Jules’ Undersea Lodge, The World’s FIRST One!

From Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous, every major travel channel in the world, insane amount of newspaper & magazine articles, to the infamous Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue have all featured this one-of-a-kind WORLD-CLASS attraction! Named after famed novelist Jules Verne who penned such blockbusters as “Journey To The Center Of The Earth”, “Around The World In 80 Days”, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea”, “Captain Nemo”, “From The Earth To The Moon” to name a few… this man is indeed the father of the current science-fiction genre. Wow, who would’ve ever thought that so many of his off-the-wall dreams would’ve ever come true!

For the first time average-Joe non-divers have access to such an incredible opportunity. This undersea lodge is ONLY accessible via scuba diving. If you’re not a certified scuba diver you’ll be required to take a crash course (about $150 each) before submerging to enter your room. The submerged waterproof rooms hold up to 2 families with restrictions on the total  number of people. As you can see, this is not a stripped down room either complete with shower, restrooms, radio & DVD. Can you imagine staying a single night 27 feet under the sea? I can’t, this is NOT CHEAP since it will set you back an approximate cool $650 per person depending on what overnight package you choose! Hey, but I’m glad to say that it does include a 6 pm gourmet dinner by your mer-chef (mermaid chef) and an early 8 am breakfast.

In talking to one of the managers, she said as much as you’d like to give an adventure like this as a gift, it’s best to ask the recipient first since some are terrified of the thought of being confined all night under water. Final comment, you’re absolutely safe being monitored ashore around the clock by trained Oceanic Institute observers ready to intervene upon a seconds notice. As much as I’d like to do this sometime in the future… I’m not too confident on it ever happening! 🙂

You can find the WORLD’S FIRST underwater hotel room with a view at Mile Marker 103.3 oceanside off US-1’s Transylvania Avenue in the Florida’s Keys. At one time, this was the WORLD’S ONLY undersea lodge! Way too cool!

Marine Research Laboratory

When was the last time you went to an actively functioning Marine Research Laboratory? It’s now available for commoners like you and I along with certified divers.

Although the original underwater laboratory is now a hotel it actually began its existence as La Chalupa research laboratory, an underwater habitat used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. The authenticity of the underwater habitat is what really sets it apart from other similar attractions. The mangrove lagoon in which its located is a natural nursery area for many reef fish. Tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers are frequent visitors to the habitat, while anemones, sponges, oysters and feather duster worms seem to cover every inch of this underwater world. You can explore the marine facility environment with scuba gear provided with an unlimited supply of tanks… for a fee of course. It’s not only the home of the WORLD’S FIRST underwater hotel, but is also the first underwater research lab to have ever been made accessible to the average person.

As you can see from the collection of photos, this has plenty of photo-ops for you and your family. The facility comes complete with a marine submersible, air chambers and a functioning command station that monitors its former laboratory on a 24-hour basis. No matter your choice of taking part in diving or not, this is well worth the FREE admission to walk around.

You can find this actively functioning Marine Research Laboratory on the grounds of Jules’ Undersea Lodge. Start at Mile Marker 103.3 oceanside turning onto Transylvania Ave to its right hand dead-end side. Enjoy this one-of-a-kind facility on your next trip down the Florida Keys.