Absolute Travel & SubSea Explorers Offer Rare Opportunity to Help Solve Mysteries of Roman Shipwrecks; Travelers Dive in $3M Submarine to Region Off-Limits for Centuries
(PRWEB) April 02, 2015 -- Ian Koblick is the visionary behind this underwater adventure. An Explorers Club Member since 1978 and distinguished Lowell Thomas Award recipient, Koblick has led four Explorers Club Flag Expeditions in the last six years. It was on these expeditions that the Roman shipwrecks were discovered. The shipwrecks will be shared with citizen archaeologists and adventurous travelers for the first time this summer. “We are bringing underwater archaeology to a new level. It is an unusual privilege to be part of a crew uncovering the cultural remains of a civilization dating back 2,000 years,” says Ian Koblick. “For the last seven years I have worked with several European governments to locate these shipwrecks, and gain this unprecedented access for undersea explorers. I am thrilled to offer this adventure through the Explorers Club and their travel partner Absolute Travel. There’s nothing else like it.”
Participants will undergo three two-hour missions in the $3 million submarine built with 360-degree views and dive capabilities up to 1,000 feet. Each mission will carry two guests working alongside a marine archeologist and submarine pilot to the wrecks, whose wooden frames have deteriorated but whose amphora and cargo remain intact. Under the supervision and direction of the Superintendent of the Seas of Sicily, Sebastiano Tusa, essential artifacts that hold clues to ancient Roman life and the ships’ mysterious disappearances will be recovered from the seafloor, curated and displayed in local regional exhibits. Participants will assist archeologists at regional excavation sites to gain an insider’s perspective into their work.
The program offers eight one-week missions in 2015: June 20-26; June 27-July 3; July 4-July 10; July 11-July 17; July 18-July 24; July 25-August 7; August 8-August 14; August 15-August 21. One week archeology submarine program includes: 3-person air-conditioned submarine, support ship, support crew, all required equipment, villa hotel and meals. Program cost per person is $19,700; 6 person maximum. Up to $9,700 of the total cost per person may be treated as a charitable contribution to Aurora Trust Foundation.
Alternatively, travelers can choose to stay on their own yacht. The cost is $145,000 for a group of up to 10 people. Up to 75% of the total cost may be treated as a charitable contribution to Aurora Trust Foundation.
Koblick and his not-for-profit Aurora Trust Foundation in conjunction with the Superintendent of the Seas of Sicily; SubSea Explorers, a marine archeology expedition company; and U-Boat Worx, a Dutch mini-submarine manufacturer, offers the program.
Katie Losey, Absolute Travel, http://absolutetravel.com/, +1 (212) 627-1950, [email protected]
Share this article