef Tracks program, visit here.